Bahrain riot police fire tear gas at protesters
Posted 2h 30m ago

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas at anti-government protesters denouncing reconciliation talks between the Gulf kingdom’s rulers and the Shiite-led opposition on Saturday just hours after the dialogue began.

The renewed unrest — described by witnesses — underlines the deep tensions on the island nation after more than four months of harsh security crackdowns by the Western-allied monarchy.

It also points to the political risks for Bahrain’s biggest Shiite party, Al Wefaq, which decided to join the U.S.-encouraged talks despite widespread anger among the majority Shiites — who claim they suffer systematic discrimination at the hands of the Sunni dynasty ruling Bahrain.

The protesters gathered near a landmark square in Manama, which was the epicenter of the Shiite uprising for greater rights that began in February. The witnesses said several hundred marchers chanted “No dialogue” just hours after a ceremony to open the talks in the strategic nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment by authorities.

There were no immediate reports of injuries during the demonstrations that started after a funeral for a protester, who died on Thursday in a military hospital from injuries sustained during the unrest in March.

The death of 30-year-old protester, Majid Ahmed Mohammed, brings to 32 the number of those killed since February. Bahrain’s Shiites account for 70 percent of the population, but say they face second-class status such as being effectively frozen out of top political and military posts. …more

Hardliners clash with police in Bahrain

By Simeon Kerr in Manama
The Financial Times

Hundreds of Shia youths clashed with security forces in Bahrain as opposition hardliners gave their verdict on the national dialogue launched by the king on Saturday.

In the worst clashes since the authorities launched a crackdown on largely Shia pro-democracy protesters in March, scores of protesters engaged in close-quarter clashes with security forces firing tear gas and rubber bullets. …source

Maryam AlKhawaja: Exile or Opportunist?
Bahrain Independent

While Maryam Al Khawaja vacations worldwide spending khums and American taxpayer’s money, she spends a few hours of her day to corrupt Bahraini minds and incite unrest while she sips hot chocolate in Trafalgar square and enjoys a luxury lifestyle in Europe. Al Khawaja’s latest… …more

Not so random tweet: Protest in Sanabis against the Dialogue “Your Dialogue is all lies, the ppl are tired of you”

Bahrain: Sides talk on political unrest
Published: July 2, 2011 at 9:01 AM

MANAMA, Bahrain, July 2 (UPI) — Talks began Saturday in Bahrain between the Sunni Muslim-led government and majority Shiites calling for proportional representation, officials said.

King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa ordered the talks days ago in a bid to put down demonstrations that have resulted in at least 30 deaths since February, the BBC reported.

The nationally televised talks in Manama involved 300 delegates, only about 50 of which were from the Shiite al-Wifaq opposition party, The Wall Street Journal said.

When protests began sweeping Arab countries in the Middle East and Africa early this year, 18 Wifaq Shiite parliamentarians quit in protest and eight senior party members were sentenced to life in prison, the Journal reported. The party is calling for their release, along with hundreds of others jailed for protesting.

The king called in troops from neighboring Sunni Gulf states to suppress the rebellion, although most have left in recent days as the monarch has made conciliatory gestures, including the creation of a committee to investigate allegations of brutality by security forces.

Regardless of the outcome of the talks scheduled to last a month, the BBC said Bahrain’s appointed senate called the Shura Council can overturn any commitments. …source

Kuwait Ends Bahrain Naval Mission: State Media
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE – Published: 2 Jul 2011 10:41

KUWAIT CITY – Kuwaiti naval forces on July 2 ended a mission to secure Bahrain’s maritime border they began in March amid a crackdown on Shiite protesters, the official KUNA news agency reported.

“The Kuwaiti naval task force in the Kingdom of Bahrain ended today (July 1) its mission to contribute to the protection of the maritime border of Bahrain and securing it in cooperation with the Bahraini navy, which began in March,” KUNA said.

The announcement came the same day that Bahrain opened a national dialogue said to be aimed at relaunching political reforms.

Saudi Arabia deployed about a thousand troops to Bahrain in March while the United Arab Emirates sent some 500 police – deployments that freed up Bahraini security forces to crush a month-long Shiite-led protest movement calling for reforms in the Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority kingdom.

A Saudi official said on June 28 that the Peninsula Shield force of Gulf troops sent to Bahrain were to be “redeployed” but will not withdraw completely.

Kuwaiti Sunni Islamist MPs had announced before the naval deployment that they would move to question the prime minister in parliament for not sending troops to Bahrain. …source

“Healing process” is aim of Bahrain dialogue
Bradley Hope and Asa Fitch – Jul 3, 2011

MANAMA – Bahrain moved cautiously forward on a path towards reconciliation yesterday with the inauguration of a “National Dialogue” about the country’s future.

The dialogue was a “healing process” for the country, said Khalifa Dhahrani, the parliament speaker and chairman of the dialogue. While there would be “no preconditions and no ceiling” to the principles submitted to King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa at the end of the process, he emphasised that the dialogue was about ideas, not immediate change.

