Posts from — September 2011

[cb editor: may be related to burns in images below.]

[cb editor: note the misdirection – Media reports on the Mall and video even coming out but media on Protests at Pearl Square are less prevalent. Internet sites with Pearl Quare video and images are either tied up with no page loading and possibly even connection being blocked – with server load balancing being manipulated.]

Bahrain Arrests ‘Vandals’ at Mall on Eve of Election, BNA Says
By Donna Abu Nasr – Sep 23, 2011 8:54 AM MT

Bahraini security forces have arrested several “vandals” at the biggest shopping mall in the capital, Manama, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.

The incident came a day before Bahrain holds special Parliamentary elections to fill 18 seats vacated by the al-Wefaq group, the biggest Shiite Muslim party. Its lawmakers quit to protest a crackdown on mostly Shiite protesters who held demonstrations in February and March. At least 35 people were killed in clashes with security forces.

The protests in Bahrain were demanding full democratic representation and equal economic opportunities for the majority Shiite population. The country’s hereditary Sunni rulers invited troops from neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies to help restore order, and accused Iran of fomenting the unrest. …source

Bahrain nominee urges kingdom against ‘repression’
by zawya

WASHINGTON, Sep 21, 2011 (AFP) – US President Barack Obama’s pick for ambassador to Bahrain urged the kingdom Wednesday to avoid “repression” and instead respond to unrest “through genuine reform and reconciliation.”

“Political reform and respect for human rights are vital to Bahrain’s stability and to the protection of US interests in the region,” Thomas Krajeski told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a confirmation hearing.

“Bahrain’s long-term stability depends on addressing domestic grievances not through repression, but through genuine reform and reconciliation.”

His comments came days before parliamentary elections set for September 24 in Bahrain, where a Sunni monarchy has ruled over a majority Shiite population for decades and crushed a month of Shiite-led democracy protests in mid-March.

The opposition has already boycotted the polls and wants democratic reforms in the Gulf kingdom, home to the US Fifth Fleet.

Krajeski said his “top priority” was to sustain the US-Bahrain partnership “based on mutual interests in regional security “while encouraging and supporting reforms that meet the needs and aspirations of Bahrain’s citizens.”

Washington “remains deeply concerned” about the crackdown on protests, he reiterated, citing “many credible reports of serious human rights abuses by security forces.” …more

Anonymous Email just arrived 9:09AM CST – more as reports come in

Dear Friends,

Several areas in Bahrain are under heavy attack as I write this email
because of people’s announced attempt to return to pearl square. I am
receiving countless reports of injuries and arrests, and trying to confirm
them. This is *an urgent appeal for international pressure now.* This has
been ongoing for the past hour and a half and looks like it could continue
for several hours to come.

Best,

Groups to protest Bahrain elections and Human Rights conditions
From Samira Said, CNN – September 23, 2011 — Updated 1007 GMT (1807 HKT)

(CNN) — Several groups have planned protests ahead of Saturday’s parliamentary elections in Bahrain.

The elections are being held to replace 18 seats that were vacated by Al-Wefaq, the country’s largest opposition party. The party vacated the seats to protest the treatment of demonstrators during February’s unrest in Bahrain.

An opposition group called The February 14 Coalition said it plans to launch protests on Friday and Saturday in the newly named Martyr’s Square, the site formerly known as Pearl Roundabout.

“Just like all other freedom loving people living in real democracies across the globe, we, the people of Bahrain have the right to choose the way in which we are governed,” the group said.

The Youth Coalition of February 14 announced they will be holding a sit-in demonstration at the same location.

Addressing an opposition rally in Tubli, a village south of Manama, Thursday, Sheikh Ali Salman, head of the Al-Wefaq party said, “when we talk about democracy we want democracy like that of Westminster, France, and America, not the democracy of Saddam Hussein, nor the democracy of Zine El Abidine, nor the democracy of Gadhafi.”

Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, president of Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority, said he expected voter turnout to be encouraging Saturday, according to the state-run Bahrain News Agency.

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was attending the UN General Assembly in New York. On Thursday he spoke about the need for reforms “aimed to provide decent living conditions, security and tranquility in a society of peaceful coexistence.”

