Bahrain PM Says Supports Human Rights, As US Arms Deal In Offing
\nWritten by: Eurasia Review – October 17, 2011<\/p>\n
Bahrain\u2019s Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa stressed Sunday his country\u2019s aims to promote human rights and bolster global security and stability, reports Bahrain state media.<\/p>\n
The statement made to a US Congress delegation comes amid reports a US arms deal with Bahrain could be linked to claims of human rights violations. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed Friday that Bahrain is negotiating a $53 million contract with Bahrain for \u201carmored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, better known as humvees and TOW missiles to go on them\u201d aimed at protecting the country from a potential attack \u201cor nefarious activity by countries like Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to BNA, Al-Khalifa, \u201cstressed the importance of dialogue-as a strategic choice \u2013 and the protection of human rights and liberties as the cornerstone of Bahrain\u2019s reform policies.\u201d<\/p>\n
BNA reported \u201cthat the US Congress delegation led by House of Representatives member Donald Payne acknowledged Bahrain\u2019s efforts to embark on democracy and promote reforms steadily. They also lauded the Government\u2019s efforts in this regard, ensuring Bahrain\u2019s pioneering democratic and reform strides.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Friday, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland acknowledged that the State Department had received a letter from a number of members of US Congress regarding the sale, to which she responded, \u201cAs you know, human rights is an issue that we take into account when we look at missile sales. In this case, this is a notification about future intent. This sale doesn\u2019t \u2013 there\u2019s a timetable, and quite an extended one, for when these things might be delivered, and we will continue to take human rights into consideration as we make future decisions about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Nuland said that the sale is designed to support the Bahraini military in its external defense function, \u201cspecifically in hardening the country against potential attack or nefarious activity by countries like Iran, et cetera, and we do have an interest in Bahrain and our other Gulf partners being able to be strong militarily vis-\u00e0-vis the regional challenges that they face.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo again, this is a notification. No transfer decisions have been made. Human rights will be taken into account. We are discussing this with the Congress. We are also discussing this with the Bahrainis as well as the full docket of human rights issues, and we are continuing to look at things,\u201d Nuland said.<\/p>\n
At the Friday press conference, in response to a journalist\u2019s questions if the State Department was expecting an invasion from Iran Nulan declined to comment.<\/p>\n
When asked if it\u2019s safe to assume that the intent will be used as a bargaining chip or a leverage with the Bahraini Government, conditional on the human rights situation, that the US is not going to deliver the arms unless there is a change in the human rights situation, Nuland responded, \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s an accurate way to portray this. This is a foreign military sale for use against an external threat. However, whenever we sell military equipment, we have to \u2013 we hold countries to high human rights standards. So we are watching intently the work of this independent Bahraini commission. It will make its report. The Bahraini Government will need to take steps to address what is found. And as I said, we don\u2019t make foreign military sales without taking human rights considerations into account. But I wouldn\u2019t characterize this the way you have.\u201d
\nhttp:\/\/www.eurasiareview.com\/17102011-bahrain-pm-says-supports-human-rights-as-us-arms-deal-in-offing\/<\/p>\n