Middle East Boils with Libya Strikes, Yemen on Brink

SANAA - The Middle East boiled March 21 after fresh air strikes in Libya, a mass protest in Syria and Yemen on the brink after top generals backed protesters battling to overthrow President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Tanks took up positions in key locations across Yemen's capital Sanaa including at the presidential palace, the central bank and the ministry of defense, but it was unclear what their orders were or who was in command.

In the first of a series of body blows to Saleh's authority, Gen. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, commander of the Northwest Military District which includes Sanaa, announced he had joined the "revolution."
"The crisis is getting more complicated and it's pushing the country towards violence and civil war," the general said in a statement.
"According to what I'm feeling, and according to the feelings of my partner commanders and soldiers... I announce our support and our peaceful backing to the youth revolution.
"We are going to fulfill our duties in preserving security and stability."
Ahmar was followed by fellow generals Mohammed Ali Mohsen, the Eastern Military district chief, Nasser Ali Shuaybi in Hadramawt province and Faisal Rajab in the southern province of Lahij.
Dozens of officers of various ranks went to the tent city near Sanaa University, where demonstrators have kept vigil since Feb. 21 in spite of a wave of attacks, and publicly pledged to support the revolution.
The deputy speaker of parliament, Himyar al-Ahmar, and the governor of the key southern province of Aden, Ahmed Qaatabi, also resigned in protest at the treatment of demonstrators.
Sadiq al-Ahmar, who leads the Hashid tribal federation, the largest in deeply tribal Yemen and a crucial source of Saleh's power, told Al-Jazeera it was time for the embattled president to make a "quiet exit."
The defections came a day after Saleh sacked his cabinet in a bid to placate opposition calls for sweeping reforms in the key U.S. ally.
The regime has already lost the support of religious leaders and been weakened by the resignations of ministers, ambassadors and a host of ruling party MPs, but Saleh has refused to stand down until his term ends in 2013.
He said March 21 the majority of the people were behind him.
His regime was internationally condemned after more than 50 people were killed when loyalist gunmen opened fire March 18 on protesters in Sanaa's University Square, the centre of the pro-democracy movement.
The defection of top military officers to the opposition is likely to complicate Washington's support for Saleh, whom it sees as a pillar of stability in a volatile country and a partner in the war against Al-Qaeda.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking in Cairo on March 21, strongly condemned the use of live ammunition against demonstrators in Yemen, and repeated international calls for dialogue and restraint.
In Syria thousands marched for the fourth straight day in the southern town of Daraa, after the funeral of a protester killed in the previous day's demonstration when security forces opened fire, a resident said.
"Just God, Syria and Freedom," and "Revolution, revolution" chanted the demonstrators, according to the resident who said security forces used tear gas and made several arrests in a bid to break up the protest.
The protesters, who have been inspired by regime-changing revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, are demanding "freedom" and an end to 48 years of emergency laws in Syria under President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez.
In Libya, Western forces launched new air strikes overnight, flattening a building in leader Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli compound, while the Arab League reaffirmed its backing for a no-fly zone over the revolt-hit country authorized by the United Nations.
Gadhafi's troops retreated 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the insurgents' capital of Benghazi after fierce strafing by coalition aircraft destroyed much of their armor, but beat off a rebel advance on their new positions in the town of Ajdabiya.
Gadhafi's regime accused the coalition forces of violating a ceasefire which the military announced late Sunday, only to be accused by the United States promptly accused Tripoli of lying or of breaching the truce immediately.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa said in Cairo on March 21 he fully supported U.N. Resolution 1973, adding that his comments the previous day that the air strikes exceeded the UN mandate had been "misinterpreted."
Mussa said his earlier criticism had been motivated by concerns about civilians being caught up in the coalition strikes, as Arab governments did not want to see more deaths in Libya.
Ban, speaking at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, said, "It is important that the international community speak with one voice" to implement the resolution."
But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin slammed the U.N. resolution - which Moscow declined to veto at the Security Council - as a "medieval call to crusade" on March 21 and hit out at Washington for its readiness to resort to force.
In a fourth regional hotspot, Bahrain's King Hamad said the monarchy had foiled a "foreign plot" against Gulf countries, "prepared over a period of 30, maybe 20 years."
He was speaking to officers of a Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council force invited into Bahrain last week ahead of a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in the Shiite-majority country that is ruled by a Sunni dynasty.
Tension has heightened between Bahrain and its Shiite neighbor Iran, which has seen tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats.

Spanish Fighter Jets Carry Out Patrols Over Libya

MADRID - Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets staged their first sorties over Libya on Monday to enforce a U.N.-mandated no-fly zone, the defense ministry said.
"The two planes are taking part in the mission by the international coalition to enforce the no-fly zone established by the United Nations over Libyan airspace," it said in a statement.