Saudis protest against KSA’s meddling in Bahrain
Fri, Sep 23rd, 2011 – By shiapost

Saudi protesters have once again poured into the streets to rally against the Al Saud regime’s brutal military intervention in Bahrain, Press TV reported.

The protests in the eastern city of Qatif took place despite the government’s strict ban on anti-regime rallies in the country.

Saudis have on various occasions voiced their anger with Riyadh’s intervention meant to crush the popular uprising in the small Persian Gulf kingdom.

The protesters also slammed the high unemployment in the country and expressed frustration with the decades-long rule of the Al Saud dynasty which has a record of rights violation.

In mid-March, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed their military forces in crisis-hit Bahrain to assist the Manama regime in its severe suppression of anti-government protesters.

Scores of Bahrainis have been killed ever since.

Saudi Arabia’s eastern regions have been the scene of protests over the past months, and authorities have arrested scores of people including bloggers and writers for taking part in anti-government demonstrations.

According to Human Rights Watch, more than 160 dissidents have been arrested since February in Saudi crackdowns on anti-government protesters. …source

Tensions grip Bahrain ahead of by-elections

An opposition group in Bahrain says it plans to launch protests on Friday and Saturday ahead of parliamentary by-elections set for September 24 in the Gulf kingdom – ahramonline

AFP , Friday 23 Sep 2011 – Bahrain stages by-elections Saturday boycotted by the main Shiite opposition bloc, with pro-democracy protesters vowing to escalate their actions six months after an uprising in the kingdom was crushed.

The elections are for 18 seats left vacant in the 40-member parliament after MPs from Al-Wefaq, the Gulf state’s largest opposition group, quit in February in protest over a crackdown by security forces on peaceful demonstrators.

Bahraini authorities later allowed protesters, mostly Shiites, to camp out at Manama’s central Pearl Square until security forces, boosted by a Saudi-led Gulf regiment, drove them out in a deadly crackdown in mid-March.

In total, 55 candidates will compete for 14 seats. “Four candidates were already declared winners after their competition withdrew,” an Information Affairs Authority statement said.

The main challenge lies in whether 187,000 eligible voters will respond to appeals by the authorities and turn out in Shiite-majority areas, after Al-Wefaq said last month it would boycott the election.

The government has considered sanctions against those who do not vote, threatening to exclude them from government jobs and deny them public services, the pro-government Al-Ayyam daily reported on Wednesday.

Al-Wefaq, or the Islamic National Accord Association, in a statement called the measures “terrorising” and “an organised crime project that contradicts basic principles of humanity and freedom of opinion and expression.”

It joined a national dialogue in July at the initiative of the king to relaunch political reform in Bahrain, which is ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, but soon pulled out and rejected the process’s outcomes.

Al-Wefaq has not called for the Al-Khalifas to be overthrown, but has stuck to its main demands for a fully fledged constitutional monarchy with an elected government and powerful parliament, as well as an independent judiciary.

It also disputes the legitimacy of parliament’s upper house, whose 40 members are appointed rather than elected and which can block initiatives by the lower house.

The new post-election parliament will vote into legislation projects agreed upon in the national dialogue, the government said on Wednesday.

“Parliament will have more powers following agreements made by the national dialogue… (which) has reached agreement on about 200 key political, economic and human rights issues,” said an English-language statement.

Al-Wefaq insists that the dialogue did not represent the will of the people.

In June, King Hamad announced the lifting of the state of emergency declared in mid-March, and later formed The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry — an independent panel of foreign experts — to investigate the month-long unrest.

Authorities say 24 people were killed in the unrest, including four policemen. The opposition puts the death toll at 30.

Other measures announced this week include a “National Victims’ Compensation Fund” and an additional budget outlay of more than one billion dollars over two years to improve living standards in the tiny kingdom, the poorest among its oil-rich Gulf neighbours.

Al-Wefaq head Ali Salman, speaking on Thursday during a gathering of thousands in a Shiite suburb of Manama on “a day of national unity” between Sunnis and Shiites, has declared Saturday’s polls a “day to mourn democracy.”

Activists have called for marches on Friday and Saturday towards Pearl Square, symbol of the protests earlier this year.

As tension soared in Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, US President Barack Obama’s pick for ambassador urged the kingdom Wednesday to avoid “repression.”

