Turkey, US hold “operational” meeting on Syria
23 August, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Turkish and US officials Thursday began their first “operational planning” meeting aimed at bringing about the end of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s embattled regime.

The meeting is expected to coordinate military, intelligence and political responses to the crisis in Syria where a deadly crackdown on peaceful protests that began in March 2011 has, according to the United Nations, claimed more than 18,000 lives.

Turkish foreign ministry deputy under-secretary Halit Cevik and US ambassador Elisabeth Jones are leading the delegations made up of intelligence agents, military officials and diplomats at the meeting in Ankara, a foreign ministry source told AFP.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu had announced their plans for such a mechanism to hasten the end of Assad’s regime on August 11.

Thursday’s meeting come just days after US President Barack Obama warned Syria that any movement or usage of its chemical weapons would be a “red line” that would change his perspective on how to respond to the conflict.

Syria has said it would not use its chemical weapons against rebels, reserving them only for “external aggressors,” in a veiled reference to a potential Israeli or Turkish strike on the country.

On Monday, Davutoglu said Turkey can handle no more than 100,000 Syrian refugees and has proposed setting up a UN buffer zone inside Syria to shelter them.

Some analysts believe Turkey is attempting to build a case for Turkish military intervention, having previously threatened to enter Syria to crush Kurdish rebels suspected of moving into the country’s northeast.

The threat of armed groups including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and al-Qaeda which could exploit a power vacuum in Syria is also expected to figure high on the agenda of the Ankara meeting.

In Istanbul, Clinton had said she shared “Turkey’s determination that Syria must not become a haven for PKK terrorists whether now or after the departure of the Assad regime.”

The PKK are a Kurdish separatist group that has waged a military campaign against Ankara since 1984 in a bid to gain greater Kurdish autonomy in Turkey’s southeast. …more

Principles set aside in federal government’s dealings with Saudia Arabia iPolitics Insight
By Yves Engler – 23 August, 2012 -iPolitics

Yves Engler is the author of a number of books on Canadian foreign policy. His forthcoming book, The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper’s foreign policy, will be published in October. Dubbed “Canada’s version of Noam Chomsky” (Georgia Straight), “one of the most important voices on the Canadian Left today” (Briarpatch), “in the mould of I. F. Stone” (Globe and Mail), “ever-insightful” (rabble.ca) and a “Leftist gadfly” (Ottawa Citizen), Yves Engler’s six books have been praised by Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, William Blum, Rick Salutin and many others.

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have strengthened military, business and diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, one of the most misogynistic and repressive countries in the world. The country is ruled by a monarchy that’s been in power for more than seven decades. The House of Saud has outlawed labour unions and stifled independent media. With the Qur’an ostensibly acting as Saudi Arabia’s constitution, over a million Christians (mostly foreign workers) in the country are banned from owning bibles or attending church.

Outside its borders, the Saudi royal family uses its immense wealth to promote and fund many of the most reactionary, anti-women social forces in the world. They aggressively opposed the “Arab Spring” democracy movement through their significant control of Arab media, funding of establishment political movements and by deploying 1500 troops to support the 200-year monarchy in neighbouring Bahrain. The Saudi monarchy may be the worst regime in the world. (The U.S., of course, is responsible for far more violence but it is relatively free domestically. North Korea is as repressive, but its foreign policy is benign compared to Saudi Arabia’s.)

The Conservatives have been extremely deferential towards the Saudi leadership. When Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud died in June foreign minister John Baird gushed with praise. “Saudi Arabia has lost an honourable man of great achievement who has dedicated his life to the security and prosperity of the people of Saudi Arabia.”

In fact, Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, interior minister for three and a half decades, was considered a fairly conservative member of the Al Saud family who resisted the weakening of Wahhabi religious doctrine as a threat to the monarchy’s grip on power.

When defence minister and deputy premier Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died in October 2011 Baird issued a similar assessment. “The Kingdom has lost a man of great achievement who dedicated his life to the well-being of its people.” Appointed defence and aviation minister in 1962, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was a leading figure in the country for five decades. He pushed a stridently anti-communist position and was implicated in a number of major corruption scandals.

Bahraini Regime Attacks Homes of Opposition Forces with Toxic Gasses
23 August, 2012 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Bahraini security forces have started spraying toxic gasses in areas where members of opposition groups reside and in those areas and districts which witness daily popular protests against the Al-Khalifa regime, reports said.

Several Bahraini news websites reported on Thursday that large groups of al-Khalifa forces attacked a large number of districts in the Bahraini cities and villages to suppress and arrest those who had attended the protest rallies against the ruling system.

They also sprayed toxic gasses at residential districts and people’s houses.

Earlier reports from the Arab country said that as protests continue in Bahrain, the police keep bombarding dissenters with tear gas, which local residents say is now getting both stronger and thicker. It’s not only affecting just protesters, either – tear gas is getting into people’s homes. For many, it’s now becoming part of everyday life.

Bahraini human rights groups have cried out against the widespread use of tear gas, which they say is being spread haphazardly in areas where the authorities believe protesters live, notably lower-income Shiite neighborhoods. Several cases of death by suffocation have been reported, including of people inside their homes.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of protesters have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured.

Police clampdown on protesters continues daily. Authorities have tried to stop organized protests by opposition parties over the past month by refusing to license them and using tear gas on those who turn up.

The opposition coalition wants full powers for the elected parliament and a cabinet fully answerable to parliament. …source

Bahrain Defender Rajab Wins Twitter Appeal, Remains in Jail
23 August, 2012 – Human Rights First

Washington, DC – Leading Bahraini human rights defender Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), has won his appeal of a three-month prison sentence for criticizing the country’s Prime Minister in a tweet. His comments were about Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, the uncle of the King of Bahrain and the country’s unelected Prime Minister for more than four decades. Last week, in a separate case, Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail for his part in “illegal gatherings.”

“It’s hard to celebrate when the Bahrain authorities admit their mistake in jailing Nabeel Rajab for the tweet but keep him in prison until 2015 on other spurious charges,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “They’ve found another way to silence him, and that’s what matters.”