Spain sent a total of four F-18 fighter jets and a refueling aircraft to the Italian base of Decimomannu on the island of Sardinia to take part in the operation over Libya.
An F-100 frigate, an S-74 submarine and a CN-235 maritime surveillance plane will also be deployed by Spain to help enforce an arms embargo on Libya.
Around 500 Spanish troops will eventually be involved in the operation.
Spain also announced on Friday it would allow NATO to use two military bases, at Rota and at Moron de la Frontera in the south of the country, for the operation over Libya.

Coalition Against Gadhafi Growing

Overall direction of the extended, multi-national effort to enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone over Libya is not yet clear. While the U.S. is leading military operations, several key NATO partners are also involved in combat operations which began March 19.

One of about 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles launched by coalition forces against Libyan government targets March 19 rises from the U.S. destroyer Barry. (Interior Communications Electrician Fireman Roderick Eubanks / U.S. Navy)

"The U.S. is militarily in the lead," Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. Joint Staff, said at a March 20 Pentagon briefing, but the goal is to shift to a coalition-led leadership structure.

"We do not know when we'll be ready to do that and we don't yet know what that structure will be," he told reporters.
The immediate goal of the combat operations is not to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, but to protect civilians with the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya's northern regions, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while making the rounds of Sunday-morning talk shows,
U.S. forces gathered to conduct military operations against Libya are organized under U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), commanded by Army Gen. Carter Ham from his headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Adm. Samuel Locklear is in tactical command of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn aboard the flagship Mount Whitney in the Mediterranean. Locklear is triple-hatted as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and of the Allied Joint Force Command, headquartered in Naples, Italy.
British Major Gen. John Lorimer described the command structure at a morning briefing March 20. "This operation is currently under U.S. command, supported closely by French and U.K. armed forces. AFRICOM is the supported Combatant Command, and U.K. has liaison officers and staff embedded at every level," Lorimer said.
A French defense ministry source told Agence France-Presse March 20 that coalition members conducting air strikes on Libyan targets are coordinating their actions but there is no central command organizing the attacks.
"There is no centralized headquarters and at this stage everyone is using their own headquarters in a coordinated manner," the French source said.
The French are operating out of Mont Verdun, near Lyon in the east of the country, where the air force has its chief air defense control center. The British headquarters are at Northwood, in the suburbs of London, and those of the United States at Ramstein in southwest Germany. The American HQ has the "greater planning capacity," the French source said.
He added that there were "exchanges of staff between the three HQs," in particular between Mont Verdun and Ramstein, and a "definition of command structures as the deployment takes place."
The purpose of Operation Odyssey Dawn, according to AFRICOM, "is to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which is centered on protecting Libyan citizens from any further harm from Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime."

First Strikes 'Effective'

Forces from the U.S., France, Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom were involved in the initial operations and strikes on Libya on March 19, which included the launch of at least 110 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles from U.S. surface ships and submarines and one British submarine.
Gortney said on March 20 that more Tomahawks had been launched since then, bringing the total to 124.
Combat aircraft from the U.S., U.K., and France took part in the first strikes on Libyan targets. Many of the aircraft are operating from at least seven air bases in southern Italy.
The first strikes were aimed at Libya's air defense systems, including SA-2, SA-3 and SA-5 surface-to-air guided missiles, and their guidance radars.
"We judge these strikes to have been very effective in degrading their systems," Gortney said. "There has been no new air activity by the regime," he said. "The fixed missiles, SA-2, 3 and 5, and early warning radars have been taken down and we do not see them emitting."
Further strikes were conducted March 20 against Libyan government forces about 10 miles south of Benghazi, Gortney said. While battle reports are still coming in, "we judge those strikes at having been quite successful at halting ground movement."
"Benghazi is certainly not safe from attack but is certainly safer than yesterday," he added.
The attacks were carried out by U.S., British and French strike aircraft, Gortney said, supported by U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft flying from land bases.
Strikes were also conducted against the Ghadrabiya air base, a joint military and civilian facility, Gortney said. U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers using joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) took on the mission, flown from their base at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, he added. A number of military targets at the base were destroyed, he said.
There were no indications of civilian casualties, Gortney said.
The Libyan government has claimed that at least 48 people have died in the assaults.
Libyan leader Gadhafi is not a target.
"At this point I can guarantee that he is not on a targeting list," Gortney said.
No coalition aircraft have been lost, he noted.
Coalition forces are not now targeting mobile anti-aircraft sites, Gortney, said, including SA-6 and SA-8 mobile missile launchers or the many hand-held SA-7 missile launchers, nor are anti-aircraft guns being directly targeted.
"There are so many mobile guns that it's better to avoid them," he explained.
Gortney would not answer questions about specific nations allowing coalition aircraft to operate from their bases or about overflight issues.
Gadhafi's call for a cease fire garnered little respect from Gortney.
"I question anything that Gadhafi calls for," Gortney said. "He moved troops into Benghazi after he called for a cease fire."
Gortney noted growing support for the coalition operations.
"Shortly before I came, in here the Arab League endorsed our enforcement of the no-fly zone," he said.