“Political reform and respect for human rights are vital to Bahrain’s stability and to the protection of US interests in the region,” Thomas Krajeski told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing.

“Bahrain’s long-term stability depends on addressing domestic grievances not through repression, but through genuine reform and reconciliation.” …source

HRH Prince Khalifa hails HM King’s speech at the UN
September 23rd, 2011 – b 24×7

[cb editor: historic video added for contrast]

HRH Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa hailed His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa’s keynote address at the UN General Assembly 66th Session in New York. “HM King Hamad’s speech reflects the purpose of construction and progress in Bahrain in all fields to ensure all people welfare security and stability”, he said.

He stressed the importance of the speech in projecting Bahrain’s landmark achievements to the world and reflecting efforts to ensure decent living standards for citizens in an atmosphere of security, serenity and a society in which peaceful co-existence, equality and equal opportunities for all people to reap development dividends.

He added that the speech outlined Bahrain’s strategy and future-oriented vision of Bahrain’s comprehensive development, which earned Bahrain international recognition in periodic reports that hail Bahrain as successful model to emulate for sustained development. “Bahrain has succeeded, in HM the King’s prosperous era in promoting democracy, laying solid development foundations and consolidation the pillars of a modern state based on the constitutional provisions, the rule of the law, human, civic and political rights”, he said.

HRH the Premier paid tribute to HM King Hamad for leading Bahrain, with his wise and far-reaching vision, to emerge from the difficult times.

“Bahrain now stands stronger and more confident and steadfast than ever, resolved to complete the march of progress and prosperity”, he said.

He called on all parties to join hands and rally together as Bahrain gears up to holding the by-elections.

He stressed the importance of the polls, urging all parties to put national interests above all other considerations.

He said that the Royal speech highlighted local issues concerning Bahrain, voiced support for Arab causes and international efforts to achieve peace and stability in the world and reaffirmed the Kingdom’s strong commitment to the joint global action for security and peace to reign worldwide. …source

Bahrain: Appeals to world leaders to intervene to stop blood bath
Bahrain Freedom Movement – 20/09/2011

The two days of reckoning in Bahrain are fast approaching as the Al Khalifa junta threatened a blood bath. On 23rd and 24th September the people of Bahrain will attempt to re-conquer the Pearl Roundabout in order to mourn those who were murdered by the Saudi and Al Khalifa forces in mid March.

Preparations are being made to ensure a successful and peaceful operation as a first step to liberate Bahrain from the brutal Saudi occupation. The 14th February Youth are making last minute steps to ensure a peaceful march, as the Al Khalifa ministry of interior repeated threats to inflict maximum damage on anyone taking part in the proposed march. The Youth have appealed to international bodies to put pressure on the Al Saud and Al Khalifa regimes not to use violence against Bahrainis. The Bahraini opposition abroad have also written to several personalities and bodies urging them to intervene to stop a blood bath by troops, security forces and Death Squads. The plan is to reverse the crime committed by the joint aggressive forces in mid March when, under the international spotlight they waged lethal attacks on Bahrainis encamped at the Roundabout killing and injuring tens of people.

The proposed peaceful action has been planned for three reasons: The first is to tell the world that the destruction by Al Saud and Al Khalifa forces of the Pearl Monument after their criminal attack had failed to destroy the will of the Bahraini revolutionaries and that the civil movement is here to stay until a regime change has been achieved. The second is to commemorate the martyrs who have fallen over the past seven months including the latest two. The third is to draw the attention of the world on the day of proposed bye-elections for the dictator’s shura council, half of whose members are elected through a closely controlled process. There has been massive support to the move from the youth or revolutions in several countries including Yemen and Egypt.

The latest two martyrs have ignited the popular feeling of rage against the Al Saud and Al Khalifa whose machines of death have not ceased their criminal activities against the people of Bahrain. Sayyed Jawad Sayyed Ahmad Marhoon, 35, from Sitra died in agony ten days after he had been attacked by the regime’s forces with poisonous and tear gases on 3rd September. His house was also attacked on 10th September when poisonous chemical gases were thrown inside his house by the Death Squads and security forces. He emerged from the house carrying his baby daughter but had suffered massive internal injuries as a result. The second martyr is Jaffar Hassan Yousuf, 28, married with two children, from Demstan, died as a result of severe torture inflicted by the regime’s torturers during his incarceration. His massive funeral was attacked by the security forces and thugs and more people were reported injured. The attacks on Bahrainis have continued in the past few days as the people staged demonstrations throughout the country calling for a regime change and chanting: “Down with Hamad” in reference to Bahrain’s dictator who has become the most hated tyrant in the region. Among those attacked was a women protest on 16th September at Bilad Al Qadeem. Several women were injured.

