5 Senate Democrats ask Clinton to delay arms sales to Bahrain, cite human rights violations
By Associated Press – October 12, 4:10 PM – Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Five Democratic senators are asking Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to delay $53 million in arms sales to violence-wracked Bahrain.

In a letter Wednesday, the lawmakers criticized Bahrain’s human rights violations and resistance to calls for reform. They said completing the sale would weaken U.S. credibility amid democratic transitions in the Middle East.

At least 35 people have died since Bahrain’s Shiite-led majority began protests in February seeking greater rights from the ruling Sunni monarchy in the strategic nation, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Signing the letter were Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Wyden and Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts have introduced a resolution blocking the sale.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. …source

HRH Premier hails strong Bahraini-Saudi relations
12/10/2011 – BNA

Manama, Oct. 12 (BNA)—His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa described the Bahraini-Saudi relations as unparalleled due to their specificity and unique nature.
He hailed strong ties binding both countries thanks to the leaderships’ keenness to further cement them throughout history.

Speaking at a meeting today with Saudi President General of the Youth Welfare and President of the Saudi Olympic Committee Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz, HRH the Prime Minister lauded the outstanding role of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in serving Arab and Islamic issues as well as its strong influence in international decision-making.

“Saudi Arabia is the bulwark of all Arabs and Muslims,” he said.

Prince Nawaf, who is visiting Bahrain to attend the opening ceremony of the First GCC Games (Bahrain 11), which was patronized yesterday by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, conveyed to HRH the Prime Minister the greetings of the Saudi monarch, Crown Prince, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. …source

Is Iran’s Alleged Cash-for-Assassinations Plot Too Implausible to Be True?
By Paul Mutter, October 12, 2011 – FPIF

Today, US Attorney General Eric Holder reported that an FBI-DEA action, “Operation Red Coalition,” has successfully prevented a campaign of Iranian terrorist attacks in the US and Argentina. Attorney General Holder and law enforcement personnel all assert that the operations were approved at highest levels of the Iranian government, but refer to “factions of the Iranian government” rather than “the Iranian government” as being responsible. Despite the saber-rattling, it appears that the US government does not want to completely assign blame for the attack on Iran’s top leadership.

A criminal complaint has been filed, based off of an FBI affidavit presented to a New York judge, charging five Iranians, including several Iranian-Americans, with plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US, Adel Al-Jubeir. They are also suspected of seeking to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in both DC and Buenos Aires.

Purportedly undertaken in the spring with the blessing of high-level Iranian officials, an Iranian-American naturalized citizen named Mansour Arbabsiar approached a DEA informant (referred to only as “CS-1”) masquerading as a member of “Drug Cartel #1,” which ABC reports is probably the Mexican-based Los Zetas Cartel. As to why Mansour approached cartels, he is said to have been ordered to by his superiors “because people in that business are willing to undertake criminal activity in exchange for money.”

US media reports that Mansour also promised CS-1 to supply his/her cartel with “tons of opium” as part of their deal, though this has not been mentioned in any of the papers made public by the Justice Department.

CS-1 is described as “a paid confidential source” who, in exchange for having unspecified State Department charges dropped against him/her, agreed to become a mole for the DEA. The report discloses that CS-1 is on federal payrolls and is regarded as a “reliable” source of intelligence, and that some of the exchanges between Mansour took place in Mexico. The DEA’s informant policies are extremely well-kept secrets, and also very expensive and controversial. And like the FBI’s informant programs that have exposed numerous alleged terrorist plots, this plot was, apparently, held together by the informant, who presented himself as an explosives expert and promised to deliver C-4 for the operation.

Working through Mansour, the group in Iran was said to have sent US$100,000 (obtained from the Iranian government) to CS-1 as a “down payment” on a US$1.5 million assassination contract. When CS-1 suggested that an attack on the ambassador in a restaurant would also kill US civilians, Mansour replied that “sometime [sic], you know, you have no choice,” a point that US officials have (somewhat hypocritically, as Glenn Greenwald points out, given our “collateral damage” record overseas) reiterated time and again to try and demonstrate that the Iranians are somehow unbalanced psychopaths.…more

Rights Activists Meet with Egyptian Chief of Intelligence to Discuss the Human Rights Situation in Egypt
03/10/2011 – Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

On Wednesday 28th of September 2011, human rights activists Ahmed Seif al-Islam Hamad, Bahey eldin Hassan, and Khaled Ali Omar met with General Murad Muwaffi, Chief of Egyptian General Intelligence. The meeting was also attended by other national figures.

