Tunesia, Egyt and now Yemen: a domino effect in the Middle East?

A rather windy but pleasant way of saying

use predators

It was indeed a "picture of impressions" that was employed to communicate essentially what I wrote in a very compact form. I don't presume to suggest I could have done the impressions any better, or was indeed improving on them in my post - only restating the underlying propositions in a direct and clear way.

And I would watch Bahrain in the next few days.

12.41pm: I've just had a chat with the Guardian's Martin Chulov, who's following develoments in Bahrain, where around 1,000 Saudi troops are now known to have arrived (see previous post). There are wider regional factors at play, he notes, particularly Iran's backing for Shia opposition groups and Saudi backing for their fellow Sunni royals:

The real game has been much bigger than this. It's all been part of the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with America in the middle.

More on Bahrain. This just in from Reuters:

About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain early on Monday to protect government facilities following recent unrest by the country's Shia Muslim majority, a Saudi official source said.
"About 1,000 Saudi soldiers have entered Bahrain early on Monday morning through the causeway to Bahrain," the source told Reuters. "They are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) force that would guard the government installations".

The Labour leader Ed Miliband has edged towards supporting military action in Libya, telling journalists the west can't stand by.

Miliband said he supported the idea of a no-fly zone but called for more details from the government on what type of troop detail would be involved. He said: "I don't think we can stand by as Colonel Gaddafi takes greater hold of Libya."

David Cameron's official spokesman said the focus of Britain's discussions with international partners continued to be measures to isolate the Gaddafi regime and the possibility of a no-fly zone.

The Arab League's backing for a no-fly zone over the weekend "shows that Gaddafi and Gaddafi's actions don't have any support in the region," said the spokesman.

But he said the option of directly supplying the rebels with arms, such as ground-to-air missiles, "isn't something we are actively pursuing".

Regular meetings of the government's Cobra emergency committee and the National Security Council are continuing, he added.

Earlier foreign secretary William Hague said the international community is approaching the "point of decision" on military intervention in Libya to protect the population from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's warplanes,

After the Arab League backed calls for a military no-fly zone, he said the international community must now consider the rebels' request for help.

Hague, who is scheduled to meet fellow G8 foreign ministers in Paris on Monday night, also indicated that the government could consider arming the rebels to help them combat the superior firepower of Gaddafi's security forces.

"We are now reaching a point of decision, very clearly, on what happens next," Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"Clearly a no-fly zone is one of the leading propositions. It isn't the answer to everything but it has been called for by the Arab League and is something which the international community must now consider."

He indicated that while the "cleanest and simplest" way of securing a legal basis for a no-fly zone would be a resolution of the United Nations security council, it was not necessarily essential.

"In cases of great, overwhelming humanitarian need, then nations are able to act under international law, even without a resolution of the security council," he said.

Hague also expressed sympathy for a call by the former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind for an "open and urgent" supply of weapons to the rebels, to avoid repeating the "mistake" of the Bosnian war in the 1990s.

Writing in the Times, Rifkind said: "Having been defence secretary at the time I have, in retrospect, felt that (the arms embargo) was the most serious mistake made by the UN."

Hague said all arms exports to Libya – including to the rebels – were subject to a UN embargo, although he suggested that this could change.

"I wouldn't exclude various possibilities on this score," he said.

"I think Malcolm Rifkind makes a very good case. Again, this is the kind of subject which has to be discussed with our international partners."

He said that if Gaddafi was able to push back the rebels and re-establish control, the future for the country would be bleak.

"If Gaddafi went on to be able to dominate much of the country, this would be a long nightmare for the Libyan people and this would be a pariah state for some time to come," he said.

Details on Clinton's meeting with the Libyan opposition in Paris were still being determined when she arrived, underscoring the administration's lack of clarity as to who is who in the movement that has sprung up to topple Gadhafi from the perch he has held for 42 years.

Bahrain royal family welcomes Saudi troops to face down violent protests

Opposition group says deployment of Saudi troops amounts to declaration of war

Saudi Arabia has moved decisively to bolster Bahrain's embattled royal family, sending military forces across the causeway linking the two kingdoms after violent weekend pro-democracy protests by Shia demonstrators all but overwhelmed police.

Although the deployment on Monday was at Bahrain's request and came under the guise of the Gulf Co-operation Council, whose other members also sent troops, it marked another stage in Saudi Arabia's reluctant emergence as the key regional policeman, at a time when the Arab world faces unprecedented turmoil.

Confirming local media reports, Nabeel al-Hamer, a former Bahrain information minister, said the reinforcements were already in place. "Forces from the Gulf Co-operation Council have arrived in Bahrain to maintain order and security," he said.

"GCC forces will arrive in Bahrain today to take part in maintaining law and order," the Gulf Daily News reported. "Their mission will be limited to protecting vital facilities, such as oil, electricity and water installations, and financial and banking facilities."

The deployment followed clashes in Bahrain on Sunday that injured dozens of people in what was one of the most violent demonstrations since troops killed seven protesters last month.

Responding to demands for more democracy and an end to sectarian discrimination, Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, has promised national dialogue, enhanced powers for parliament, electoral reform, and a nationwide referendum on any new deal.

But opponents, including the largest Shia party, Wefaq, remain sceptical. Wefaq said today it had held talks with the prince about a national dialogue. But it deplored the GCC intervention, reportedly saying a deployment of Saudi troops would be an occupation and amount to a declaration of war.

Anticipating further trouble, Britain has advised against all travel to Bahrain and warned British nationals to stay at home until further notice

who is who in the movement that has sprung up to topple Gadhafi from the perch he has held for 42 years.

That will be decided in the usual way when Gadaffi is toppled.