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Nine countries in the Middle East where 'winds of change' are blowing

Those who said that "winds of change" were blowing through the Middle East were right. The past few weeks have seen a series of political shifts in response to widespread discontent and popular opposition that once went unacknowledged. On Friday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ceded to protesters in Cairo and stepped down. As Egyptians' cries, first of anger and now of jubilation, beam into living rooms throughout the Middle East, here is a look at where those "winds of change" are taking us. (Editor's note: This is an updated version of a story that originally ran on Feb. 2)

Tunisia

Hani Mohammed/AP
Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh show his portrait during a rally in support of Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 2.The Yemeni president told parliament on Wednesday that he will not seek another term in office or hand power to his son ¡n an apparent reaction to protests in this impoverished nation that have been inspired by Tunisia's revolt and the turmoil in Egypt.

  • By Ariel Zirulnick Correspondent

Tunisia was the one that started it all. When Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in December, it's unlikely he intended to spark a regional upheaval. Protests about unemployment, high food prices and other domestic problems continued at a low level for weeks, exploding in mid-January. In a matter of days, then-President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country. Tunisia is now trying to cobble together a provisional government to lead the country until it can hold its first free election in years later this year.

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