During today’s appeal verdict, Rajab was removed from the court after complaining about his treatment and conditions in jail.

Rajab is one of the region’s leading human rights figures, with over 168,000 followers on the social network site Twitter. Before today’s ruling, he had already served more than a month in jail for his tweet criticizing Bahrain’s unelected Prime Minister.

Rajab is the President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. He and the BCHR have won several international awards for their work in exposing human rights violations in the country over the last 18 months, including the 2012 Roger Baldwin Medal of Freedom, awarded by Human Rights First, the 2011 Ion Ratui Democracy Award, from the Woodrow Wilson Center, and the 2011 Silbury Prize, from UK parliamentarians.

Bahrain: Detained leading activists and opposition figures protest increased restrictions in prison

Bahrain Center for Human Rights
23rd August, 2012

BCHR has learned that the detained 13 leading activists and opposition figures have submitted a letter to the prison authorities informing them that they will start a series of protest actions including a hunger strike if the increased restrictions in prison are not removed by Thursday.

“Today we submitted a letter to prison authorities that we will start a series of actions to protest against the violations and new restrictions, including on calls to families and lawyers, prevention from daily newspapers as well as prevention from daily exercise in the open air. The protest will include a hungerstrike.”

Further to the earlier report by Bahrain center of Human rights regarding an increased level of restrictions applied on the detained leading activists and opposition figures at Bahrain central prison (Jaw), new information has been received that these restrictions are not limited to the monitoring, interrupting and cutting phone calls of the detained activists to their families, but also includes prevention from access to newspapers and prevention from the daily exercise in the open air.

Mrs Fareeda Ghulam, the wife of detained leading activist, Ebrahim Sharif had reported earlier that an officer had interrupted a call between her and her husband, then the call was cut while she was describing the situation in Bahrain after the killing of 16 years old child Hussam AlHaddad by the security forces.

These increased restrictions come in time as the activists wait for a final verdict from the higher court of appeal which has postponed issuing the ruling from 14 August 2012 to 4 Sep 2012 for no obvious reason. It also synchronize with the increased level of security attacks on protesters as a 16 years old has been shot dead by police on 17 August 2012 and the leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab has been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.

The Bahrain Centre for human rights urges for the release and full exoneration of the prisoners who were arrested and sentenced in unfair military trials for practicing their legitimate right of expression and assembly.

The 13 opposition activists are as follows:

1-Abdulwahab Hussain ( life sentence imprisonment)
2-Ebrahim Sharif ( 5 Years imprisonment)
3-Hassan Mushaima( life sentence imprisonment)
4-Abdulhadi Al Khawaja ( life sentence imprisonment)
5-Abduljalil Al Singace.( life sentence imprisonment)
6-Mohammed Habib Al Miqdad ( life sentence imprisonment)
7-Saeed Mirza AlNouri ( life sentence imprisonment)
8- Abduljalil Al Miqdad ( life sentence imprisonment)
09-Abdullah Isa Al Mahroos.( 5 years imprisonment)
10-Salah Hubail Al Khawaj.( 5 years imprisonment)
11-Mohammed Hassan Jawad.( 15 years imprisonment)
12-Mohammed Ali Ismael. ( 15 years imprisonment))
13-Abdul Hadi AlMukhodher ( 15 years imprisonment)

More information: http://www.bahrainrights.org/en/node/5384

A Brief Analysis on Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zuhayyan’s “What the World Should Tell Bahraini Opposition Groups” [1]
by Um Aisha – 23 August, 2012

I thought that the article would raise a few valid points about the Bahraini uprising until I got halfway through it. Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zuhayyan, of course, exaggerated a few facts. It is hard to imagine that “millions” of people visited Bahrain as tourists each year.

In the beginning, Dr Al-Zuhayyan tried to show the nature of the Shi’a community in Bahrain and Saudi. He first portrayed them as a less conservative community and stated that they have “less restrictive religious traditions that permits both sexes to socialize and communicate to Westerners”. By doing so, I assumed that he does not believe that the protests in Bahrain had a sectarian drive. So what does this “Affinity with Iran” concern? Why does he then make note of a Shi’a Bahraini-Irani relation if what binds them together (religious sect) is not a strong force anymore?

What’s more, shortly after explaining how Shi’as are more socially advanced, Dr. Al-Zuhayyan accuses them of “hampering” the development of the “country”. In my opinion, this contradiction is not accidental but carefully thought. He is either trying to seem friendly and objective towards the shi’a community or trying to use their own argument against them.

If the primary intention was to develop public services and not only private businesses, the government would welcome drawing comparisons between Bahrain and its neighboring Arab countries. I have encountered other Bahraini’s that made a similar argument and insisted that “there is no need for protests in Bahrain if we are not starving like the Egyptians.” I reply that the world would be a giant zoo if our only purpose was to end hunger.

During the Bahraini uprising, when the tents were set up around the Pearl Roundabout, Wa’ad (The National Democratic Action Society) gave a lecture on Constitutional Monarchies. This lecture was followed by a discussion where the participants could take part in accurately defining a constitutional monarchy and what they would like the structure of their country’s government to be. I witnessed that almost all participants agreed that Bahrain was, in fact, not a Constitutional Monarchy.  If we were able to participate in the political decision-making process of our affairs as Dr. Al-Zahyyan puts it, we would now be in the process of voting for a new prime minister and I would be able to publish what I am writing in one of our local newspapers without fear.

________________________________

[1] Al-Zuhayyan, Abdulrahman. “What the World Should Tell Bahraini Opposition Groups.” Equities.com-Global Financial Network. Al Bawaba Ltd, n.d. Web. 5 Aug. 2012. <http://www.equities.com/news/headline-story?dt=2012-08-04&val=345839&cat=energy>.

What the world should tell Bahraini opposition groups
by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zuhayyan – 4 August, 2012

History and geography determine the relationships between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The two countries are proximate to each other and many Saudis and Bahrainis have familial relations. It was and still normal to see Bahraini nationals living and working in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. This has become part of everyone’s history in this part of our country.

