The Contagion Today

Tehran's Dilemma in Trying to Have It Both Ways

I guess not.

Kuwaitis take PM ouster call to streets Several hundred protesters have poured into the streets of Kuwait to demand the removal of the incumbent prime minister along with political reforms in the Persian Gulf state.

Bahrainis slam naturalization policy The protesters also called for unity between Sunnis and Shias in the country, emphasizing that the protest is against the government's naturalization policy and not against Bahrain's native minority Sunni population. (I admit I love it when things are made that clear – Can Secretary Clinton be wrong?)

Morocco's king announces constitutional changes aimed to consolidate democracy ... Morocco has so far avoided the persistent unrest that brought down regimes in fellow north African countries Tunisia and Egypt, but five people died in violence linked to protests across the country on Feb. 20.

'Five killed' as bomb hits vehicle in Algeria The lifting of martial law, which gave free rein to security forces that effectively served to repress political freedom, was a key demand of the unprecedented protests, which led to clashes that left five people dead.

Oman Air employees stage demonstration outside HQ The Oman Air demonstration follows days of protests elsewhere in Oman urging political reforms. The sultanate and the island nation of Bahrain have seen the biggest and most sustained outbursts in the Gulf as part of the Arab world's wave of unrest.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: A group of citizens sign a petition to allow a popularly elected parliament, signaling that demands for leadership overhauls raging across the Middle East have also reached the oil-rich Gulf federation.

Saudi Shi'ites hold new protest in oil province RIYADH, March 9 (Reuters) - Saudi Shi'ites staged another small protest in the kingdom's oil producing Eastern province on Wednesday, defying a ban on demonstrations, witnesses said. More than 17,000 have backed a call on Facebook to hold two demonstrations this month, the first one on March 11.

Egypt VIDEO: Protest after deadly clash in Cairo 9 March 2011 Last updated at 19:33 GMT - Officials in Egypt say clashes between Muslims and Christians in Cairo have left at least 13 people dead and 140 wounded. Violence erupted on Tuesday night in the Cairo suburb of Mokattam when Christian Copts blocked a highway to protest at the burning of a church last week.

Egypt sectarian strife kills 13, army sees threat (By Dina Zayed and Yasmine Saleh) CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's military rulers urged national unity and warned of the dangers of anarchy on Wednesday after 13 people were killed in the worst Christian-Muslim violence since Hosni Mubarak was toppled from power.

An Egyptian man drives his motorcycle past burned vehicles in Cairo Egypt's new government warned Wednesday of a "counter-revolution", following a series of deadly political and religious clashes blamed on diehards of the former regime.

Libya rebels and army clash in east, oil tanks hit (By Mohammed Abbas)NEAR SIDRAH, Libya, March 9 (Reuters) - Muammar Gaddafi's forces bombarded an area of eastern Libya held by rebels who fired rockets back on Wednesday and a nearby oil storage tank exploded in a towering fireball.

Libya's main oil terminal ablaze after raid Libya's main oil terminal was in flames on Wednesday night after Muammer Gaddafi's air force bombed the complex, in an escalation that pushed the cost of the benchmark Brent above $115 a barrel.