The human rights activists accepted the invitation to the meeting given the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, which requires a dialogue on the means to achieve reform and the best ways to make a clean break with repressive practices. In pursuit of improving the human rights situation, human activists attempt all necessary means, particularly official channels.

General Muwaffi provided an overview of the regional and international realities in which Egypt exists since the revolution, and expressed his interest in learning the views of the attendees, stating that his role is the careful communication of this discussion to Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi.

The attending human rights activists raised the followed observations and recommendations:

• The activists warned of the dangers of the current race to the power in Egypt and demanded swift democratic parliamentary and presidential elections, followed by an immediate handover of authority to those who would be elected by the Egyptian people.
• The activists recommended to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF)
• To abstain from involvement in the daily executive matters until elections are convened.
• To refrain from unilateral decision making and to establish an advisory council composed of civilians to operate with a clear mandate.
• To invest the ministerial cabinet and the Prime Minister with full executive authority, and to form a new cabinet with a new Prime Minister who has vision and political will to move out of the impasse.
• To put an end to the State of emergency and to end the referral of civilians to military trials.
• To issue an amnesty for the youth and other political activists that have been sentenced by military courts.
• The rights activists also requested the authorities:
• To issue the legislation on trade union freedoms.
• To ease the conditions for the establishment of political parties by reducing the number of founding members to 1000 persons only.
• To amend the Labor Law in a way that ensures security to workers, and protects them from arbitrary dismissal.
• To establish, without delay, a minimum and a maximum wage in order to minimize gaps of income.
• To provide permanent employment contracts to temporary workers of government agencies who have been employed (on short term contracts) for at least three years.
• To include the government’s so called ‘private funds’ in the State’s budget.
• To separate pension funds from the Finance Ministry and suspend legislation 135/2010, which is due to enter into force as of January 2012.
• To abide by court rulings and to half all delays by the authorities and public institutions in their enforcement, particularly the rulings that have invalidated privatization contracts and the sales of state-owned lands.
• To reject all pressures to amend the Tenders and Auctions Law, and to ensure accountability for those involved in drafting privatization contracts and the sales of State-owned lands.
• To adopt a plan for the revival of public-sector companies.
• To carry out international campaigns to clarify the court rulings that have rendered privatization contracts void, in response to the campaigns that have been led by businessmen that described these ruling as a return to nationalization; to expose the corruption in these deals and the elements that guided the Egyptian judiciary in its ruling.
• To dismiss the Public Prosecutor, his deputy, and the head of the State Security Prosecution.
• To investigate all cases of corruption related to the privatization process and the sale of State-owned lands, and to refer those involved to criminal courts. This is an essential step to increase Egypt’s chances in winning the claims expected to be filed by investors to courts of arbitration.
• To issue the Law of Judicial Authorities as approved by the Supreme Council of Judicial Authorities and its general assembly, without amendments from the SCAF.

The rights activists underlined that their observations represent a basic vision, and that their recommendations are basic steps that must be taken without delay, on any pretext or grounds, in order to bring tangible change to the human rights situation in Egypt. There remain many other steps and long-term institutional reforms that are necessary to give root to a human rights culture and make a clean break with repressive practices. …source

[cb editor: as Eric Holder’s “foiled plot” fades into the ether one has to ponder WTF? How it is that the Obama administration has given the plot little more thought than media grand standing, when in fact, had the allegations had any substance we would be staring at an incident that stands on par with the attacks on the trade towers – which launched the US into two wars, one that is now the longest running in US history. Mr. President, a bit of advice, fire that dumb-shit Eric Holder, you’ll be doing the world a favor. And while your at it could you get rid of Hillary? …all that running around and so little result, another WTF? Holder’s “plot” seems to have stumped even the Iranians. They best they can can up with is it must be some sort of diversion???]

Iran Claims Terror Plot Accusation Is Diversion by U.S.
By ERIC SCHMITT and SCOTT SHANE – Published: October 12, 2011 – NYT

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Wednesday sought to reconcile what it said was solid evidence of an Iranian plot to murder Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States with a wave of skepticism from some foreign leaders and outside experts. Senior American officials themselves were struggling to explain why the Quds Force, an elite international operations unit within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, would orchestrate such a risky attack in so amateurish a manner. But armed with evidence such as bank wire transfers and intercepted telephone calls and with knowledge of how the covert unit operated in the past, American officials said they believed that Iran’s senior leaders were complicit in the plot.