Bahrain has long been known among the Gulf’s inhabitants as a modern and liberal society, even way before the discovery of oil in the 1940s, and the subsequent boom in oil prices in the 1970s. Bahrain was a British colony and gained independence on Aug. 15, 1971. The British were practically running the civil services, including security and traffic systems. Subsequently the English language dominated the management system and the Bahraini social life. So, Bahrainis’ first exposure to Western lifestyle and the English language was through the British, and many of them spoke their language.

Those British traditions inherited by Bahrainis proved to be economically practical, specifically for Western companies, who were engaged in mega projects in the oil industry and the construction sectors, since early oil exploration in Saudi Arabia, and eventually in the rest of the Arab Gulf countries in the 1970s. Moreover, Bahrain has become a regional trade center, involving maritime agencies, offshore banks and other international trade business.
Over the years, Bahrain became a tourist attraction for Westerners and others from neighboring countries. Bahrain receives millions of visitors every year, and the total number of visitors reached eight million in 2008. Considering its small area — with a length of 34 miles and a width of 11 miles — and absence of natural resources or advanced industry, this island can be described as an economically thriving country that has a GDP of $ 31.101 billion and per capita income of $ 27.556.

However, many Saudis and Bahrainis sometimes wonder whether Bahrain is still nostalgically connected to their history or is drifting away. Since the outbreak of Iranian revolution, Bahrain has not been the same, specifically the Bahraini Shiites. Most Saudis did not distinguish between Bahraini Sunnis or Shiites, who were working in the Eastern Province. Both were considered as part of the local Saudi community.

Now, that affinity is not as strong as in the past. Bahraini Shiites are engaged in clamoring over victimization and presenting themselves to the world, particularly Westerners, as victims of allegedly oppressive political regime. They have succeeded. The characteristics of Bahrain as being an international trade center and a place of tourist attraction, provided Bahrainis with an opportunity to learn and speak the English language, exposed them to Western lifestyles and modes of interacting and communicating with Westerners. Their relatively less restrictive religious traditions also permitted male and female Shiites to socialize and communicate with Westerners. In addition to using those social skills, Shiites use their computer skills to convey their alleged grievances to Western journalists and human rights groups in English and give them their version of the story. Hence, communication with Westerners take both direct or indirect forms. The direct form is through establishing personal relationships with journalists covering events in the Gulf region while the indirect communication is via the Internet, including e-mails, Facebook, twitter, and other social media outlets.
[Read more →]

Ecuador urges Britain to retract embassy threat
22 August, 2012 – Al Akhbar

Ecuador on Tuesday called on Britain to retract a threat to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its embassy in London, adding that Quito remains open to dialogue.

Britain set off a diplomatic firestorm last week when it threatened to storm the Ecuadorian embassy to arrest the 41-year-old Australian, who is wanted in Sweden for questioning over allegations of rape and molestation.

Ecuador has granted Assange asylum, but Britain has refused to grant him safe passage out of the country.

Assange claims Sweden plans to hand him over to the United States, where he fears prosecution over WikiLeaks’s release of a vast cache of confidential US government files.

Speaking to reporters, President Rafael Correa said Britain must “withdraw the grave error it committed by threatening Ecuador to possibly raid its diplomatic mission to arrest Mr Julian Assange.”

However, “despite this impertinence, this rude and unacceptable threat, we remain open to dialogue,” he added.

Britain has angered Ecuador by suggesting it could invoke the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act of 1987, which it says allows it to revoke the diplomatic immunity of an embassy on British soil and go in to arrest Assange. …more

Bahraini authorities sets checkpoints and roadblocks leading to Muharraq Funeral
22 August, 2012 – ABNA

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) – The regime sets check points to prevent citizens from participating in an arranged visit to the 16-year-old martyr Al-Haddad’s grave marking the third day since he was killed by the regime forces’ bullets last Friday night.

The regime forces besieged Muharraq Island, east of Manama, on Tuesday 21st August, 2012 and set many checkpoints and barricades. They were reported to have deployed heavily in most of Muharraq neighborhoods. The check points are also reported to have caused a terrible traffic jam in one of the most important highways disrupting the peoples’ interests.

The regime forces have killed the child Hossam in a very cold-blooded way last Friday evening, on the eve of Eid Al-Fitr, Muslims feast that marks the end of Ramadan. The Martyr was killed by an internationally prohibited weapon that has been used heavily lately against citizens in Bahrain.

Eyewitness reports added that the martyr was abducted from where he was shot in the back by birdshot pellets and was then beaten to death.

Opposition declared a state of mourning for three days during Eid, as flags have been lowered to half-staff in respect of the Martyr Hossam Al-Haddad. Most citizens shared condolences instead of eid greetings and decided to abandon all joyful celebrations. …source

Bahraini regime forces arrest 8 mourners at funeral
Shia Post – 22 August, 2012

Bahraini Shia Muslim women mourn during the funeral of 16-year-old Husam al-Haddad in Muharraq, August 18, 2012.

Saudi-backed Bahraini regime forces have arrested at least eight people in an attack on a funeral ceremony in the country’s third largest city, Muharraq.

The people had gathered in the city on Tuesday to mourn the death of a young Bahraini man who was beaten to death by the regime forces.

Sixteen-year-old Husam al-Haddad was killed on August 17 during an attack by Bahraini forces on a peaceful demonstration in the city.

On Tuesday, the regime forces set several checkpoints on the roads leading to Muharraq and tried to prevent mourners from visiting Haddad’s grave.

They used tear gas to disperse the protesters and arrested a number of them.

Anti-regime protests continue in Bahrain despite heavy-handed crackdown by regime forces.

Scores of people have been killed by Bahraini regime forces since a popular uprising erupted against the ruling Al Khalifa family in February 2011.

The protesters hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of demonstrators during the uprising.

