Russia denies the existance of bombings against Benghazi

The Russian armed forces, which have been monitoring the situation in Libya via satellite since the beginning of the unrest, cast a shadow on Western reports of what is going on in Libya. According to Western media (BBC, Al Jazeera) on February 22 the Libyan Air Force would have attacked the rebel city of Benghazi, this attack never really happened, say the Russians now.

Sources: La Haine, Atilio Boron, Russia Today.

The La Haine article also includes a video of a massacre at Bahrain (real deaths warning) dated Feb 18.

Other news from the Arab Revolution

While I do not want to undermine the causes and reality of the Libyan facet of the Arab Revolution, this is obviously only part of a much larger and important process and it is also clear that the disinformation and dramatic posturing being launched on Libya and not the other Arab states where repression is at least as violent as in Libya and revolution at least as important, obey to the interests of the Empire, which is massing up forces in Crete for an imperialist intervention.

• Clashes in Alexandria - the Egyptian Revolution is far from over
• Massive protests in Bahrein (pictured) at Manama and around the state TV at Madinat Isa among calls for inter-faith harmony
• Yemeni army fires against protesters - and Hillary does say a word about it
• Calls for reforms dominate the scene in Algeria and Oman

Arab Revolution reaches Oman

With the first fatal casualties at a protest in Sohar, NW of the capital Muscat, Oman joins the long list of countries experiencing a quite intense revolutionary process in the Arab World and surroundings. 

The victims were killed by police rubber bullets, according to Al Jazeera, while a crowd demonstrated in this important harbor town in demand of political reforms. Another demonstration has been reported at Salalah in the south of the country (Dhofar), the birthplace of the autocrat Qaboos bin Said, who is at the same time Sultan, Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister and Chair of the Central Bank.

Oman suffers one of the most repressive regimes in the area, ruled by the whim of the Sultan and Sharia law, only comparable in totalitarianism to that of Saudi Arabia, I believe. This one is about the only Arab polity that has not yet suffered a revolt of some sort in the last months (others are Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates).

Oman is highly strategical because it controls, along with Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, the gate to the Persian Gulf. It is a close ally of the USA, Saudi Arabia, the UK and France.