Why the Bahrain Grand Prix must be cancelled immediately
\nTom Cary is The Telegraph’s Formula One Correspondent. You can follow him on Twitter @tomcaryf1
\nBy Tom Cary Formula One Last updated: February 18th, 2011<\/p>\n
There is now no question in my mind that the Bahrain Grand Prix must be cancelled. Why wait until next week? Bernie should do it now.<\/p>\n
There are times when sport needs to take a back seat and this is definitely one of those times \u2013 no matter how much money is involved or how many interested parties there are (and remember, it\u2019s not just F1\u2019s pockets which are being lined by the grand prix, a cancellation would hit the local economy too, small businesses etc).<\/p>\n
The latest reports, in particular this one by Nicholas D Kristoff of the NY Times, paint a terrifying picture of a country that has lost control and lost the plot.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got to be careful what I say here. In these situations it is always difficult to separate truth from rumour; to tell whether destabilising forces are distorting the picture (for instance, the atrocities described by Kristoff may have been committed by rogue factions who have ulterior motives rather than Bahraini officials). There are pro-government marches too, which haven\u2019t received half the attention. Propaganda may well be clouding our judgement.<\/p>\n
But the reaction of the authorities to Kristoff\u2019s report \u2013 if true \u2013 suggests to me that they are not altogether in touch with reality. A tweet from the American on Friday morning was extraordinary, describing how Bahrain\u2019s royal family is unhappy with his reporting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard that through the PR firms that they hire,\u201d Kristoff said. \u201cThere is apparently a campaign to get me fired \u2013 I don\u2019t really know how they\u2019re going to proceed with that. Most remarkably, one member of the royal family tweeted that I am supplying weapons to outlaws and that I have ties to Hezbollah. To me this was a reflection of the completely delusional world in which the government lives. The government does not want reporters here\u2026 This is a wealthy country, it\u2019s cosmopolitan, it\u2019s well-educated, it\u2019s a banking centre. And then they have this thuggish behaviour, with police sent in firing on people, crowds. It is astonishing and it breaks your heart.\u201d …more<\/a><\/p>\n