Concerns grow over deteriorating health condition of Saudi Sheikh Nemr
22 August, 2012 – PressTV

A Saudi-based human rights group has warned against the deteriorating health condition of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nemr al-Nemr, who is being held in a jail in Saudi Arabia, Press TV reports.

The Asharq center for human rights said in a statement that Nemr, who has been on a hunger strike since mid-July, is now in declining health.

The human rights group went on to call on Riyadh to release the cleric immediately and without any preconditions.

It says the Saudi regime is responsible for any injury that is inflicted on Sheikh Nemr while in detention.

The Shia cleric was injured and arrested by Saudi forces while driving to his home on July 8. His family members say he has been badly tortured while in detention.

Sheikh Nemr’s arrest sparked massive protests, with angry demonstrators demanding his immediate release.

Since February 2011, protesters have held demonstrations on an almost regular basis in Saudi Arabia, mainly in the Qatif region and the town of Awamiyah in Eastern Province, primarily calling for the release of all political prisoners, freedom of expression and assembly, and an end to widespread discrimination.

However, the demonstrations have turned into protests against the repressive Al Saud regime, especially since November 2011, when Saudi security forces killed five protesters and injured many others in Eastern Province.

Similar demonstrations have also been held in the capital, Riyadh, and the holy city of Medina over the past weeks.

According to Human Rights Watch, the Saudi regime “routinely represses expression critical of the government.”
…source

US: Syria intervention would exacerbate crisis
22 August, 2012 – Al Akhbar

American officials on Tuesday said that the risk that US military intervention in Syria would simply exacerbate the problem limits its options to intervene in the country.

Officials explained to the newspaper New York Times that military operations against Syria would mean risk dragging in Syria’s “patrons”, in particular Iran and Russia, and allowing them to be involved more than they already are.

Military intervention could also allow President Bashar al-Assad to bolster popular anti-Western feeling, and push al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups fighting the Syrian regime to turn against the US to combat what could be seen as a new American “crusade” against the Arab world.

Officials from the Pentagon said that the worst case scenario would require hundreds of thousands of troops which would only ignite further problems in the already tense region.

The officials explained that some rebels had asked for portable rocket launchers known as Manpads which, according to experts, would make a huge difference when fighting against helicopter attacks.

However, the officials pointed out that in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) provided Stinger missiles to the mujahedeen fighting the Soviet Union, only to spend millions trying to track them down after the Soviets left and the opposition groups gave rise to the Taliban. …more

U.S. ‘significant’ in Iraq despite troop exit: Dempsey
22 August, 2012 – By Dan De Luce – Agence France Presse

BAGHDAD: Top U.S. military officer General Martin Dempsey insisted Tuesday during a quick trip to Iraq that Washington was still playing an important role there, eight months after the last American troops departed.

Dempsey met with Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and army chief of staff Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari during a six-hour stop, becoming the highest-ranking American to visit Iraq since the December 2011 pullout.

The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview with AFP that Iraq was now a sovereign state, on an equal footing with the United States, a remark completely removed from the 2003 American-led invasion.

“We still retain significant investment and significant influence. But now it’s on the basis of a partnership and not on the basis of ownership,” Dempsey, who served in Iraq as a commander during the war that toppled Saddam Hussein, said before landing in Baghdad.

Clad in a formal military dress uniform instead of the combat fatigues worn during the war years, Dempsey stressed that he came to build a dialogue with his Iraqi counterparts and not to make demands.

After a 90-minute meeting with Maliki, Dempsey later told reporters the two discussed the conflict in neighbouring Syria, Iraq’s interest in expanding training with US forces and the purchase of American military hardware, including radar, air defence weaponry and equipment to bolster border security.

After flying over the bustling Iraqi capital by helicopter, Dempsey said he was struck by the air of “normalcy” compared to a few years ago when he served during a raging war with insurgents.

“Only eight months out, and it seems to me that they’ve gripped the opportunity for now that we hoped they would grip,” he said en route back to Washington.

Although Iraq still faced daunting challenges, Dempsey said the country could eventually serve as a democratic model for the rest of the Middle East, which has been shaken by popular uprisings since early 2011. …more

Open Letter to UK FCO Minister Lord Howell on Bahrain and the “Arab Spring”
18th August 2012 – Dr. Mike Diboll

Dear Lord Howell,

In the light of last week’s jailing of Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, and last nights killing of 16 year-old protester Hussam Al Haddad, I write to you to request clarification of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office position on Bahrain the “Arab Spring”.

In particular, I request that make clear your position on the following statement attributed to you on the Bahrain News Agency website, dated 29th June, 2012:

“The Minister of State at Foreign & Commonwealth Office said that Bahrain was considered an example in the region and its situation should not be linked to the Arab Spring because the matters were completely different in this case, as the country had achieved remarkable reforms over more than ten years.”

http://www.iaa.bh/pressReleasedetails.aspx?id=243

The context is a meeting which took place in London that month between yourself and Bahrain Minister of Interior Lt-General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

According to the BNA, Mr. Rashid Al Khalifa also met with the Director General MI5 Jonathan Evans, Home Office Minister James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland Minister Hugo Swire and Attorney-General Dominic Grieve, and others.

Your words on the FCO website seem more guarded:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=781036282

I ask you plainly: Is is it or is it not HMG’s position that Bahrain is not part of, or “should not be linked to”, the “Arab Spring”? Is the BNA representing your position accurately?

Any objective analysis of the rhetoric, actions, goals and aspirations of the Bahrain opposition, the slogans, tactics, and attitudes of the protesters in Bahrain, and the often brutal and repressive actions of the current Bahrain government in response to the protests will show that Bahrain is indeed part of the “Arab Spring.”

Indeed, Bahrain has seen, as a percentage of population, the largest and most representative protests of all the countries that have undergone “revolutions of dignity” (as they are known in Arabic) since the current wave of protests began in December 2010.

Moreover, the things that the protesters are protesting about: the crisis of political legitimacy and representation in Bahrain, the lack of genuinely democratic and civil society institutions, and the Al Khalifa state’s institutionalised sectarianism, have direct parallels with the grievances of protesters and opposition movements in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Tunisia, the Yemen and elsewhere.

