U.S. Navy Officer Presents New Strategy for Bahrain
\n26 June, 2013 – POMED<\/p>\n
Commander Richard McDaniel, USN, Federal Executive Fellow at Brookings\u2019 Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, published a report entitled \u201cNo \u2018Plan B:\u2019 U.S. Stretegic Access in the Middle East and the Question of Bahrain,\u201d on how the U.S. should respond to the continued uprisings in Bahrain against the monarchy in order to maintain military access, \u201cdiversify the U.S. footprint,\u201d and positively affect Bahrain\u2019s progress towards better governance and human rights reform. McDaniel argues that maintaining the 5th fleet\u2019s presence in Bahrain is in the U.S.\u2019s and Bahrain\u2019s strategic interest, and could grant the U.S. greater leverage in encouraging democratic reforms. The 5th Fleet has also helped the U.S. build strong political, economic, and cultural ties with Bahrain, and losing naval access to Bahrain would hinder the United States\u2019 capacity to deter Iran, combat piracy in the Indian Ocean, and maintain freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
McDaniel characterized the opposition in Bahrain as a Shi\u2019a uprising, but points out that only a small minority of Shi\u2019a Bahrainis adhere to the same religious doctrine as Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and even fewer are ethnic Persians or carry political allegiance to Iran\u2019s leadership (pp. 7-11). However, McDaniel contends that \u201cmany fear that the Bahraini youth will grow weary of slow reform and begin to radicalize\u2026the longer it takes Bahrain to implement reforms the likelier it becomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
McDaniel blames the U.S.\u2019s \u201cclose relationship with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain [as] the reason the State Department has only applied moderate pressure for reforms\u201d in Bahrain. He also argues that \u201cthe United States should view democratic reforms, wherever they occur, as in its best interest (p. 9),\u201d and that \u201cthe biggest threat to U.S. access is not democratic reform that leads to a constitutional monarchy, but a lack of reform that [results] in continued instability, unrest, and the empowerment of radical leadership (p. 11). \u201d To this end, he argues that the U.S. should develop a \u201cPlan B\u201d to move the 5th fleet in the event that Bahrain becomes too unstable. The alternatives, however, are more expensive, strain the U.S.\u2019s relationship with Bahrain, reduce the U.S\u2019s ability to respond quickly to a regional crisis, and hurt the U.S.\u2019s ability to push for democratic reforms (pp. 23-27).<\/p>\n
Regardless, McDaniel argues that \u201cBahrain is a major non-NATO ally, therefore the U.S. has an obligation to stand with it during challenging times while still encouraging democratic reform. Voluntarily removing the U.S. footprint from Bahrain would do little to improve the situation, potentially create a power vacuum, destabilize the region, and eliminate the moderating effect that U.S. influence has had on the Bahraini crisis\u2026The U.S. should leverage elements of national power to promote positive change, understanding that it has a moral obligation to stand on principle and strongly encourage democratic reform (26).\u201d
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