U.S. Continues to Stand by Bahrain

[Chuck Hagel] also trumpeted the American commitment to "political reform" in the Gulf region. But the Pentagon chief uttered not a word about the hundreds of Bahrainis languishing in prison - many without adequate medical care - for demanding the very rights he says they deserve.Bahrainis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foreign Policy in Focus 2014, p.N_A
Main Author: Ufheil-Somers, Amanda
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Corruption in government
Diplomacy
Electoral reform
Hagel, Chuck
Political prisoners
Public speaking
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Summary:[Chuck Hagel] also trumpeted the American commitment to "political reform" in the Gulf region. But the Pentagon chief uttered not a word about the hundreds of Bahrainis languishing in prison - many without adequate medical care - for demanding the very rights he says they deserve.Bahrainis have engaged in nearly daily demonstrations against the Al Khalifa monarchy for the past three years. This resistance started on Valentine's Day 2011, when thousands gathered at the Pearl Roundabout in the capital city, Manama, to demand free and fair elections, real power for the popularly elected lower house of Parliament, the release of political prisoners, and an end to government corruption. Another 34 people - including three children under the age of 10 - are suspected to have died from exposure to tear gas or from being struck in the head by tear gas canisters. Physicians for Human Rights accuses the government of "weaponizing" tear gas by firing canisters into homes and cars and in "unprecedented" amounts, especially in Shiite villages where it has become a virtual fog. All the evidence points to the monarchy's hostility to "political reform," yet the [Obama] administration continues to back the Al Khalifa regime so as to defeat "coercion and aggression" in the region.
ISSN:1524-1939