In their final crises the regimes headed by Assad, Gaddhafi, and Mubarak all claimed commitment to “reform” with Syria, for example, holding elections. In these instances the FCO rightly condemned such “reform” as a sham, yet, flying in the face of objective evidence and expert opinion, it is only too happy to take Bahrain’s claims to reform at face value.

I worked on one of the Crown Prince of Bahrain’s reform projects 2007-2011, was an eye-witness to the initial uprisings in the spring of 2011, have submitted substantial evidence to the BICI, and know first hand the deeply divided nature of the present regime and the hollow, “on-paper” nature of so many of its reforms, pre- and post-BICI.

It might seem — from the perspective of London — to be an adroit piece of positioning to isolate the “Arab Spring” as a phenomenon affecting only the historically anti-Western Arab republics, to pretend that the monarchical dictatorships of the GCC are immune from the uprisings, and to view the extension of GCC power beyond the Arabian Peninsula as an opportunity to consolidate Western interests in a rapidly changing region. …more

A Sad Eid Ul Fitr in Bahrain , 90 Children Behind Bars, Anti Regime Protest continues in Sitra and Nuwaidrat
22 August, 2012 – Jafia News

JNN 21 Aug 2012 Manama : Bahrain is living a sad atmosphere during this Eid. It is supposed to be one of the happiest Muslims occasions celebrated by Muslim communities around the world at the end of Ramadan. Whilst, Bahrainis celebrate it by mourning an innocent child who was brutally murdered by the regime forces. While 90 children , who are below the average legal age, have been kept behind bars treating them like adults by detaining them with accusation that do not go with their age.

The people of Bahrain live sad and grieving moments; mourning the child who was cold-bloodedly murdered by the regime forces after being shot in the back with the internationally-prohibited weapon; shotgun. He was then severely beaten to death in Muhrraq island last Friday night; during a frequent brutal suppression attack against peaceful pro-democracy protesters.

Mourning state is declared by the opposition around Bahrain for 3 consecutive days and flags are lowered to half-staff while no receptions are opened for Eid greetings during these sad days.

All kinds of joyful celebrations are absent in all villages and areas of Bahrain, as people share condolences instead of greetings.

The traffic and crowd jams are remarkably weak in some streets and places which are known to be crowded during such occasions. Places of entertainment seem abandoned in respect for the child martyr Hussam AlHaddaq (16 years).

The mourning state comes to reject the nonstop repressing and brutal approach which the regime undertakes when dealing with protesters. The regime forces loot and raid houses as per orders received from high ranked officials. The regime forces are a serious threat for peace and security of the people of Bahrain.

All the arrests of underage children , are related to freedom of expression as many human rights organizations demanded their immediate release as well as the release of all prisoners of conscience specially children.

The regime in Bahrain violates the basic children rights by assaulting and killing them having no regard to their age.

In Bahrain Children’s rights violations take many different forms. Children in Bahrain have been arrested, dismissed, injured, and tortured. They have had their fathers arrested, they have had their schools suppressed, they have had their play grounds repressed, they have had their houses raided, they have had their houses tear gassed, they have been deprived from the right of learning, in addition to a long list of basic rights violations.

The regime has gone farther than violating and arresting, the regime is now cold-bloodedly killing children. Husam Al-Haddad is the last victim murdered by the regime forces by shooting him in the back and them barbically assaulting him to death.

The regime has already murdered many children before. The martyr Sayed Ahmed Sayed Sahms, they murdered martyr Mohammed AbdulHussain Farhan, the martyr Ali Jawad Al-Shaikh, The martyr Ahmed Al-Qattan, the martyr Ali Baddah, the infant martyr Sajeda Faisal Jawad, they murdered martyr Sayed Hashim Saeed, the martyr Yaseen Al-Asfoor and the martyr Mohammed Ebrahim Ya’agoob.

The regime in Bahrain kills children in different forms. Some were killed due to firing tear gas at their houses while practicing the collective punishment against the villages and areas of protests. However many elderly people and children died due to inhaling lethal tear gas. Many were killed by shot guns pellets as part of the official violence committed against the freedom of expression. Many were killed as the regime forces were weaponising the tear gas canisters by firing them directly at citizens or by running the police cars over the protesters like what happened to Ali Baddah.

Some children have been killed during Eids like Ali Jawad Al-Shaikh or while they were playing near their homes like Sayed Ahmed Sayed Shams. They are all 15 years old and less than 18 years old.

The regime has formed BICI by his own will and endorsed all its results. Well, there were 189 children who had been arrested during preparation period of the report. Only 23 children had been taken to juvenile detention centers. Whilst, the remaining had been taken to general detention centers and treated as adults.

According to documented statistics, parents of only 12% of these children had been asked to attend to the detention centers and got notified about their children whereabouts. The remaining children were just arbitrarily arrested and their whereabouts had been hidden from their parents. It is simply the same arrogant behavior of the regime when treating most of other arrested adults; who are by some means forcibly kidnapped.

Official security supervision is applied on some children after the arrest. It is applied on the case of the child Ali Hasan (11-years) who was detained for more than a month.

The Rose Revolution; which has been sparked in Manama, February 14th 2011, might be the most painful revolution for childhood. The children of Bahrain suffer the suppression and mistreatment of the regime forces and its official directorates. Their childhood is not respected. Various types of violations have been committed against them; to the level of cruel and inhumane torture.

The regime in Bahrain perpetrates terrible violations against childhood. The local and international silence reveals the false slogans and principles which call for the protecting rights of children. …more

Former Chechen warlord’s son killed in Syria: report
22 August, 2012 – Agence France Presse

MOSCOW: The son of a late Chechen field commander who waged two post-Soviet wars against Russian forces has been killed while fighting with the rebels in Syria, a Russian Islamist website said Wednesday.

Rustam Gelayev, son of former warlord Ruslan Gelayev, “entered into a battle with superior forces of the Alawite regime in a Syrian district, presumably between August 11 and August 13,” the KavkazCenter website said.