Coalition Growing

The coalition supporting the no-fly zone against Libya is growing, Gortney said, and is not limited.
"We'll take as many coalition partners as will commit to do this with us," he said. "We have many nations that are waiting to announce themselves."
More forces from the first five countries are en route to the region, and several other nations have joined the coalition or appear about to join.
Here is a country-by-country breakdown of the forces as of March 20:

UNITED STATES

· Submarines Providence, Scranton and Florida launching Tomahawks.
· Destroyers Barry and Stout launching Tomahawks.
· Amphibious assault ships Kearsarge and Ponce, carrying Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
· Command ship Mount Whitney.
· Support ships Lewis and Clark, Robert E. Peary and Kanawha.
· U.S. Navy aircraft include EA-18G Growler electronic air warfare aircraft, at least four P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and one EP-3E Aries electronic surveillance aircraft, all flying from land bases in the Mediterranean. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jets are operating from the Kearsarge.
· Air Force aircraft include B-2 stealth bombers flying from Missouri and F-15 and F-16 fighters from unspecified bases.
· The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group will deploy from Norfolk,Va., on March 23 ahead of schedule to support Odyssey Dawn operations. The group includes the amphibious ships Bataan, Mesa Verde and Whidbey Island carrying the 22nd MEU.

FRANCE

· Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left its base at Toulon March 20 en route to waters off Libya. De Gaulle is carrying 20 aircraft, including Rafale and Super Etendard strike fighters, and is escorted by the destroyers Dupleix and Forbin, frigate Aconit, oiler La Meuse, and an unnamed nuclear attack submarine.
· Destroyer Jean Bart already on the scene.
· French land-based strike aircraft spearheaded the March 19 attacks on Libya.

ITALY

· Destroyer Andrea Doria Frigate Euro Support ship Etna As of early March 20, more ships were to be en route from Italy: Destroyer Francesco Mimbelli; frigate Fenice; patrol ships Libra and Sirio; amphibious ships San Giorgio and San Marco.
· At least 4 Tornado strike aircraft and 4 other combat aircraft are available.

CANADA

· Frigate Charlottetown Six CF-18 Hornet strike fighters Canada's forces are operating as part of Operation Mobile.

UNITED KINGDOM

· Unnamed Trafalgar-class nuclear attack submarine launching Tomahawks.
· Frigates Westminster and Cumberland.
· Typhoon and Tornado strike aircraft operating from Gioia del Colle air base in southern Italy. Tornado GR4s with Storm Shadow cruise missiles took place in the initial strikes on March 19, flying from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Marham in Norfolk, eastern England. Agence France-Presse reported the aircraft conducted four mid-air refueling operations during the 3,000-mile, eight-hour mission, the longest Royal Air Force bombing mission since the 1982 Falklands war. The British effort against Libya is dubbed Operation Ellamy.
· Additionally, E3-D Sentry, Sentinel and Tristar surveillance aircraft and VC-10 aerial tankers are operating.

BELGIUM

· Six F-16 fighters to be ready for operations March 21.

DENMARK

· Six F-16 fighters and a transport are operating from Sigonella air base on Sicily.

QATAR

· Four combat aircraft reportedly are in operation by March 20.

SPAIN

· Four F-18 strike fighters are operating from Decimomannu air base on the Italian island of Sardinia.
· One aerial tanker and one CN-235 maritime surveillance plane.
· A submarine and frigate are to deploy this week pending parliamentary approval, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

· Strike aircraft are reported en route to Decimomannu air base.
The U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise, which recently passed through the Mediterranean, is now in the Arabian Sea conducting air operations over Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Compiled from reports from U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Navy, British Ministry of Defence, Canadian Forces, Agence France-Presse and Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Qatar Sending Fighter Jets to Help Enforce Libya No-Fly Zone

PARIS – Qatar is to send four Mirage 2000 fighter jets to contribute to operations enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya and to protect civilians, the French ministry of defense spokesman said March 20.
The Qatari military participation came amid reports of criticism by the Arab League of the British and U.S. cruise missile attacks against Libyan air defense targets March 19.

