The Revolution Spreads

As the protests in Egypt continue to grow, other Arab leaders are growing afraid that their days authoritarian rule may be numbered as well.

The BBC has a very interesting article discussing this issue, though it notably doesn't discuss Saudi Arabia.

It's too early to say if the nacent protest movements in these countries will continue, grow, or what direction they will go in, but one thing is clear: Arab leaders are going to have a much more difficult time governing from now on.


Jordan




Jordanians are also protesting loudly against their government, calling for more democratic control of parliament, where most top positions are still appointed by Kind Abdullah. The King sacked his old cabinet  and appointed Marouf al-Bakhit - a former Prime Minister, Ambassador to Israel and Turkey and retired Major-General in the Army - as the new Prime Minister. However, opposition figures have accused him of corruption and election rigging in the past and don't seem to pleased with his reappointment.

Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has so far been spared any real protests to his grip on power, however that could soon. Protesters are beginning or organize on Facebook and Twitter, calling for a "day of rage" like the ones in Egypt. It remains to be seen how big this protest will be, but I think that will be directly tied to the events in Egypt. If the Egyptian protesters are successful, Syrians will be more bold and come out in larger numbers, but if the Egyptian revolution is quashed by the army, Syrians will fear the same thing happening to them. It's not a science, but it's something to think about.

Yemen

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh, told protesters in his country that he would not seek another term or set up a political dynasty. He has done this specifically to try and get opposition forces to cancel their planned "day of rage." While this statement was well received, the protests have not been called off and with unemployment hovering around 35%, these statements and a few economic reforms aren't likely to tame the movement any time soon. Given Yemen's radical history and the actual power of Islamists there, revolution in Yemen should be watched very carefully.