Meanwhile, the US administration has been widely criticized for agreeing to receive the dictator whose trip to New York today has triggered widespread revulsion especially among human rights activists. The Obama administration has registered a drastic moral failure by its refusal to take a neutral stand with regards to the Bahraini revolution. On 15th September the New York Times published a damning article titled “Bahrain Boils Under the Lid of Repression” detailing the repression by the Al Khalifa against the people of Bahrain. On 10th September, the Washington Post published an editorial calling on the White House to take action against the Al Khalifa dictatorship and stop its double-standard policy in the Middle East. It had been hoped that Bahrain’s dictator, who has come to symbolize brutality and absolute dictatorship would not be allowed to set foot on the American soil. The American stands have been criticized by both politicians and human rights activists as the world witnesses more political saga unfolding in various parts of the Middle East.

Bahrain Freedom Movement
20th September 2011 …source

Anonymous Twitter Post: Instructions for return to pearl square HERE ppl are saying goodbye on Twitter just in case. Stay peaceful!

Peace and Safety be yours, brave people of Bahrain.

Demonstration Notice- September 22, 2011
More Notices from US Embassy HERE 5th Fleet Command Demonstration Notices HERE

Spontaneous demonstrations take place in Bahrain from time to time in response to world events or local developments. United States citizens should keep current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times. If you encounter a large public gathering or demonstration, depart the vicinity immediately.

Between Thursday, 22 September and Saturday, 24 September, possible unauthorized demonstrations are planned south of Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Hwy between Karbabad and Jidd Haffs, near Bahrain Mall/Geant (see yellow circle on map below). If this demonstrations materializes, U.S. citizens are urged avoid the area including Bahrain Mall/Geant. The Embassy will provide updates as needed.

On Thursday, 22 September at 1600 hours, an authorized demonstration is planned in the vicinity of Tubli. This area (indicated in yellow on Map A) will be off-limits to all Embassy personnel from 1500 hours on 22 September until 0600 hours on 23 September. U.S. citizens are also urged to avoid the area.

On Friday and Saturday, 23 – 24 September, a potentially violent demonstration is planned in an attempt to return to the Pearl Roundabout/Farooq Junction.
On Saturday, 24 September national elections are scheduled. It is possible there will be heavy traffic and demonstrations in the vicinity of polling stations.

We remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.

For the latest security information, U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Country Specific Information for Bahrain, Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The U.S. Embassy in Manama can be reached at (973) 1724-2700; the afterhours emergency number is (973) 1724-2957; the fax number is (973) 1725-6242. The Embassy’s web site includes travel information and the Worldwide Caution and Demonstration Notices. All U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. The Consular Section can be reached at ManamaConsular@state.gov.

Potential Demonstrations in Bahrain, 22-24 September
by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 4:45am
See latest Notices from 5th Fleet Command HERE

The following potential or planned demonstrations in Bahrain should be avoided by all U.S. Forces, DOD civilians, DOD contractors and family members.

Thursday, 22 September, 1500-2400 in the Tubli area.
Friday, 23 September, in the vicinity of Farooq Junction (formerly Pearl Roundabout).
Saturday, 24 September, in the vicinity of Farooq Junction (formerly Pearl Roundabout).

In addition, on Saturday, 24 September, there may be heavy traffic or demonstrations associated with the national by-elections, particularly in the vicinity of polling stations.

We continue to monitor events in Bahrain. There are no indications that U.S. citizens are being threatened or targeted.

Reminder: Spontaneous demonstrations can occur at any time. If you encounter a large public gathering, depart the vicinity immediately. Keep a cell phone with you at all times and share you travel plans with a friend, family member or chain of command.

American citizens and coalition partners should stay current with media coverage of events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.