"I would like to draw your attention to an absolutely crucial point in the overall measures, in line with an announcement by the Qatari authorities: the deployment decided by Qatar of four aircraft in the zone in order to participate in the operations," Laurent Teisseire told a press conference.
"This illustrates the Arab participation in this international operation of protection of civilian population," Teisseire said.
The announcement of the Qatari deployment came on a second day of French operations over Libyan airspace, aimed at denying Tripoli the use of air superiority and armor against the resistance based in Benghazi.
Qatar operates French-built Mirage 2000 aircraft, Teisseire said. As France is a longstanding strategic defense partner of Qatar, Paris has decided to deploy on the same territory as Qatar a certain number of aircraft in order to operate jointly with the Qatari Air Force, he said.
Privately, a French defense executive guessed the Qatari Mirages would fly to France and operate out of the French air force base 126 at Solenzara, on the island of Corsica.
The French Air Force is expected to operate increasingly from Solenzara.
Asked why the American and British forces did not hit the Libyan air defenses before the French jets flew into the operational area, Teisseire said: "If the joint staffs acted in this way together, it was because they together thought it was the right way to go.
"The actions were coordinated. The French aircraft were in the zone and completed a first mission in the face of an acknowledged threat to the civilian population," he said.
"The strikes came a few hours after by our American and British partners. The results were achieved, that's what is important," he said.
The spokesman for the Joint Staff, Army Col. Thierry Burkhard said French warplanes destroyed four Libyan armored vehicles on March 19.
Some 15 French Air Force aircraft flew missions March 20 to maintain the no-fly zone and provide ground strike capabilities, Burkhard said. One of the patrols included a reconnaissance mission by two Rafales, one equipped with the Reco NG intelligence gathering pod, intended to assess the damage of the Tomahawk cruise missile strikes by the British and U.S. forces, he said.
There were no reports of the French aircraft firing on Libyan targets, which Teisseire said showed the protective measures were working.
Work, meanwhile, is going on to build an integrated command structure among the allies, who have up to now coordinated their actions but have operated on a national basis, Teisseire said.
As announced, the Charles de Gaulle carrier left Toulon March 20, and would take on board its Fleet Air Arm consisting of eight Rafales and six Super Etendard fighters, two Dauphin helicopters and two Hawkeye surveillance aircraft. For combat search and rescue, two Caracal and one Puma helicopter would also be shipped onboard.
Burkhard said the carrier and its task force had deployed as rapidly as possible, in view of the ship's return on Feb. 22 from a deployment in the Indian Ocean, providing support for the Afghan campaign.
On the cruise missile strikes, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said, "What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," the BBC reported.
Teisseire said that in accordance with the Security Council resolution 1973, the allies had to notify all military actions to the U.N. Secretary General and the Arab League.

Western, Arab Warplanes Converge on Italy for Libya Mission

ROME - Western and Arab warplanes were converging on Italy's air bases March 20 to join the international campaign to cripple the ability of Moammar Gadhafi's forces to attack Libyan civilians.
France, which spearheaded the U.N.-mandated Operation "Odyssey Dawn" with air strikes on Libya on March 19, also sent its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to join the campaign on March 20.

The French Navy's flagship set off from the southern French naval port of Toulon at about 1:10 p.m. and was expected to reach the Libyan coast within 48 hours.
Meanwhile aircraft from the United Arab Emirates were due to arrive March 20 at the Decimomannu air force base on the Italian island of Sardinia, which is already hosting four Spanish F-18 fighter jets that arrived on March 19.
The UAE, along with Jordan, Morocco and Qatar, was among Arab nations that took part in a summit in Paris on March 19 on the Libyan crisis.
The Italian air bases are a key staging point for strikes by Western-led coalition forces to destroy Libya's air defenses and impose a no-fly zone to prevent Gadhafi's forces from crushing a popular uprising.
Italian Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said Rome also assigned eight combat aircraft, including four Tornado jets, for the operation and they can be used "at any time".
And British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said Typhoon and Tornado jets would fly this weekend to the Gioia del Colle air base in southern Italy, where they will be ready to deploy as part of the mission dubbed "Operation Ellamy".
Six Danish F-16 fighters were also ready to take off from Italy's Sigonella air base March 20 to join Odyssey Dawn which saw U.S., British and French forces hammer Libyan forces from the air and sea.
In the West's biggest intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, mounted exactly eight years earlier, U.S. warships and a British submarine fired more than 120 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya on March 19.
This prompted Gadhafi to warn March 20 of a long war in the Mediterranean "battlefield" as Tripoli reported dozens of deaths.
Belgium said March 20 six of its F-16 fighter-bombers would be operational Monday for the Libya mission.
"We will be able to take part in operations under the command of the coalition from tomorrow," said Defense Minister Pieter de Crem, who added that 250 people would be assigned to support the six aircraft and their pilots.
In addition to its four F-18 fighter jets, Spain sent a refueling aircraft to Italy and said it would also deploy an F-100 frigate, an S-74 submarine and a CN-235 maritime surveillance plane to help enforce an arms embargo on Libya, once parliamentary approval has been received.
Spain had already announced on March 18 it would allow NATO to use two military bases, at Rota and at Moron de la Frontera in the south of the country, for the operation over Libya.
The U.N. Security Council last week passed a resolution approving "all necessary measures" to impose a no-fly zone in Libya, protect civilian areas and pressure Gadhafi into accepting a ceasefire.
The Security Council last month also ordered an arms embargo against Libya and other sanctions against Gadhafi's family.