The discussions would be broken down into four main categories: political, social, economic and legal, officials said. There would also be an extra session for issues concerning expatriates.

“This dialogue is not resulting in solutions or decisions,” said Isa Abdulrahman, the spokesman of the National Dialogue. “It will be visions.”

He said that topics with a consensus would be submitted to the king, as would those where no agreement could be reached and the reasons why.

New billboards were raised across the city to promote the dialogue with the slogan: “Our Bahrain, Our Unity”. It was a marked contrast from the pitched battles that took place between protesters and the police in March on the streets of Manama.

At least 30 people died during the protests, including a 30-year-old man who succumbed to a head wound on Thursday. …source

Bahrain releases more than 100 detainees
By shiapost – July 2, 2011Posted in: Bahrain
palatable
Manama: Bahrain on Saturday released more than 100 people who were detained on security-related charges.

No official statement has been issued about the number or names of those who have been allowed to go home.

The release coincides with the launch of the national dialogue, a forum for more than 300 Bahrainis from political societies, NGOs, the media, the parliament, the municipal councils, the trade unions and the business community, to discuss the future of Bahrain following weeks of deep divisions sparked by the country’s worst crisis in its modern history. …more

Protests against Bahrain ‘national dialogue’
Reports that police have fired tear gas at protesters denouncing reconciliation talks between government and opposition.
Last Modified: 02 Jul 2011 15:38 – AlJazeera

Witnesses in Bahrain say riot police have fired tear gas at protesters who were denouncing reconciliation talks between the Gulf kingdom’s Sunni rulers and the Shia opposition.

The renewed violences came late on Saturday, hours after opposition and pro-government groups began talks aimed at healing the deep rifts caused after protests earlier this year were brutally repressed.

The protesters gathered near a landmark square in the capital Manama, that had been the epicentre of the pro-democracy uprising that began in February.

The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment by authorities.

Scepticism over national dialogue

The opposition has expressed scepticism over whether the national dialogue, decreed by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, can accomplish anything, noting that it only has 35 of the 300 seats at the bargaining table.

“We start without conditions or limits, our only condition is accepting one another,” Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Dhahrani, chairman of the dialogue and also a speaker of parliament, said on Saturday.

Isa Abdulrahman, a government spokesperson, said the environment in Bahrain is conducive to fruitful negotiations between the Sunni ruling elite and the opposition.

He described the “the high turnout” to the talks as a testament to the absence of concerns for participants.

“When you reach a percentage of 94 per cent of the people that you have invited to attend the dialogue, they have accepted, willingly, to take part in the dialogue,” he said.

Abdulrahman said around 80 per cent of participants have submitted proposals that will be discussed over the coming month.

The Gulf Arab kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia is strategically important, hosting the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

Washington was encouraged by “the decision of Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition political society, to join the national dialogue recently announced by King Hamad,” Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the US state department, said.

Inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled rulers in the two countries, Bahrain’s Shia, who say they are discriminated against, took to the streets in February and March to demand political reforms.

The nation’s Sunni rulers crushed the movement with martial law and help from security forces from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

An estimated 30 people died, hundreds were arrested and thousands of Shias lost their jobs. …more

Bahrain riot police fire tear gas at protesters

World Jul. 03, 2011 – 05:52AM JST ( 0 )

DUBAI —

Riot police in Bahrain fired tear gas at anti-government protesters denouncing reconciliation talks between the Gulf kingdom’s rulers and the Shiite-led opposition on Saturday just hours after the dialogue began.

The renewed unrest—described by witnesses—underlines the deep tensions on the island nation after more than four months of harsh security crackdowns by the Western-allied monarchy.

It also points to the political risks for Bahrain’s biggest Shiite party, Al Wefaq, which decided to join the U.S.-encouraged talks despite widespread anger among the majority Shiites—who claim they suffer systematic discrimination at the hands of the Sunni dynasty ruling Bahrain.

The protesters gathered near a landmark square in Manama, which was the epicenter of the Shiite uprising for greater rights that began in February. The witnesses said several hundred marchers chanted “No dialogue” just hours after a ceremony to open the talks in the strategic nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment by authorities.

There were no immediate reports of injuries during the demonstrations that started after a funeral for a protester, who died on Thursday in a military hospital from injuries sustained during the unrest in March. …more

Talks Begin in Effort to Repair Bahrain Rift
By REUTERS – Published: July 2, 2011

The opposition has expressed skepticism that the reconciliation talks, ordered by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and scheduled to last weeks, can accomplish anything, noting that it has only 35 of the 300 seats at the bargaining table.

“The agenda has been previously set by the government in order to exclude talks about critical issues,” one opposition delegate, Bushra al-Hindi, told The Associated Press, “such as moving along with a process that will reshape the country into a constitutional monarchy.”

Mr. Hindi is one of the delegates from Al Wefaq, the largest Shiite party, which decided only at the last minute to take part but threatened to pull out if the talks did not move toward greater representation in the government. Bahrain has an elected assembly, but the ruling Khalifa family appoints cabinet ministers and the upper house. …more