“It would be our assessment that this kind of operation would have been discussed at the highest levels of the regime,” said a senior American official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the government’s analysis. American officials offered no specific evidence linking the plot to Iran’s most senior leaders. But they said it was inconceivable in Iran’s hierarchy that the leader of the shadowy Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, was not directly involved, and that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was not aware of such a plan.

Iran’s leaders marshaled a furious formal rejection Wednesday of the American accusations, calling the case a cynical fabrication meant to vilify Iran and distract Americans from their severe economic problems, highlighted by the Occupy Wall Street movement. A senior member of Iran’s Parliament, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said he had “no doubt this is a new American-Zionist plot to divert the public opinion from the crisis Obama is grappling with.” …more

30 jailers punished for inmate beatings, report says
Sheriff’s Department watchdog releases study on inmate abuse. Sheriff Baca plans to install more video cameras in jail to document misconduct
By Jack Leonard and Robert Faturechi – Los Angeles Times – October 13, 2011, 5:06 p.m

In the last two years, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials have disciplined more than 30 jail employees for beating inmates or covering up the abuse, according to a report from the agency’s watchdog obtained by The Times.

Other deputies “get away” with unnecessary force against inmates because “they craft a story of justification … which may be impossible to disprove,” according to the report by the Office of Independent Review, which monitors discipline in the Sheriff’s Department.

The report comes in response to growing allegations of inmate abuse inside the nation’s largest jail system and has been released as the FBI investigates several cases of potentially criminal misconduct by deputies.

The report documents a dozen cases in which deputies were either fired or suspended in connection with inmate beatings. But those who were punished may be only a fraction of those who actually used excessive force. Investigations into excessive force, especially those that involve relatively minor injuries to an inmate, can be “lackluster, sometimes slanted and insufficiently thorough,” the report said.

The report by Michael Gennaco, who heads the Office of Independent Review, is expected to be made public Thursday. But even as the watchdog circulated his findings, department officials revealed Wednesday that several more deputies not mentioned in Gennaco’s report had just been disciplined in connection with the beating of an inmate. …more

Bahrain Fines Newspapers for “False Reporting” in Ongoing Crackdown
by John Glaser, October 11, 2011 – Antiwar.com

The government of Bahrain continued its harsh crackdown on citizens’ rights to free speech and freedom of assembly by fining the editor of Bahrain’s main opposition newspaper and three staff members for supposedly publishing “false reports.”

The Al Wasat newspaper journalists were found guilty of disseminating misleading news and were fined about $2,650 each. The newspaper allegedly misreported Bahrain security forces’ crackdown on protesters as harsher than they actually were.

Editor-in-chief Mansoor al-Jamri admitted to Bahraini authorities that he mistakenly published false information, blaming plotters in Saudi Arabia who he claimed had deliberately fed his newspaper inaccurate stories. This admission should be viewed with some suspicion, however, as previous reports of detainee torture, abuse, and forced confessions have recently come out of Bahrain.

The government also claimed Tuesday that it was investigating the death of a protester, identified as Ahmed Jaber. Opposition and human rights groups say he suffered fatal injuries after he was shot in the chest with a pellet gun by security forces while participating in an anti-government demonstration.

This is the latest reported death since late August when a 14 year old boy was killed when Bahraini security forces shot him in the head with a tear gas canister. Over 30 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded since late February, when security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators and began to enforce martial law.

Bahrain recently agreed to a retrial for the medical professionals were had been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for treating as patients protesters who had been injured by security forces.

Despite the ongoing crackdown, the Obama administration has repeatedly reaffirmed US support for the regime. .source

Doctor in Chains
Posted on October 4, 2011

Doctor in Chains – Introducing New Website

This site has been setup to raise awareness about and show solidarity for the 20 health workers in Bahrain, who were:

arrested without warrants;
tortured;
forced to sign confessions under duress;
given an unfair military trial;
sentenced from between 5 years up to 15 years in prison.

Their crime? There’s a long list of charges which are listed here. But it appears that the reality is the Bahrani government are attempting to silence any of the medics who witnessed first hand the injuries inflicted by government security forces and are likely to speak out about what they have seen (many of them having spoken to the media before they were arrested).