“During the fighting, he was martyred,” said the website, which is regularly used by Russian-based Islamic militants to exchange information and has developed a history of providing accurate battlefield reports.

The elder Gelayev was one of the top commanders in Chechnya’s first war for independence that killed tens of thousands between 1994 and 1996 and ended with the region winning broader sovereignty within Russia.

The improvised region was then wrecked by infighting between the various field commanders and remained infested by violent organised crime until its more militant leaders challenged Russia again in 1999.

The elder Gelayev joined the second war as well, which continued to simmer for years after Russian troops claimed control over Chechnya’s main cities in 2000.

He was killed in 2004 while leading a group of gunmen in battle against Russian border guards in the neighbouring North Caucasus region of Dagestan.

KavkazCenter said the younger Gelayev was born in 1988 and had lived for a most of his life in Russia before receiving an Islamic education in an unnamed Middle East country.

He came to Syria in the summer, said the website, citing unnamed sources and members of the Chechen diaspora in Europe.

…more

Human Rights Defender Profile: Ahlam Oun from Bahrain
21 August, 2012 – By Diana Sayed

Human Rights First is running a series of profiles on human rights defenders we work with in various countries. These profiles help to explain their work, motivations, and challenges.

Ahlam Oun is a Leaders for Democracy Fellowship graduate from Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York and worked at Search for Common Ground in the Partners for Humanity Department in Washington DC, USA. She is a recent member of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) and works closely with Human Rights First to blog in English on issues related to youth rights and stories of the injustice and Human Rights violations in Bahrain especially after Bahrain’s 14Feb Revolution.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the situation in Bahrain?

Bright side: despite the crackdown, harassment and bombardment of houses and arrests people are still protesting and demanding for their freedom and democracy. The crackdown has not waned people’s determination, I see it in their eyes and their chants, it could be described as the “audacity of hope”.

Dark side: Recently, an “unofficial Marshall law” has been implemented; midnight arrests and the waning interest of the international community are a big let down.

Do you see yourself as a Human Rights Defender?

The title of Human Rights Defenders is well-earned by prominent Human Rights activists in Bahrain like Nabeel Rajab, Abdulhadi Alkhawaja and Zainab Alkhawaja, I can never claim such title for myself. I am just one of thousands of people in Bahrain who felt the responsibility and need to be positively involved in the movement in anyway possible.

How do you perceive the current situation in Bahrain?

The situation started to be more independent; the 14February youth movement was decentralized without any leader, all parts of society came together, people were more independent, all their ideas were their own without passing through any filters. This is something caught the regime by surprise; they assumed that by arresting known leaders the revolution will stop, yet I never did.

The continue attacks on 14Feb Youth protests made the some people feel that the government authorized protests called by political parties became a safety blanket. Now the situation have changed, the government is not granting permission for political parties to protest, which allowed the political parties to rebel against the government rule and continued calling for the protests. These protests were brutally attacked and members of political parties were injured severely. This helped unified the opposition (political parties and 14Feb Youth) after the regime tried to split them apart.

What do you want – outcome based?

I want freedom and democracy for my country and my people. I have seen the discrimination from a very young age but I was never aware of the sever human rights violations because the regime did not allow such reports to be found easily. The 14Feb Revolution happened and it was the biggest wake-up for Bahrainis. The first time I visited the pearl roundabout was on the 15th Feb, I wanted to understand the reasons behind it and tried to assess the situation and then “Bloody Thursday” forever changed me and made fully join the people’s movement.

I took work off to spend my days at the Pearl Roundabout and I witnessed a variety of people, how organized they were, the tents that were created for women so that they could be educated on their ICCPR rights. This all happened almost instantly, there was a corner for everyone: artists, a makeshift theatre for plays, musicians played, children’s causes, medical stations, unions, lawyers, engineers, politicians all had something. This all signified freedom in a small part of Bahrain, there was freedom of expression for the first time.

We want the international community to apply the same rules and judgment to the violations of human rights in every country equally, specially in the gulf countries. On May 2011, Obama gave his first speech addressing the Arab Spring and since then it was clear to many Bahrainis that he will be siding with the regime. This practice is evident since the US administration waited till near the end in the Egyptian revolution to make a decision in supporting the revolution or not basing it on who is more likely to succeed and not on who deserves.

Besides, the recent $550mn arms deal between US and Bahrain made the people start building resentment toward the US administration by saying: “The barrel of a gulf oil seems to be more important and expensive that our lives.” And I don’t blame them.

What risks do you see are posed on your everyday life?

I risk being attacked or arrested at any moment like everyone else who speaks up in Bahrain. Whenever I hear the doorbell in an unexpected time especially very late at night, I assume that it’s the police, but then I quickly remember that they would break in if they were going to come after me. My family has fears for me but I fear for them more than I do myself, especially my Mum. I don’t tell her or the rest of my family the details of my activities, as it would make them worry very much, especially after they heard and witnessed the abuses that happened to women. …more

Update: Human Rights defender Nabeel Rajab subjected to ill-treatment in prison and placed in a solitary confinement
21 August, 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Further to our joint appeal on 16 August 2012 (Kindly see the following link: Bahrain, emboldened by international silence, sentences Nabeel Rajab to 3 years imprisonment), the GCHR and BCHR express their concerns over the recent confirmed information that leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab has been placed in solitary confinement and banned from making unmonitored telephone calls to his family following the 3 years imprisonment sentence against him on Thursday 16 August 2012.

On 20 August 2012 evening the human rights defender called his family for the first time since the day in which the sentence was imposed. He was cautiously informing his family for being threatened that the call will be cut if involved news about Bahrain. He also confirmed to his wife that the authorities have put him in a solitary confinement and have not had access to any newspapers during the past days. The call, which lasted less than two minutes, was cut suddenly.