The most up-to-date U.S. Embassy Manama demonstrations notices are available at HERE

Bahrain threatens jail for Twitter, Facebook protest calls
By Claire Ferris-Lay -Thursday, 22 September 2011 4:10 PM

Bahrain residents caught posting messages on the internet and social networking sites in a bid to rally support for protests in the Gulf state will be punished, the Interior Ministry said.

Residents found urging members of the public to take part in “rallies and engage in acts of violence and sabotage” are breaking the law, state news agency BNA reported on Thursday.

“The mere fact of posting such instigative calls is a penal crime punishable by the law,” the Interior Ministry said.

“The law on public rallies stipulates fines and jail terms, in addition to other penalties.”

The news follows days after authorities in the Gulf state warned anti-government protestors they could lose their driving licenses for up to one year if they carried out threats to create massive traffic jams to disrupt the elections.

Bahrain in March imposed martial law and called in troops from its Gulf neighbours in a bid to quell weeks of unrest amid mass pro-reform demonstrations.

UAE authorities last month said residents caught using social media to insult the Gulf state’s rulers or spread malicious rumours could face up to ten years in jail.

False news spread by Twitter, Facebook, or using BlackBerry’s BBM messenger service risked harming UAE society and would be dealt with severely, said Col. Abbulrahim bin Shafi, the director of Dubai Police’s anti-organised crime unit.

“Spreading rumours or disclosing false information and news [that] threatens the public security or causes panic among the people…will be a crime [even] if it is through email, BlackBerry or any type of tool that spreads the information,” he told Arabian Business.

Saudi Arabia helps crush the democratic uprising in Bahrain
Long-time U.S. reliance on Saudi oil and servility at risk

by Asad Ismi – Global Research, September 21, 2011

As I reported in the April Monitor, the Sunni fundamentalist Saudi dictatorship felt it was threatened by a spreading revolution in Bahrain, prompting it to send troops into that country on March 15. Two thousand troops from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) entered Bahrain on that day to put down an uprising by the country’s Shia majority against Sunni royalist dictator King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa. The GCC is comprised of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and 1,200 of the troops sent into Bahrain were Saudi.

The Shia majority in Bahrain has long complained about being subjected to discrimination by the Sunni ruling élite. Large-scale public protests against the king broke out in February, inspired by the success of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. The Shia opposition wanted the king to give up his powers to an elected legislature.

Bahrain borders the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, which is the kingdom’s oil centre. This province also has a Shia majority, and the Saudi royal family fears that the Shia rebellion in Bahrain will spread and that any concessions the Bahraini monarch makes to his Shias will also be demanded by theirs. However, because the GCC countries are Sunni, the invasion creates the possibility of a spreading sectarian conflict if the biggest Shia power in the Middle East, which is Iran, decides to help the Bahraini opposition which is so far unarmed. Iran condemned the invasion, and the Bahraini Shias have called it “a declaration of war.”

The Saudi invasion of Bahrain was followed by the imposition of martial law and a brutal crackdown on protesters by a combined GCC-Bahraini force, which killed scores of civilians, injured hundreds, and jailed 1,600 people.

“Instead of rights, every family got a political prisoner,” said Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. “After almost three months of military rule, the crisis has deepened because every family suffered when the army was sent in to solve a political problem.”

Hundreds of protesters and professionals such as doctors, nurses, lawyers, and even soccer players have been arrested and tried in a special security court. Official use of torture has become widespread. According to Rajab, up to 98% of the people detained by state security forces were abused. “No one was immune,” said Rajab. “Very rarely will you find someone who was arrested but not abused.”

Particularly reprehensible have been the security forces’ attacks on doctors and nurses for treating protesters injured by the army and security forces. A recent report issued by Human Rights Watch details “attacks on health care providers; denial of medical access to protesters injured by security forces; the siege of hospitals and health centers; and the detention, ill-treatment, torture, and prosecution of medics and patients with protest-related injuries.”

“The attacks on medics and wounded protesters,” says Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, “have been part of an official policy of retribution against Bahrainis who supported pro-democracy protests. Medical personnel who criticized the severe repression were singled out and jailed.”

