Hawks Behind Iraq War Rally for War With Iran
by Jim Lobe, October 19, 2011 – Antiwar Forum

Key neoconservatives and other right-wing hawks who championed the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq are calling for military strikes against Iran in retaliation for its purported murder-for-hire plot against the Saudi ambassador.

Leading the charge is the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI), the ideological successor to the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), which played a critical role in mobilizing support for “regime change” in Iraq in the late 1990s and subsequently spearheaded the public campaign to invade the country after the 9/11 attacks. The group sent reporters appeals by two of its leaders for military action on its letterhead Monday.

In a column headlined “Speak Softly … and Fight Back” in this week’s Weekly Standard, chief editor William Kristol, co-founder of both PNAC and FPI, said the alleged plot amounted to “an engraved invitation” by Tehran to use force against it.

“We can strike at the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), and weaken them. And we can hit the regime’s nuclear weapons program, and set it back,” he wrote, adding that Congress should approve a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iranian entities deemed responsible for attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, acts of terrorism, or “the regime’s nuclear weapons program.”

Kristol’s advice was seconded by Jamie Fly, FPI’s executive director, who called for President Barack Obama to emulate former presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton when they ordered targeted strikes against Libya in 1986 and Iraq in 1993, respectively, in retaliation for alleged terrorist plots against U.S. targets.

“It is time for President Obama to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and stand up to tyrants who kill Americans and threaten our interests,” wrote Fly, who served on the National Security Council staff and the Pentagon under George W. Bush, in the online edition of National Review.

“It is time to take military action against the Iranian government elements that support terrorism and its nuclear program. More diplomacy is not an adequate response,” he wrote.

The FPI appeals, which have been echoed by other former Iraq war hawks such as Bush’s former U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, and Reuel Marc Gerecht at the neoconservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), came as analysts continue to debate the credibility of the alleged plot against Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir and how to react to it if, as the administration contends, it was authorized at a high level in Tehran. …more

Bahrainis demand air show cancellation
Oct 20, 2011 – Shia Post

Bahrainis are calling on the organizers of next year’s Bahrain International Air Show to cancel their plans for holding the event in the crisis-hit country, Press TV.

The Bahraini people have called on the organizers of the Bahrain Air Show at Farnborough International Limited not to go ahead with organizing the exhibit for several reasons, Bahrain Freedom Movement said in an email.

“The first reason is that the country is unstable; it has serious human rights crimes committed by senior members of the regime,” the human rights group announced.

It also noted that the Bahraini regime has lost its legitimacy and is no longer representative of the Bahraini people.

The London-based group was referring to the deadly repression of anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain, with the help of the Saudi Arabian government, which deployed military equipment and troops to the neighboring country to help quash the popular revolt.

The group said that by inviting Saudi troops to occupy the island, the regime of ruling Al Khalifa regime has forfeited its sovereignty over the country and its rule is thus considered null and void.

Bahrain International Air Show, the second event in the Persian Gulf state, is scheduled for 9-15 January, 2012, in Bahrain, despite an ongoing brutal crackdown on peaceful protests that have demanded the downfall of the ruling Al khalifa family.

The Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime has killed dozens of people and arrested hundreds of others, including physicians and academics, since the popular uprising began in the Arab sheikhdom in mid-February.

Some activists say they were tortured while in custody. International lawyers have also filed a lawsuit against the Bahraini regime at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. …source

Siemens opens Bahrain service centre
Manama: Mon, 17 Oct 2011

Siemens today (October 17) officially opened its centre for metallurgical services in Bahrain to facilitate the Middle East’s steel and aluminum industry.

The centre, based at Bahrain International Investment Park at Salman International City, will help to reduce downtime of machines for maintenance and repair, the company said.

The Middle East Service Centre for Metallurgical Services will handle manufacturing and repair of parts for example, cooling panels for steel-making furnaces, guides for rolling mills, gear boxes, etc. and will ensure an increase in component lifetime and reduction in costly and time consuming import of spare parts from Europe and South Asia, it said.

The facility was inaugurated by Bahrain’s Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro, who commended Siemens for investing in Bahrain, its people and its economy.

“From our base in Bahrain, Siemens is in a position to serve our partners faster, more economically and efficiently. By and large the market needs a workshop of this type in the region. The centre is close to a large customer base in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and being located at Bahrain International Investment Park at Salman International City it offers an attractive location with easy access by air and sea ports nearby,” explained Marek Szymanek, CEO of Siemens in Bahrain.
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Regime forces attack, arrest Bahrainis
22 October, 2011 – Shia Post

Bahraini regime forces have attacked and arrested several peaceful anti-regime demonstrators in a number of villages on the island of Sitra, Press TV has learned.