The GCHR and BCHR condemn the ill-treatment of leading human rights defender Nabeel Rajab and are very concerned about placing him in a solitary confinement. The GCHR and BCHR believe strongly that the authorities have violated the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners that states in article 30.1 “No prisoner shall be punished except in accordance with the terms of such law or regulation.” And in article 32.1 “Punishment by close confinement shall never be inflicted unless the medical officer has examined the prisoner and certified in writing that he is fit to sustain it.”

In addition, GCHR and BCHR have also received information that the prison administration is monitoring the calls of the detained human rights defenders and leading activists. Its reported that an officer had interrupted a call between a detained leading activist, Ebrahim Sharif and his wife Mrs Fareeda Ghulum, then the call was cut while she was describing the situation in Bahrain after the alleged kiling of 16 years old child Hussam AlHaddad by the security forces, on 18 August 2012. …more

Bahrain regime forces attack on mourners of killed teenager
Shia Post – 21 August, 2012

Saudi-backed regime forces in Bahrain have attacked people mourning the death of a teenage boy killed in Manama’s violent crackdown on protesters.

Sixteen-year-old Hussam al-Haddad was killed on August 17, when regime forces carried out a brutal attack on a peaceful demonstration in the city of Muharraq, northwest of Manama.

On Tuesday, the regime forces set several checkpoints on the roads leading to Muharraq and tried to prevent mourners from visiting his grave.

They used teargas to disperse protesters and arrested a number of them.

Scores of people have been killed by Bahraini regime forces since a popular uprising erupted against the ruling Al Khalifa family in February 2011.

The protesters hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of demonstrators during the uprising.

Anti-regime protests continue in Bahrain despite a heavy-handed crackdown backed by Saudi Arabia. …source

Nabeel Rajab: Why Did the U.S. State Department Drag Its Feet?
By Sanjeev Bery – 21 August, 2012 – Amnesty International

On August 16th, Bahraini political activist Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three years in jail for his peaceful role in protests critical of Bahrain’s monarchy. He had already been in prison since July 9th, when he was convicted of libel after sending a tweet that criticized Bahrain’s Prime Minister.

But despite all of this, the US State Department did not publicly call on its military ally to release Nabeel Rajab until after his three year sentence had already been handed down.

Why did the US State Department wait so long to come to Nabeel Rajab’s defense?

There were plenty of missed opportunities along the way. One such moment was on August 1st, when Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner testified (see pg 16) at a congressional hearing focused on Bahrain. In his written testimony (pg 4), Assistant Secretary Posner called on the Government of Bahrain to “drop charges against all persons accused of offenses involving political expression and freedom of assembly.”

But in response to a question from Congressman Jim McGovern regarding Nabeel Rajab, Assistant Secretary Posner was more opaque. He stated that Rajab’s case was “a bit more complicated on its facts,” that “there needs to be a due process of law,” and that “the case needs to be heard expeditiously.”

The US State Department should have been unequivocal. Assistant Secretary Posner should have stated that Rajab should not be facing charges for protesting the government or sitting in prison for sending a a tweet.

Indeed, Nabeel Rajab is an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. As stated in our latest Urgent Action:

Despite the [Bahraini] authorities’ claims to the contrary, abuses continue to be committed against those who oppose the Al Khalifa family’s rule. The government is refusing to release scores of prisoners who are incarcerated because they called for meaningful political reforms, and is failing to address the Shi’a majority’s deeply seated sense of discrimination and political marginalization, which has exacerbated sectarian divisions in the country. Nabeel Rajab’s latest conviction and sentence starkly contradict the facade of reform showcased by the Bahraini authorities.

Assistant Secretary Posner’s comments obscured Rajab’s situation in other ways as well. In response to a question by Congressman Keith Ellison, Mr. Posner described Rajab as in “detention” and that “the case has been, as I said, adjourned until September.” This was, of course, factually incorrect. Rajab had already been convicted and imprisoned – not just detained – after tweeting criticism of the Prime Minister.

Fortunately, Members of Congress did not limit themselves in the way that State Department officials have. In the days before Rajab’s three year prison sentence was given, 19 Members of Congress publicly called on the King of Bahrain to release Rajab. The effort was led by the above mentioned Rep. Keith Ellison, with the support of Rep. Jim McGovern and others. …more

State Department calls on Bahrain to release jailed human rights activist
By Josh Rogin – 16 August, 2012 – Foreign Policy

The State Department Thursday called on the Bahraini government to vacate charges against Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, who was sentenced to three years in prison for protesting against the Bahraini regime.

“We’ve long made clear that it’s critical for all governments, including Bahrain, to respect freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. So we are deeply troubled by the sentencing today of Nabeel Rajab to three years in prison on charges of illegally gathering,” State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday. “We believe that all people have a fundamental freedom to participate in civil acts of peaceful disobedience, and we call on the government of Bahrain to take steps to build confidence across Bahraini society and to begin a really meaningful dialogue with the political opposition and civil society because actions like this sentencing today only serve to further divide Bahraini society.”

Initially Nuland told reporters at Thursday’s briefing that the U.S. would not “get into the middle” of the case now that Rajab has already been sentenced. But after being repeatedly pressed by reporters, she said that the U.S. administration wants the Bahrainis to scuttle the case against Rajab for this charge as well as a separate charge over a tweet he sent out criticizing the government.

“Well, obviously we think that this should be vacated,” Nuland said.

Rajab is already serving a three-month sentence on charges of “libeling the citizens of the town of Muharraq over twitter” after he called for the Bahraini prime minister to resign and said he had lost support in that town.

Nuland also said the Bahrain regime has not completed the reforms it promised to implement after the report of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) was released last year.

“Our message to the Kingdom of Bahrain throughout this has been to first complete the recommended reform steps that the Bahraini independent commission recommended. As you know, they got about halfway through and some of the rest of that implementation has not gone forward,” she said.

Despite the State Department’s condemnation of the sentence Thursday, leading Bahraini and American human rights activists don’t think the Obama administration is doing enough to pressure the Bahraini regime on the issue and criticized the administration’s previous silence on the issue.