SEE NEW WEBSITE HERE

Bahrain opposition demands elected govt
October 12, 2011 – Shia Post

DUBAI — (AFP) Bahraini opposition groups called in a new declaration on Wednesday for an elected government and for ending discrimination against the Shiite majority in order to break the political stalemate.

In “The Manama Paper”, a document described as Bahrain’s “path to freedom and democracy,” the five groups, including the largest Shiite formation Al-Wefaq, called for restructuring the political system while “preserving the monarchy.”

“The reality is that Bahrain resembles any non-democratic country; it is a copy of (ousted) Zine El Abidine (bin Ali’s) Tunisia, (deposed Hosni) Mubarak’s Egypt, or (embattled President) Ali Abdullah Saleh’s Yemen,” said the document, presented at a press conference.

Nearly seven months after a deadly crackdown on a month-long pro-democracy protest, the groups repeated their demand for “an elected government” in the tiny island nation that is ruled by the Al-Khalifa Sunni dynasty.

King Hamad’s uncle, Prince Khalifa bin Salman, who is widely despised among the Shiites, has been prime minister for 40 years.

The list of demands also includes “a fair electoral system,” redrawing constituencies to guarantee better representation and “a legislative authority with a single chamber that would have exclusive legislative, regulatory, financial and political authorities.”

In addition to the elected chamber, the current parliament also has the all-appointed Shura Council, which can override legislation from the lower chamber.

A chief complaint of the opposition is the naturalisation of foreigners “on political grounds,” suspected as being an attempt to change the demographic balance in favour of the Sunnis.

The document demanded an end to this policy as well as reversing “all kinds of tribal, sectarian and political discrimination.”

It also called for a international guarantees for a “genuine dialogue” after the opposition pulled out in July of a high-profile national dialogue called for by King Hamad to discuss reforms in the kingdom.

“We call upon the international community to support the reformists within the government and the removal of the extremists from the political scene through political means,” the statement added.

Authorities say 24 people, including four policemen, were killed in a month of unrest. The opposition puts the death toll at 31. …source

Sen. Wyden, Rep. McGovern Praised for Action to Halt Bahrain Arms Sale
For Immediate Release: October 7, 2011 – Human Rights First

Washington, DC – Human Rights First commends the leadership shown by Representative Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) as they fight to halt the proposed arms sale to Bahrain. McGovern and Wyden have introduced resolutions disapproving of a Department of Defense proposal to sell $53 million worth of weapons to Bahrain.

“When so many U.S. political figures have failed to respond to the calls for democracy in Bahrain, Senator Wyden and Congressman McGovern have taken a stand against the Bahraini dictatorship’s brutal crackdown against peaceful protestors,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “When democracy activists across the Middle East look to the U.S. for support, they are often disappointed that the Obama Administration’s actions do not match its rhetoric. Senator Wyden and Congressman McGovern are challenging the United States to remain true to values of democracy and human rights.”
[Read more →]

Bahrain: Crackdown on teachers Society
October 12th, 2011 – BYSHR

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) expresses its deep concern regarding the trial of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Teachers Society (BTS) because of their peaceful activities.

On 11 October 2011, The first hearing was held at the an ordinary court for Bahrain Teachers Society (BTS).

The defendants were present at the trial :

1- Mr.Anwar Abdul Aziz Akbar.
2- Mr.Salah AlBari.
3- Ms.Afrah AlAsfour.
4- Ms.Sana Abdul Razak.
5- Mr.Ali AlBanaa.
6- Ms.Fakharia Milad.
7- Ms.Gasoon Sayad Hamza.

Charges:

1-Taking part at illegal gatherings;
2-Inciting others to commit crimes;
3-leaving work on purpose and encouraging others to do so;
4-Disrupt the implementation of laws.

The Society was founded in 2002, previously called for improvement in teachers working conditions, and contributed to the protests since February 14, 2011. …more

Special Report Bahrain: British Protectorate, Close Ally
Janet Salmon reviews the deep-running links between Britain and the Bahraini regime, and provides an update on the situation in the country, as the persecution of pro-democracy doctors and activists continues.

The Background

The Khalifas migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early eighteenth century and are members of the Utub tribe. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself King of Bahrain in 2002. About half of the Cabinet positions since 2010 have been held by members of the Khalifa family. The Prime Minister, the king’s uncle, Khalifa bin Salman al –Khalifa has been the un-elected Prime Minister since 1971.