Twenty-three doctors and 24 nurses who treated protesters were charged with treason. The BBC reported that these medical personnel were tortured into making false confessions, according to their families. On March 16, after the Saudi invasion, security forces occupied Salmaniya, Bahrain’s main public hospital. One ward of the hospital located on the sixth floor was turned into “a makeshift detention facility where security forces subjected patients to incommunicado detention, regular beatings, torture, and other forms of mistreatment,” witnesses informed Human Rights Watch.

The Bahraini government has ended the state of emergency to project an image of normalcy, but, according to Tom Porteous, deputy program director at Human Rights Watch, “the situation remains appalling. The repression is there… this is a major crisis. Obviously, large numbers of people were killed during the protests… Not only since [the lifting of emergency rule] have there been protests, violently suppressed… but also the repression by which the government has quelled the protest movement in the last weeks continues. So large numbers of people are under incommunicado detention, at risk of torture. There are reports of torture continuing.”

Behind the Saudi invasion of Bahrain and the repression there, is the United States government, the main international backer of both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. While Washington has led the attack on Libya, claiming it is necessary to stop Gaddafi from killing his people, and is denouncing and sanctioning President Assad of Syria for doing the same, no such censure is being exercised against Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. These two countries – long-time minions of the U.S. — are instead being aided and encouraged to crush their citizens’ democratic protests with impunity. …more

US: Stop Proposed Arms Sales to Bahrain
Don’t Give Kingdom a Pass on Protester Crackdown, Repression
September 22, 2011 – Human Rights Watch

This is exactly the wrong move after Bahrain brutally suppressed protests and is carrying out a relentless campaign of retribution against its critics. It will be hard for people to take US statements about democracy and human rights in the Middle East seriously when, rather than hold its ally Bahrain to account, it appears to reward repression with new weapons.
Maria McFarland, deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch

(Washington, DC) – The United States should delay a proposed arms sale to Bahrain until it ends abuses against peaceful critics of the ruling family and takes meaningful steps toward accountability for serious human rights violations, Human Rights Watch said today.

The US Defense Department notified Congress on September 14, 2011, of a proposed sale of armored Humvees and missiles to Bahrain worth US$53 million. The sale would appear to be the first since the start of Bahrain’s crackdown on protests earlier this year.

“This is exactly the wrong move after Bahrain brutally suppressed protests and is carrying out a relentless campaign of retribution against its critics,” said Maria McFarland, deputy Washington director at Human Rights Watch. “It will be hard for people to take US statements about democracy and human rights in the Middle East seriously when, rather than hold its ally Bahrain to account, it appears to reward repression with new weapons.”

The proposed arms sale would, according to the notification from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, include 44 “Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs),” wire-guided and other missiles and launchers, as well as related equipment and training.

In mid-February, on the tenth anniversary of King Hamad Al Khalifa’s major political reform proposal and following uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Bahrainis took to the streets in massive numbers demanding democratic reform. The government initially responded by opening fire on peaceful protesters, killing seven and wounding hundreds. In mid-March, after several weeks of continuing protests, the government declared a “state of national safety.” …more

Cost of insuring debt in Bahrain hits a high
Tom Arnold – Sep 22, 2011 – The Nation

Increasing insurance costs will make it more challenging for Bahrain’s government and companies to raise cash to ease the kingdom’s deteriorating fiscal position. Reuters

Bahrain’s default risk has risen to its highest since the peak of political unrest in the country six months ago against a backdrop of concerns that tensions may reignite ahead of an election on Saturday.

The cost of insuring the country’s debt against default rose to 328 basis points yesterday, according to five-year credit default swaps’ data provided by National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD). Dubai’s credit default swap level was 435 basis points.

Increasing insurance costs will make it more challenging for Bahrain’s government and companies to raise cash to ease the kingdom’s deteriorating fiscal position. Like other countries, the kingdom’s capital markets have been hit by Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.

“As global investors become more nervous in general terms as a result of heightened concerns regarding sovereign default in the euro zone their risk appetite has clearly diminished, and the impact of this is felt the hardest among those entities that are at the lower end of the credit curve,” said Chavan Bhogaita, the head of markets strategy at NBAD.

Standard Chartered wrote in a report this week that it saw “little value” in Bahraini bonds.

“Bahraini issuers, both sovereign and corporate, will find it difficult to tap international markets in the current environment,” Philippe Dauba-Pantanacce and Victor Lohle wrote in the report.

