TUNISIA: Libyan rebels took control of a major border crossing

AFP - Libyan rebels took Thursday morning one of the key border between Libya and Tunisia, Libya, near Wazzan (Libya) and Dehiba (Tunisia), and a hundred soldiers pro-Gaddafi went unarmed side Tunisia has found an AFP correspondent.

While gunfire echoed sporadically around 10:30 am (0930 GMT), this correspondent has seen pro-Qaddafi 102 soldiers, including officers, who went under the supervision of Tunisian military about 200 meters from the border, side Tunisia. The Tunisian military interrogators at a time.They include 13 officers including a colonel Staff, said a military source told AFP.

According to testimony of Customs and Tunisian military there, the Libyan soldiers wounded loyalists were evacuated to hospital Dehiba.

The green flag of Libya was removed from the Libyan border post, distant only 50 meters from the Tunisian post.

One of three military helicopters dispatched to the Tunisian area Wednesday night flying over the area Dehiba, located about 40 km from the Libyan city of Nalout, theater these days of intense bombing of forces loyal to Colonel Qaddafi.

The AFP correspondent was able to verify that the checkpoint had been captured by insurgents since it came safely into Libyan territory and was welcomed by the rebels.

Instead of green flags, the rebels hoisted with flags of the monarchy, the symbol of the rebels, while a tractor was busy destroying a large portrait of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, which marks the entry into Libya.

According to the second chief of the operation of the rebels, "between 5 and 10" pro-Gaddafi soldiers were killed and 25 wounded.From the rebel side, there was "a minor injury," said Youssef, a first loan.

At the checkpoint, strewn with bullets, could be seen in the late morning thirty pickup, equipped with several missiles "Grad 25 kg" as a rebel.

After being supplied with water, most of the rebels walked away quickly towards the Libyan town Wazzan towards a mountainous area, Ghzeya, home of the pro-Gaddafi, said the rebel leader who now says fear cons-attack on the checkpoint where rebels continue to mount guard.

The attack against the post, said Youssef, was conducted "to allow the wounded" to move to Tunisia.

Libyan insurgents on a 4x4 briefly pursued the elements pro-Gaddafi Tunisian territory before ironing on the Libyan side.

Shortly before, the rebels had seized Wazzan, about 3 km from the border post.

In anticipation of renewed fighting in this area, the Tunisian army was deployed on Wednesday to 10 km north of Dehiba a company of a hundred men of the 1st Mechanised Brigade of Gabes, a large port city 150 km further north.

In recent days, fighting between pro and anti-Gaddafi came close Tunisian territory. Monday, several mortar rounds of the pro-Gaddafi had fallen in the area Dehiba, causing a "strong protest" in Tunis from the Libyan authorities.

Fighting violent shaking for several days west of Libya.Over 100 people were killed last weekend in Nalout Yefren and two towns south-west of Tripoli pounded by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, according to locals.

14,100 Libyan nationals have fled the fighting and moved to Tunisia in the area of ​​Dehiba April 6 to 19, police said Tunisian border.

Iran: Ahmadinejad accuses Washington of creating tensions between Tehran and the Arabs

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday accused the U.S. of trying to create tensions between Iran and the Arabs, following an appeal from the Gulf Arab monarchies to the UN to "stop interference" in Iran their business.

"The United States seeks to sow discord between Shiites and Sunnis (...) They want to create tensions between Iran and Arabs but their plan will fail," said Ahmadinejad in a speech at the annual parade Army, broadcast by state television.

The day before, the six member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC-Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman), headed by Sunni families, denounced the "interference by Iran," Country Shiite-majority in their business.

They called, following a meeting in Riyadh, the international community and the Security Council of the United Nations to "stop the Iranian interference and provocation hardcore, especially after the unrest in Bahrain.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is the friend of all nations and wants development.I'm sure with the vigilance of the people and politicians and, I hope the governments of the region, this new conspiracy of arrogance (the United States, ed) will fail, "said Ahmadinejad.

"The pro-Zionist leaders in the U.S. trying to save the Zionist regime but they will not succeed," he added, reiterating that there would soon have a new "Middle East without the domination of the United States and without the Zionist regime. "

"The United States is not an honest friend. Experience has shown that they have fought their own friends who had sacrificed for them," he saidAhmadinejad, referring to the fall of the regimes of Presidents Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Iran is predominantly Shiite, while the Gulf Arab monarchies are mostly Sunni, with the exception of Bahrain, whose population is Shiite but is ruled by a Sunni dynasty.

Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned the sending of reinforcements to Saudi and UAE Bahrain to support the forces of that country to the suppression of protests led by Shiites in mid-February to mid-March.

The violence in Bahrain, officials said, 24 people including four policemen.Four protesters died in custody since the end of the protest movement.

According to Iranian media, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, asked in a letter to Secretary General of the UN Security Council intervention to "stop the killing of the Bahraini population.

YEMEN: Face-to-face tension between supporters and opponents of President Ali Abdullah Saleh

AFP - Supporters and opponents of President Ali Abdallah Saleh came out in droves Friday in Sanaa where security forces and the army deployed an unprecedented fear of clashes between rival groups, according to an AFP journalist.

"(...) I agree to sacrifice myself, for my blood and all that is dear to the people," shouted Mr.Saleh in "thanking" her supporters for their support during a brief appearance on the site Sabiine, adjoining his palace.

"I hope that their speech will be wise and responsible" and they do not irresponsible remarks, "he said at the protesters, who had planned for this Friday but canceled a march on the palace Presidential initiative strongly criticized by the entourage of Mr.Saleh.

"The people want Ali Abdullah Saleh", "By our souls and our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for the president," chanted the supporters of the regime, harangued by the imam of the Muslim weekly prayers on Friday Tahrir Square in the center of Sanaa.

"These millions of Yemenis who have poured in from all provinces say yes to President Saleh," he told the imam in his sermon broadcast on state television, accusing the opposition of seeking to lead the country "in the insurgency, bloodshed and civil war. "

The tension was high in the capital, where security forces and the army stepped up checkpoints on roads leading to various meeting places of the demonstrators, dividing the city into two parts: the north dominated by the opposition and the south by the regime.

Around the square of the Change, near the University of Sanaa, where camped for over a month the young protesters demanding the departure of President Saleh, the army, whose officers have joined the protest movement, has established checkpoints at access points of the square.

Units of security forces in turn channeled the flow of regime loyalists, including many tribesmen raised the call of the head of state, and Tahrir squares Sabiine.

The day Friday was named the "Hi's" by the protesters and "Brotherhood" by loyalists.And places of assembly are located in different districts of Sana'a, a few kilometers apart.

But an explosion of violence was feared in the capital where the face of rival army units, partially concurred with the protesters, and the Republican Guard, commanded by the son of head of state, Ahmad.

The protesters, according to an AFP correspondent, Friday expanded their sit-in to the streets around the square of the Change, after renouncing the march on the presidential palace for fear of violence.

Britain has also Thursday urged its nationals to leave immediately Yemen, where the situation "deteriorating rapidly", the Foreign Office in noting its "travel advisories" that Friday's events could escalate into violent confrontations.

The head of state has faced since late January to a popular protest movement calling for his departure and which intensified after the death March 18, 1952 demonstrators by shooting attributed to his supporters.

Of negotiations between President Saleh and the strong man of the army, General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar - who joined the protest after having long been an ally - did not lead to a negotiated transition power, and the President decided to continue.