Obama, al Khalifa showdown on Human Rights – or – Obama feasts with Swine in anti-democracy celebration

Bahrain crown prince to visit Washington
Posted By David Kenner Friday, June 3, 2011 – 3:27 PM Share

Bahrain’s crown prince will arrive in Washington next week for an official visit as his country seeks to return to normalcy following the lifting of the emergency law earlier this week.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa will meet with President Barack Obama and other senior U.S. officials, according to three sources with knowledge of the visit. The crown prince is perceived to be one of the more liberal figures in the ruling regime, and he supports granting opposition groups a greater say in how the country is governed.

Bahrain lifted the state of emergency, which had been imposed in March following widespread protests against the ruling Khalifa family, on June 1. However, the government has continued to crack down on protesters — security forces fired bullets and tear gas to break up a demonstration near the capital of Manama on Friday.

Obama referred to Bahrain as a “longstanding partner” in his May 19 speech on U.S. policy toward the Arab revolutions, but also insisted that “mass arrests and brute force are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain’s citizens” and criticized the government for destroying Shia mosques in the country. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet — a factor that has caused the United States to temper its criticism of the government’s repressive techniques, which have included prosecuting doctors that treat injured protesters. …more