Al-Bayan (United Arab Emirates): Coup Topples Democracy in Mauritania – People in Mauritania woke up yesterday to a new white coup, led by the head of the presidential guard, that toppled President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi just 16 months after he was elected. The president had tried to pre-empt the coup by dismissing the heads of the presidential guard, the army and security, but instead they succeeded in toppling the president, who was detained along with the prime minister.

Al-Hayat (London): Guantanamo Court Convicts Bin Laden's Driver – A military tribunal at the U.S. Guantanamo military base yesterday convicted Yemeni Salem Hamdan, the former driver of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, on charges of giving "material support to terrorism," but acquitted him of the conspiracy charge. As Hamdan, who underwent the first such trial since World War Two, faces a life prison sentence, the U.S. White House described the trial as "fair." Human rights groups have condemned these special courts, which the George W. Bush administration had set up in Guantanamo with the support of Congress.

Al-Masry al-Youm (Egypt): Egypt Rights Group Reports Torture in Police Stations – The Egyptian Human Rights Organization said in its annual report, released yesterday, that 93 Egyptian citizens had died from torture in police stations from 2000 to 2007, including 14 deaths in 2007 alone. The organization revealed 226 torture cases in the seven years, 40 of them last year, up 10 cases from 2006.

As-Safir (Lebanon): Petraeus Visits Training and Ammunition; No Weapons for Army – U.S. Central Commander General David Petraeus, leading a military delegation, paid a surprise visit to Lebanon yesterday just ahead of new security appointments in the country, including a new army and intelligence chiefs. Sources said the Americans told Lebanese officials they were pursuing gradual U.S. military aid of $380 million to Lebanon that U.S. President George W. Bush had announced two years ago, which includes spare parts, training, and ammunition, but no significant weapons for the army.

Az-Zaman (London; Iraq): Kirkuk Issue Postponed to Avert Further Security Deterioration – Iraqi parliament blocs unanimously agreed yesterday to postpone discussing the issue of Kirkuk's status until after parliamentary recess next month to avert the threat of an eruption following deteriorating security conditions in the city. Parliamentary sources said that as such, the provincial elections draft bill is yet incomplete and will be revised after coming to an agreement on Kirkuk when parliament reconvenes in a regular session.