Activists said that some eight people were detained and many more were injured after protesters took to the street across Bahrain as part of the so-called “Arrows of Dignity” event on Saturday.

Arrows of Dignity has been organized by activists to show solidarity with an unknown number of female prisoners behind bars in the Persian Gulf sheikdom.

Regime forces surrounded several towns in an attempt to block the event from spreading.

Since mid-February, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations on the streets of Bahrain, calling on the US-backed Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.

On March 14, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist Bahraini rulers in their brutal crackdown on peaceful anti-government protesters.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds more have been arrested in a brutal Manama-ordered and Riyadh-backed crackdown in the country, which hosts a huge American military installation for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf. …source

Saudi protests not restricted to Shias but all Muslims
17 October 2011 – Islamic Invitation

Over the past few decades, protests against discrimination and inequality in Saudi Arabia have always been censored by the government. And the demonstrations are not occurring only in the eastern region of the country, which has a large Shia population. Many Shia citizens in Mecca, Medina, and cities on the Red Sea coast have also protested against the policies adopted by the Saudi ruling family.

Saudi Arabia is a diverse society in terms of religious denominations and the current protests can actually be regarded as a sign of the government’s inability to satisfy the needs and address the interests of all denominational groups.

However, the protests are not restricted to the Shias. The Sunnis, the country’s denominational majority, are also greatly dissatisfied with the current situation and are striving for more freedom within the autocratic ruling system.

The Saudi monarchy does not grant its citizens basic civil liberties, such as the right to vote, the right to self-determination, minority rights, and freedom of the press and the media, and the political structure of the country is reactionary and based on tribalism.

In fact, the Saudi government is trying to present a false image of itself to the world and convince everyone that it is following a system of governance that is completely based on Islamic principles and which should be regarded as an exemplary Islamic authority. However, the current Saudi system is just the opposite and does not grant its citizens the least of the rights that are clearly mentioned in the tenets of Islam and especially in the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (S).

Their cooperation with the arrogant powers of the West in the name of Islam and their support of dictators in countries like Bahrain and Yemen are additional signs of Riyadh’s paradoxical conduct, which has been strongly criticized by Saudi citizens during the recent demonstrations.

The protests in Saudi Arabia will continue to evolve into an uprising that is completely Islamic in nature. Islam never tolerates repression of the people under the pretext of defending the faith. …source

ANHRI condemns the ongoing stifling of freedom of expression in Saudi Arabia
Cairo, 18 October 2011

ANHRI condemns the ongoing suppression of freedom of expression and harassment of activists by the Saudi authorities. A few days prior to the trial of the activist Waleed Aboul-Khair for his pro-democracy and human rights demands, the Saudi authorities detained Feras Baqna, Hussam Al-Nasser, and Khaled Al-Rasheed, members of the team of the “Mal3ob 3lena” show, broadcast on YouTube.

The team had posted an episode on poverty in Saudi Arabia on 10 October 2011. Staff of the show went to Jaradiya in the city of Riyadh, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia. The episode showed scenes of houses and children in the neighbourhood, visibly affected by poverty. It also highlighted that while 11 Saudi billionaires occupy advanced positions among the world’s rich according to Forbes, 20 percent of the Saudi population lives in poverty. In the span of five days, the video had over 500 000 views. The team of the show was summoned for investigation to a police station where they are being detained. They have not been released or brought to trial.

It is worth noting that a new hearing should be fixed for the case of the rights activist Walid Aboul-Khair whose trial started on 11 September. By the end of the first hearing, the judge refused to inform Aboul-Khair of the date of the next hearing. However, the second hearing is expected to take place in the next few days. Among Aboul-Khair’s charges are “offending the judiciary system and its employees”, “communicating with foreign entities”, and “turning public opinion against the public order of the country”, all of which are fabricated charges related to his opinions in support of reform. …more

Bahrain regime continues to target freedom of expression by taking journalists and photographers to trials that criminalize their exercise of that freedom
October 14, 2011 – BCHR

Trials of journalists as a punishment for publishing facts or expressing their opinions, confirms lack of seriousness of the Bahraini regime in reconciliation and the reform of the political situation in the country

BCHR appeals to conscience to condemn the repression and intimidation campaigns and save the freedom of expression in Bahrain

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern for the continuation of the Bahraini authorities in its campaign against media professionals, journalists, photographers and practitioners of freedom of expression, after months of being subjected to campaigns of arrest, dismissal from work, and torture in detention centers since February and March, as many of them started, during these days, receiving summons to appear before the judiciary in the criminal courts in a move aimed directly to criminalize their exercise of a fundamental right to freedom of expression which is guaranteed by charters of human rights, and threatened by these trials to undergo imprisonment if convicted.