“When Nabeel Rajab was arrested and imprisoned in May 2012, there was no response from the US administration. As the attacks against Nabeel Rajab escalated, the silent reaction from the US administration continued,” BCHR said in a statement today. “The BCHR and GCHR do not imply that the United States of America is directly involved in the escalating attacks on human rights defenders, but the lack of pressure from the U.S. administration appears to be linked with the Bahraini government’s willingness to escalate.”

“It’s long past time for the State Department and White House to speak out publicly on Rajab’s unjust imprisonment,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Nice words like reform and dialogue are not enough when this kind of repression continues in plain view.”

On Aug. 10, 17 members of Congress and 2 senators wrote a letter to the King of Bahrain asking him to release Najab and other political prisoners.

“We respectfully request that you use your authority to order Mr. Rajab’s release under the universal principle that all citizens should have the right to peacefully express disagreement with their government,” the lawmakers wrote.

In an interview last December with The Cable, Rajab said the U.S. government was failing to defend its values and promote the Arab Spring in Bahrain and other countries that the U.S. maintains close diplomatic and military relationships with. …more

Anyone with a little Shotgun experience can tell from the pictures below that young Hussam was shot a close range – about 35 feet away. He was shot in the back – was in retreat turning away from his attacker. The shot-size was probably #4 but could have been #2 – clearly they were not #5-7 riot rubber pellets. Rubber pellets even at this close range would have only welted the skin with minor penetration if any. THIS IS CHILD MURDER and it is being Sanctioned by the US STATE DEPARTMENT. The Bahrain Government at the behest of the US State Department hired the infamous ‘Riot Control’ and ‘Security Expert’ Chief John Timoney and Scotland Yards disgraced ‘phone spy’ and cover-up expert John Yates. The regime policy, under the guidance of US Chief John Timoney, appears to be: “shotgun” and maim the youth involved in ‘street protests’ and intercept them at Hospital. They are using lethal rounds not ‘riot control’ munitions in their assaults to maim and kill – THIS IS MURDER NOT RIOT CONTROL. Phlipn – out.

Terror act led to boy’s death
21 August, 2012 – Gulf Daily News

MANAMA: Police were forced to defend themselves when petrol bombs rained down on them during an attack in Muharraq, it was revealed yesterday. During the melee, a 16-year-old boy died from stray bird shot.

Bahraini Hussam Al Haddad was allegedly among a group of rioters, who targeted police patrols stationed on Khalifa Al Khabeer Road, Muharraq, at 9.30pm on Friday.

“Police received information of rioting in Muharraq on Friday and patrols were sent to deal with them. They attacked passers-by and pelted police vehicles with Molotov cocktails,” said Special Investigations Unit head Nawaf Abdulla Hamza. “Officers had to deal with them to restore order, which resulted in the youth’s death after being shot by a pellet gun,” he said in a statement. …source

Bahraini regime denies rights of children: Al Wefaq
Shia Post – 21 August, 2012

Bahrain’s main opposition party has lashed out at the Al Khalifa regime for keeping children in prison following the wave of anti-government protests across the Persian Gulf state.

The Al Wefaq opposition party says over 90 children are languishing behind bars in the Al Khalifa prisons.

Bahrain’s main opposition bloc also accuses the regime of bringing false charges against the minors, treating them like adult inmates, abusing their rights and even torturing them while in detention.

The comments come after Al Wefaq announced three days of mourning following the death of a teenager at the hands of regime forces.

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces beat to death Husam al-Haddad, the latest victim of police brutality, when they carried out an attack on a peaceful demonstration in the city of Muharraq, northwest of Manama, on August 17.

Several anti-regime protests have been held across the country to condemn the killing of Haddad.

Bahraini protesters have been holding demonstrations against the ruling Al Khalifa family since February 2011 and they hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for the deaths of the demonstrators throughout the uprising.

Bahrain hosts the US Fifth Fleet and is among the Persian Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that receive military equipment from the United States. …more

Bahrain Shuts the Door on Reform
By Catherine Cheney – 21 August, 2012 – Trend Lines

Nabeel Rajab, a prominent opposition activist who founded the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was sentenced to three years in jail last week for his participation in protests.

The protests, led mostly by members of the Shiite Muslim majority who are calling for democracy, began last year and continued even as the government imposed martial law and responded with what many call excessive use of force.

Explaining that he was disappointed but not surprised to read the news, Toby C. Jones, an associate professor of history at Rutgers University, told Trend Lines the verdict represents the end of any pretense of reforms in this small island kingdom in the Persian Gulf.

“Nabeel Rajab embodies a threat to the regime because he is this powerful voice, this populous figure, who is not sectarian and who uses the language of human rights,” he said. Jones explained that over the past 18 months, Rajab has been particularly resilient despite being beaten and shot at. “It was only a matter of time, given his visibility and his defiance.”

Jane Kinninmont, senior research fellow for Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House, emphasized that this is not an isolated case, with hundreds of lower-profile figures in prison because of their involvement in protests.

“But for months it had appeared Rajab was relatively protected because of his high international profile with human rights organizations,” she said, adding that his imprisonment sends “a signal that the government is taking a harder line on protests.”

Looking at the opposition more broadly, Kinninmont described internal disagreement over the extent of change they seek, with the largest political group, Al Wefaq, “pragmatically calling for a constitutional monarch” and the “more revolutionary Feb. 14 youth movement” seeking a republic.

Asked what change there has been since the initial demonstrations in February and March of last year, Jones said few of the opposition’s demands have been met.

He mentioned the Bassiouni Commission, which was tasked with investigating the unrest, as a window of opportunity for reforms, but said little action was taken after the commission issued its report late last year.

“A number of important human rights reforms have been announced, but implementation remains a problem and the impact isn’t being felt on the street,” Kinninmont said. “There has been progress in some areas . . . but there has been very little done to address the accountability issue.”

One problem, she said, is that many senior officials “still seem to deny the report’s findings.”

Jones said “reform” is a word the Bahraini government, led by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, uses to accommodate and appease its Western supporters who “continue to claim Bahrain is on the path to reform.” …more