France Sends Aircraft Carrier to Join Libya Campaign

PARIS - France sent its Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to Libya on March 20 to bolster the West's air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
The French Navy's flagship set off from the southern naval port of Toulon at 1210 GMT, with 20 warplanes, most them Rafale and older Super Etendard combat jets, as well as helicopters and two E-2 Hawkeye surveillance aircraft.

Tugs pulled it from the wharf as dozens of onlookers watched it depart.
"The aircraft carrier is 24 hours by sea from the Libyan coast but will take 36 to 48 hours to get there, to take the time to load on the fighter jets that will participate in the operations and to hold some landing exercises," a military source said.
The aircraft carrier was to be escorted by three frigates - the anti-submarine Duplex, the anti-air Forbin and the multi-mission stealth Aconit - and the oil tanker La Meuse, military officials said.
The French naval group was to be protected by a nuclear attack submarine, they added.
French warplanes also continued sorties over Libya early March 20 as part the West's biggest intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Saturday, French jets spearheaded the West's assault with four air strikes in Libya, destroying several armored vehicles of forces loyal to the embattled Libyan strongman.
Those strikes came before U.S. warships and a British submarine fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya against Gadhafi's anti-aircraft missiles and radar batteries.
The intervention was mandated by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 which authorized the use of force to protect Libyan civilians from attacks by Gadhafi loyalists.
Gadhafi, in a brief audio message on Saturday night also broadcast on state television, fiercely denounced the attacks as a "barbaric, unjustified Crusaders' aggression."
He vowed retaliatory strikes on military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean, which he said had been turned into a "real battlefield.

China Regrets Multinational Air Strikes in Libya

BEIJING - China expressed regret on March 20 over the multinational air strikes in Libya, saying in a foreign ministry statement that it opposed the use of force in international relations.
"China has noted the latest developments in Libya and expresses regret over the military attacks on Libya," the statement said.

Russia also issued a similarly worded statement in which it called for a ceasefire as soon as possible.
China's statement made no mention of a ceasefire and stressed that China respected the North African country's "sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity".
"We hope Libya can restore stability as soon as possible and avoid further civilian casualties due to an escalation of armed conflict," it added.
Multinational forces led by France and Britain began bombarding Libya with missiles from air and sea on March 19 to enforce a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone and protection of rebels from Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
China and Russia were the most prominent voices in opposition to military action in Libya within the 15-member United Nations Security Council.
However, neither blocked the U.N. resolution authorizing the operation, abstaining in the Security Council vote on the issue rather than using their veto power.
France and Britain had led the demands for a no-fly zone, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy wrote to the heads of state or government of all the other council members seeking urgent backing for the measure.
China said earlier it abstained after having taken into account "the concerns and positions of Arab countries and the African Union, as well as the current special circumstances in Libya", without elaborating further.
China, which faces frequent foreign criticism over its own human rights record and treatment of restive minority groups, consistently opposes moves deemed as interfering in the affairs of other countries.
"China has always opposed the use of force in international relations," Sunday's statement said, adding that Beijing supported the spirit and principles of the U.N. Charter, without elaborating.
China's leaders have watched with concern as a mix of issues ranging from the economy to corruption - and a lack of democracy - sparked popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Premier Wen Jiabao last week rejected any comparison to the situation in the Middle East and North Africa with China.
Nonetheless, leading web censors have blocked results for "Egypt" and other terms that could be related to the uprisings, for instance on the popular web portal sina.com.
It has also poured security forces into the streets in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities across the country in response to anonymous calls for weekly Sunday "strolling" rallies in major Chinese cities.
The calls have largely fizzled under the smothering police response, and no obvious protest actions have been reported.