Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: A New York Times Journalist is Detained, But What of the 40 People Killed?

A clip of Friday's protests in Sitra in Bahrain --- the march was later confronted by security forces with tear gas and rubber bullets

See also Bahrain Opinion: "Loonies" and The Sins of Bell Pottinger
Bahrain Special: 4 More Revelations about Qorvis, the Regime's PR Firm
Syria Video Feature: Friday's Protests
Friday's Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: What Will This Friday Bring?

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2055 GMT: Gunmen, believed to be from renegade groups of former insurgents, have tried to kill the head of the Libyan army in Tripoli.

The assailants, whom military officials said were probably from the Zintan brigade, challenged the convoy of General Khalifa Hifter as it moved toward military headquarters. The attempt set off hours of intense gunbattles along the main highway to the airport (see 1755 GMT). One of Libya’s largest military bases was also attacked.

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The Real Net Effect: Egypt, Dissent, and the #FreeMona Perfect Storm (Tufekci)

Mona Eltahawy After Her ReleaseLast Thursday I woke to the news that Egyptian security forces had detained and beaten the journalist Mona Eltahawy. She was released hours later, with a broken left arm and broken right wrist. In the interim, a vocal campaign had arisen on Twitter, #FreeMona.

Later, I watched Zeynap Tufekci engaged in debate about activism, social movements, and the Internet with Evgeny Morozov,  who repeated his standard line that claims of activism's effect via the Web are usually shallow and misguided.

Invoking both analysis and specific cases --- Morozov's general claims often cover up a lack of knowledge or even interest in the reality of events --- Tufekci effectively, if politely, took Morozov apart while putting out a thoughtful examination of what Web-based activism might achieve.

Among the cases that Tufekci considered was the fresh episode of Mona Eltahawy, and by Friday, she was posting a reflection and examination on her blog Technosociology.

One more thought --- after Eltahawy's release but before I read Tufekci's article, I posted the story from Bahrain, "How Activist Zainab Alkhawaja Defied the Police...And Escaped Arrest". In her Twitter narrative, Alkhawaja paid tribute to the power of social media, "I have to thank loads of people, many of them on Twitter. It seems the news got out fast & thats why the orders of arrest were changed".

But she also added this important caveat, "I also feel sad, that my brothers & sisters, the other protesters, who I would die for, are not protected the way I am".

Tufekci's article....

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