Britain concluded a treaty with the Khalifas in 1820, granting them the title of ‘Ruler of Bahrain’. The 1861 Perpetual Treaty of Peace and Friendship was revised in 1892 and 1951. Ian Henderson was recruited by the British in 1970s to establish the security regime and only retired when the EC condemned his use of torture in 1998.

Britain signed similar treaties with the other Gulf Princes. Rulers can’t dispose of territory other than to the U.K., nor can they develop foreign relationships without ‘our’ consent. In return the U.K. will protect these Princes from attack by sea or land.

Why is this relevant today?

The majority Shiite population have campaigned for democracy since 2006. The Khalifas usually arrest the leaders and activists and then offer a Royal Pardon.

In 2011 the demonstrations were so huge, the Saudis and UAE sent in 1600 troops. 400 citizens are in prison for taking part in peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations. 208 have been sentenced, including 81 last week. They went through military courts with little access to lawyers or any sort of legal defence, receiving sentences of 10 years to Life.

Politicians and Lawyers who lost their appeal on 28th October include:

– Hassan Mushaima, 63, Secretary General of Haq. LIFE.
– Ebrahim Sharif, 53, Secretary General of Waad. LIFE.
– Abdul Wahhab Hussein, 57, Spokesperson, Al Wafa. LIFE. Heart problems.
– Dr Abdulijalil Al Singacem, 49, Board Member, Haq and Head of Human Rights. LIFE. Paralysed
– Abdul Hadi Alkhawaja, 50, prominent human rights lawyers, ex-President of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and Frontline M.E. co-ordinator. LIFE
– Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Jawad, 63, well-known human rights lawyer who campaigns for prisoners’ rights. 15 YEARS.

40 prisoners, including Mushaima, Sharif, Hussein and Alkhawaja are currently on hunger strike to demand the freeing of the ladies jailed for 45 days for demonstrating. The regime is providing no doctors to monitor their health.

One of the hunger strikers, Mr Sharif, is moderate, speaks well and has Shia and Sunni followers. This has made it difficult for the Government to divide his supporters into two camps. He ran for election in 2010 and would have won had the regime not packed his seat with soldiers’ votes and votes of recently naturalised immigrants.

Shiite Clerics have also been persecuted: Mohammed Al Miqdad received Life and Abdullah Isa Al Mahroos, 15 years. A noteworthy case is that of Mr Al Guraifi, who’s been so severely tortured that he’s partly paralysed and can’t speak. His family couldn’t locate him for 6 months until Mr Kaled of The Independent Commission visited him on 15th July. He’s now in the Suleimaneya Medical Centre but needs to go abroad for urgent treatment.

King Hamed Al Khalifa has said all civilians will be tried in civilian courts. It is not clear if all military cases will also be re-evaluated in the civilian courts. Cases that have gone to Appeal can go to the Court of Cessation which focuses on the fairness of the legal procedures, not the sentences themselves.

The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, called for the release of all political prisoners on 30th September 2011. He stated that “the Bahraini authorities at the highest level” must ensure “respect for international human rights norms.” The World Health Organisation issued a statement declaring that “Health care workers must be able to carry out their duty to treat injured people, regardless of political affiliation and in time of conflict. They should never be punished for doing what is morally and ethically required.”

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs expressed, on 6th October 2011, her “deep concern about the recent trials of civilians in Bahrain’s courts of National Safety. Harsh prison terms have been re-confirmed. These sentences risk exacerbating tensions in Bahrain,” before calling for “dialogue between the regime and the opposition as the only way to promote national reconciliation. The EC is ready to extend support.”

An International Campaign helped to release the medics and get thei cases moved to civilian courts. However, this campaign must continue until all prisoners are released and negotiations take place.

Contact your M.P. and The Bahrain Minister for Health, and sign the new Global Petition: HERE

Bahrain opposition demands elected govt
(AFP) – 9 hours ago – October 12,2011

DUBAI — Bahraini opposition groups called in a new declaration on Wednesday for an elected government and for ending discrimination against the Shiite majority in order to break the political stalemate.

In “The Manama Paper”, a document described as Bahrain’s “path to freedom and democracy,” the five groups, including the largest Shiite formation Al-Wefaq, called for restructuring the political system while “preserving the monarchy.”

