Protests Spread in Middle East

Pro-democracy demonstrations inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia rocked the Middle East Wednesday as cities in Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya all reported clashes between police and protesters. Demonstrations went on for the third straight day in Bahrain as hundreds of riot police surrounded Pearl Square in Thursday’s early hours, blasting tear gas and percussion grenades into the crowd. In Yemen, government supporters attacked protesters with electroshock batons, killing one in Aden, on the fourth straight day of demonstrations. In Libya, where Muammar Qaddafi has held power since 1969, protesters chanted “No God but Allah, Muammar is the enemy of Allah” in the port city of Benghazi. The White House struggled with a response to the protests, as some said the Obama administration will have to adopt a specific response for each situation.