Bahrain Center for Human Rights came to know that four of the photographers who were arrested in the past months had been summoned to attend the trials in the Criminal Court on charges related to taking pictures of events and demonstrations, posted on the Internet and social networking site “Facebook”, and participating in peaceful demonstrations that have been described as un licensed gatherings. Of these photographers was Mohamed AlSheikh – head of Bahrain Photographers Society – under construction – who won several international awards [1] in photography, and was arrested and detained between May 9, 2011 to July 2, 2011, and subjected to torture in detention centers, especially in the center of West Riffa, where he was arrested, and was blindfolded, beaten on the face, and kicked in the abdomen and the back and hit on the feet with plastic hose, was beaten on the knees until he suffered from difficulty standing, was hit with cable on the back, was deprived from food and drink and going to the toilet in the first 33 hours following his arrest until he signed premade confessions. He was subjected to further beatings after being transferred to AlQudaibiya center for five days and was threatened that his wife and family will be harmed. His photographing tools and professional cameras and computers with estimated value of more than BD 5500, were confiscated at the time of his arrest, and were not returned to him after his release.

Mohammed AlSheikh has been brought before military court in June 28, 2011 without informing his lawyer or his family, and was charged with several charges, before being released on July 2, 2011. But he received a new summon few days ago to appear before the Criminal Court on October 23, 2011 on charges related to “participation and filming unlicensed marches and incitement to hatred of the regime by broadcasting fake pictures detrimental to the Kingdom of Bahrain over the Internet and Facebook and foreign agencies..” AlSheikh was dismissed from his job earlier in the Aluminum Bahrain Company (ALBA), where he worked as an engineer. His dismissal came as part of the dismissal campaign which targeted workers supporting the popular pro-reform movement. His name and picture was published last April in pro-government forums demanding his arrest. [2] . …more

They cited Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Britain and the U.S. as the top suppliers of arms since 2005 to the five Arab Spring countries covered in the report — Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. The equipment cited in the report included small arms; smooth-bore weapons over 20mm; ammunition; bombs, rockets, missiles and explosives, armored vehicles; and toxic agents.

Exporters Armed Arab Spring Crackdown
Written by David Rosenberg – October 18, 2011 – The Media Line

Repressive regimes had all the equipment they needed to quash protests, Amnesty Says

Many of the world’s governments calling for change and human rights in the Middle East were playing a key role in blocking it by selling arms to the region’s repressive regimes, Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday.

Egypt, whose security forces killed 850 people and left thousands of others injured in 18 days of protests before President Husni Mubarak was forced out of power, bought or approved to buy millions of dollars worth of sub-machine guns and armored vehicles from Germany in the years beforehand, as well as assault weapons, tear gas and ammunition from the United States.

Amnesty cited 17 countries in Europe and North America that sold arms and equipment to despotic regimes with records of humans rights abuses that could be – and, when Arab Spring unrest erupted 10 months ago, were – used against civilians. The London-based human rights organization urged the world’s governments to adopt a systematic and comprehensive system for governing the global arms trade.

The sales recorded by Amnesty in its report Arms Transfers To The Middle East And North Africa: Lessons For An Effective Arms Trade Treaty were relatively small and involved relatively unsophisticated weapons. But Brian Woods, manager of arms control at the organization’s international secretariat, said they enabled governments to repress protests and rebellions.

“You don’t need a jet fighter or a submarine to violate human rights. You can do that with rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, pistols and sniper rifles. We’ve seen it on our television screens,” Wood told The Media Line.

Although the governments of the Middle East and North Africa routinely score low on the observance of human rights, the Arab Spring unleashed an unprecedented wave of killings, arrests and repression. The United Nations estimates that some 3,000 have been killed in Syria in a rebellion that shows no sign of ending. In Libya, fighting probably left more than 10,000 dead – two thirds of them on the rebel side before strongman Mu’amar Al-Qaddafi was ousted in August. In Yemen, some 1,800 have been killed in fighting.

As governments were quelling rebellions with arms often bought from abroad, Western leaders were urging them to observe human rights and belatedly imposing arms embargos, the report’s authors asserted.

They cited Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Britain and the U.S. as the top suppliers of arms since 2005 to the five Arab Spring countries covered in the report — Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen. The equipment cited in the report included small arms; smooth-bore weapons over 20mm; ammunition; bombs, rockets, missiles and explosives, armored vehicles; and toxic agents.