“The reality is that Bahrain resembles any non-democratic country; it is a copy of (ousted) Zine El Abidine (bin Ali’s) Tunisia, (deposed Hosni) Mubarak’s Egypt, or (embattled President) Ali Abdullah Saleh’s Yemen,” said the document, presented at a press conference.

Nearly seven months after a deadly crackdown on a month-long pro-democracy protest, the groups repeated their demand for “an elected government” in the tiny island nation that is ruled by the Al-Khalifa Sunni dynasty.

King Hamad’s uncle, Prince Khalifa bin Salman, who is widely despised among the Shiites, has been prime minister for 40 years.

The list of demands also includes “a fair electoral system,” redrawing constituencies to guarantee better representation and “a legislative authority with a single chamber that would have exclusive legislative, regulatory, financial and political authorities.”

In addition to the elected chamber, the current parliament also has the all-appointed Shura Council, which can override legislation from the lower chamber.

A chief complaint of the opposition is the naturalisation of foreigners “on political grounds,” suspected as being an attempt to change the demographic balance in favour of the Sunnis.

The document demanded an end to this policy as well as reversing “all kinds of tribal, sectarian and political discrimination.”

It also called for a international guarantees for a “genuine dialogue” after the opposition pulled out in July of a high-profile national dialogue called for by King Hamad to discuss reforms in the kingdom.

“We call upon the international community to support the reformists within the government and the removal of the extremists from the political scene through political means,” the statement added.

Authorities say 24 people, including four policemen, were killed in a month of unrest. The opposition puts the death toll at 31. …source

U.S. Defense Firms Make Billions from UAE and Bahrain Dictatorships
Sunday, June 12, 2011

Tiny oil-rich sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf have been great customers for U.S. defense contractors, which have enjoyed arms deals worth billions of dollars from the region.

In order to become a stronger military presence in the Gulf and challenge potential threats from Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made huge military and defense investments. American defense companies have been the beneficiaries of this effort by the UAE, which was the largest foreign purchaser of U.S. arms in 2009.

But the deals began before that. In 2008, Raytheon agreed to sell $3.3 billion in Patriot missiles to the UAE.

This year, the company is working on another billion-dollar deal involving the Theatre High Altitude Defense (THAAD) system in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

Other UAE agreements include Boeing selling four C-17 aircraft, Lockheed Martin delivering 12 C-130 transport planes and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems making its first sale of the Predator drone to a foreign buyer: the UAE.

In addition to the UAE, Bahrain has opened its wallet to U.S. arms merchants, buying $200 million in military equipment in 2010—only months before the government began cracking down on protesters fed up with the country’s authoritarian rule…with the help of 500 police from the UAE. The sales to the Bahraini government included aircraft, military electronics, assault weapons, and rifles.
-Noel Brinkerhoff …source

U.S. Accuses Iranians of Plotting to Kill Saudi Envoy
By CHARLIE SAVAGE and SCOTT SHANE – October 11, 2011 NYT

WASHINGTON — The United States on Tuesday accused Iranian officials of plotting to murder Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States in a bizarre scheme involving an Iranian-American used-car salesman who believed he was hiring assassins from a Mexican drug cartel for $1.5 million.

The alleged plot also included plans to pay the cartel, Los Zetas, to bomb the Israeli Embassy in Washington and the Saudi and Israeli Embassies in Argentina, according to a law enforcement official.

The plotters also discussed a side deal between the Quds Force, part of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and Los Zetas to funnel tons of opium from the Middle East to Mexico, the official said. The plans never progressed, though, because the two suspects — the Iranian-American and an Iranian Quds Force officer — unwittingly were dealing with an informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration, officials said.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who announced the murder plot at a news conference in Washington, said it was “directed and approved by elements of the Iranian government and, specifically, senior members of the Quds Force.” He added that “high-up officials in those agencies, which is an integral part of the Iranian government, were responsible for this plot.”

The charges heightened tensions in an already fraught relationship between Iran and the United States.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad Khazaee, said his nation was “outraged” about the accusations. In a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Mr. Khazaee said that Iran “strongly and categorically rejects these fabricated and baseless allegations, based on the suspicious claims by an individual.”

Saudi Arabia and Iran are locked in a bitter regional rivalry, one that has intensified as they have jockeyed for influence since the political upheavals of the Arab Spring. The Saudi Embassy in Washington denounced the plot against the ambassador, Adel al-Jubeir, as “a despicable violation of international norms, standards and conventions.” …more