If the Egyptian government thought that Mubarak's departure would settle the issue, they are discovering how intent the people are on ensuring that promises are kept. In Iraq, protests are being reported due to the lack of progress since the downfall of Saddam Hussein. In Bahrain, sectarian conflict is at the heart of the problem.
Fights between Shias and Sunnis in central Bahrain raised the spectre of sectarian violence ahead of large anti-government demonstrations planned for Friday afternoon.Protesters in Tripoli were reportedly tear gassed today by Gaddafi forces following Friday prayers.
As protests enter their third week with largely Shia demonstrators bedded down on Pearl Roundabout in the capital, the street battles in Hamad Town on Thursday night marked the first escalation into inter-communal violence amid increasingly bitter rhetoric.
