LATEST: Bahrain — Opposition Groups Suspend Talks After Leader Arrested

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SUMMARY: Libya’s Prime Minister Ali Zeidan (pictured with British Prime Minister David Cameron) has appealed for help from the international community to help Tripoli restore security, amid insecurity, political tension, and an oil industry crippled by strikes and threats.

Zeidan said after a meeting with Cameron on Tuesday, “If the international community does not help in the collection of arms and ammunition, if we don’t get help in forming the army and the police, things are going to take very long.”

“The situation is not going to improve unless we get real and practical assistance,” the Prime Minister asserted

A British statement said Zeidan and Cameron discussed reducing the supply of arms in Libya and reintegrating militia members into normal life.

Tripoli had some success with the restart of its biggest south-western oilfield on Monday but the bulk of oil production in the east is paralyzed. Libya’s oil production was down almost 90% in August, with gunmen threatening terminals in the west and workers striking in the easy over conditions and autonomy for the region.

The General National Congress’ crisis committee negotiated a deal with an armed group to allow the resumption of the El Sharara oilfield in the west. It is expected to reach full capacity by Friday.

The disruption since July has cost Libya $7.5 billion in revenue.

Foreign companies are threatening withdrawal. ExxonMobil said on Tuesday it would cut back its staff and operations as growing instability no longer justified a major presence.

Royal Dutch Shell suspended drilling and abandoned exploration on two Libya blocks last year after disappointing results. Marathon is considering the sale of its stake in a key Libyan oil consortium.


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Bahrain: Opposition Groups Suspend Talks After Leader Arrested

Bahrain’s main opposition groups have suspended their “national dialogue” with the Government in protest at the arrest of a leader of the opposition society Al Wefaq

Five groups in the National Democratic Opposition Parties issued a joint statement after Khalil Marzook was detained on Monday.

The national dialogue began in February in an effort at a political resolution after mass protests that began in February 2011 over rights and reforms.

Marzook, Al Wefaq’s assistant secretary general and a former Deputy Speaker of {arliament, is being held for 30 days on charges of inciting and advocating terrorism and of using his leadership position to incite crimes,

The head of public prosecution, Nayef Youssef, said Marzook was “affiliated with the terrorist organisation known as 14 February Coalition”, a leading movement in the protests.

He also claimed that Mr Marzook had spoken at many forums “inciting and promoting terrorist acts, advocating principles which incite such acts, supporting violence committed by the terrorist coalition, and legally justifying criminal activities”.

Meanwhile, authorities said a policeman died from wounds he sustained in an explosion on Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry said four other officers had been hurt when they were confronting a “terrorist group”.

Iraq: Car Bombs Kill 23 in Baghdad on Tuesday

Car bombs on commercial streets in Baghdad killed 23 people and injured at least 126 on Tuesday, while Sunni leaders in Basra said unknown gunmen had shot dead 17 residents of Basra over the past two weeks, following threats to retaliate against them for attacks on Shiites in other parts of Iraq.

Abdul-Karim al-Khazrachi, who leads the Sunni Endowment that oversees holy sites in the city, said mosques had been closed due to “grave security deterioration and the continuation of the sectarian killings”.

Al-Khazrachi said those slain in Iraq’s second city included clerics and worshippers. The latest fatality was a 70-year old grocer who was shot dead by gunmen while standing in his store Monday night.

In Baghdad, one car bomb hit the northeastern suburb of Husseiniyah, killing five people and wounding 14. Shortly before sunset, another bomb exploded near a juice shop in the center of the city, killing three and injuring 21.

Two more died in another car bomb explosion near a restaurant downtown, and in western Baghdad, two blasts killed six people and wounded 20 others. Two more blasts on a commercial street in the capital’s southeast killed seven and wounded 71.

In the western city of Fallujah, security forces foiled an assault on a police station, killing four attackers. Two policemen were killed, officials said.

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood Spokesman Detained

Egyptian police have arrested Gehad El-Haddad, the Muslim Brotherhood’s spokesman.

Haddad was detained with two other Brotherhood members in an apartment in Cairo on Tuesday. The spokesman is accused of inciting the killing of protesters.

El-Haddad served as chief of staff to Khairat El-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood’s deputy leader.

El-Shater and most of the Brotherhood’s leadership, including Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie, have been imprisoned since the July 3 coup that deposed Brotherhood-backed President Mohammed Morsi.

On Tuesday, an Egyptian court upheld an order from the prosecutor’s office freezing the assets of 25 leading members of the Brotherhood and allied parties.