The island was gripped by protests in February and March, in which more than 30 people were killed. The economy took a beating and since then the country’s fiscal health has become increasingly perilous as foreign reserves have dwindled and banking and tourism activity declined.

The cost of insuring the country’s debt had been falling after reaching a peak of 359 on March 15 at the height of the unrest.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on Saturday. The same day opposition supporters are planning to hold a mass demonstration in Manama.

Higher government spending in response to this year’s unrest is likely to push the country’s fiscal deficit to 6 per cent, Standard Chartered forecasts.

A small oil producer, the country has one of the highest break-even prices in the Gulf. The Institute of International Finance estimates the country needs an oil price of about US$72 per barrel to help to balance its budget.

The country’s central bank has already trimmed its growth forecast for this year by 2 percentage points to 3 per cent. The IMF excluded the country from its update on the regional economy yesterday, citing uncertainties in the political situation. …source

Bahrain nominee urges kingdom against ‘repression’
(AFP) – 15 hours ago

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama’s pick for ambassador to Bahrain urged the kingdom Wednesday to avoid “repression” and instead respond to unrest “through genuine reform and reconciliation.”

“Political reform and respect for human rights are vital to Bahrain’s stability and to the protection of US interests in the region,” Thomas Krajeski told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a confirmation hearing.

“Bahrain’s long-term stability depends on addressing domestic grievances not through repression, but through genuine reform and reconciliation.”

His comments came days before parliamentary elections set for September 24 in Bahrain, where a Sunni monarchy has ruled over a majority Shiite population for decades and crushed a month of Shiite-led democracy protests in mid-March.

The opposition has already boycotted the polls and wants democratic reforms in the Gulf kingdom, home to the US Fifth Fleet.

Krajeski said his “top priority” was to sustain the US-Bahrain partnership “based on mutual interests in regional security “while encouraging and supporting reforms that meet the needs and aspirations of Bahrain’s citizens.”

Washington “remains deeply concerned” about the crackdown on protests, he reiterated, citing “many credible reports of serious human rights abuses by security forces.”

Krajeski had been quizzed on the crackdown by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who chaired the hearing and also asked the diplomat about US concerns that Iran may be fomenting unrest in Bahrain.

“The events in February and March, in our view, were clearly begun by Bahrainis,” he said. “We saw no evidence of Iranian instigation, however we’re concerned about Iranian exploitation.”

The Iranians “will exploit every situation where they can. We’ve seen it in other countries, and we’re concerned about Bahrain as well,” he added, echoing past comments by senior US officials.

Asked by AFP to detail predominantly Shiite Iran’s possible role, the diplomat declined, stressing he had not yet been confirmed to the post in Bahrain.

In April, then-US Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters with him on a swing through the Middle East that he had “evidence that the Iranians are trying to exploit the situation in Bahrain.” …source

G8 pledges support for Arab Spring countries
Associated Press – September 20, 2011 7:58 pm

The world’s major industrialized nations pledged Tuesday quick and concrete action with a long-term political and economic impact to support Arab nations as they move along the road to democratic reform after uprisings that toppled authoritarian rulers.

Foreign ministers of the Group of Eight also said they would support other Mideast nations that seek transitions to democracy and promised that the help would address the specific needs of the various Arab countries that have ousted their autocratic leaders through mass uprisings.

So far, roughly $80 billion in aid for Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco had been pledged over the next two years, according to French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe.

The comments, which followed a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, reflected the international community’s focus on the revolutions and uprisings that have rolled through the Arab world _ erupting first in Tunisia before moving to Egypt. Both those nations saw their long-time leaders pushed from power in an avalanche of popular outrage that has since spread to Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. Of that list, only Libya has seen a regime change while the other nations are mired in bloody battles as their respective rulers cling to power.

“The Arab Spring is today a source of great hope,” the G8 said in a declaration issued after the meeting. “It originated from the aspirations of the peoples of the region for greater freedom, justice and human dignity. It is both a political and economic challenge that demands immediate and concerted action.”

At a meeting in Deauville, France last May, the G8 launched a partnership with Tunisia and Egypt, and has since expanded the partnership to include Morocco, Jordan and Libya. The partnership also includes Gulf Arab titans Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as Turkey, along with international organizations like the International Monetary Fund. …more