“Governments that now say they stand in solidarity with people across the Middle East and North Africa are the very same as those who until recently supplied the weapons, bullets and military and police equipment that were used to kill, injure and arbitrarily detain thousands of peaceful protesters in states such as Tunisia and Egypt,” said Helen Hughes, Amnesty’s principal arms trade researcher. …more

Bahraini opposition supporters in UK express concern for jailed political leader
Sat Oct 22, 2011 – Steve McCaul, Press TV, London

Anti-regime Protesters in London Stand in Solidarity for imprisoned and gravely ill Haq leader Hassan Mushaima

Blindfolded, beaten and injected with an unknown substance. This is what Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Mushaima has reportedly been subjected to in jail.

He was arrested in March this year, after returning to Bahrain with the promise that he wouldn’t be taken by the authorities. He had been treated for cancer, an illness which is said to be attacking him once again. According to his family, the lack of appropriate treatment, along with his harsh prison conditions, is slowly killing him.

His life sentence has just been upheld by a Bahraini special court. Hassan was a vocal campaigner for the opposition Haq movement for many years in London. He was also treated for his illness at a hospital here. But the British government are accused of staying silent over human rights abuses in Bahrain. That’s why protesters are in front of the home of the Prime Minister

In a recent report by Amnesty International, Britain was listed as a “major arms supplier” to Bahrain, along with France, Germany and the US. The Government has licensed around eight million pounds of guns, ammo and vehicle sales to Bahrain since two thousand and six. A Downing Street spokesperson said that they’re reviewing their arms exports in light of the Arab uprisings.

The Bahraini government meanwhile denies that Hassan has been mistreated in any way.

Just metres away is the home of Prime Minister David Cameron. What protesters here want to get across is that his silence on human rights in Bahrain is costing lives. The government has promised to look again at arms sales to the country, but for these people here, it’s not enough. …source

Bahrain: Medics Describe Torture in Detention
October 21, 2011 – Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch

Appeals Court Should Void Flawed Convictions

The appeals court should decisively overturn the unfair verdicts against the medics and dismiss outright all politically motivated charges. The new hearing should also disallow allegedly coerced confessions.

(Beirut) – Medical staff convicted by a military court of alleged serious crimes during the period of anti-government protests in Bahrain in early 2011 were subjected to abuse and torture in detention, Human Rights Watch said today. Given the fundamental unfairness of the trial, including that civilians were tried in a military court, Bahrain’s High Court of Appeals should reverse the convictions of 20 medical staff when they hear their appeal on October 23, 2011, and order an independent investigation into the defendants’ allegations of abuse and torture.

The prosecutors should drop all charges based solely on their exercise of freedom of speech and assembly, and ensure a new trial for defendants in a civilian court only if there is evidence of possible criminal activity, Human Rights Watch said. On October 5, Attorney General Ali Al Buainain announced that the appeal will “be equivalent to a retrial.” Human Rights Watch interviewed 7 of the 20 medical staff convicted of serious crimes, who told of severe abuse in detention and extensive violations of their rights to a fair trial.

“The appeals court should decisively overturn the unfair verdicts against the medics and dismiss outright all politically motivated charges,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The new hearing should also disallow allegedly coerced confessions.”

On September 29, the National Safety Lower Court, a special military court, convicted the 20 doctors, nurses, and paramedics on charges including forcibly taking over the Salmaniya Medical Complex and refusing treatment to patients based on sectarian affiliation. The court also convicted the 20 of transparently political offenses, such as “instigating hatred against the ruling system,” “incitement to overthrow the regime,” and “spreading false news.”

On March 16, the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) took control of the Salmaniya Medical Complex, the largest medical complex in Bahrain. Beginning on March 17, security forces arrested 48 medics, 28 of whom separately face lesser misdemeanor charges before a civilian court for speech-related offenses. …more

Report on Bahrain unrest delayed to November 23
By Habib Toumi, Bureau chief – October 21, 2011

International panel postpones probe into incidents that rocked Bahrain in February and March

Manama: An international panel investigating the incidents that marred Bahrain in February and March and their consequences has postponed the release of its much-awaited report to November 23.

The Bahrain Independent commission of Inquiry (BICI) on Thursday attributed the postponement to “the substantial number of testimonies presented by Bahraini citizens and foreign nationals and the large amount of information presented to the BICI from political activists, civil society organizations, and governmental agencies.”

According to the BICI, Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, Chairman of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) this week briefed King Hamad Bin Eisa Al on the developments relating to the work of the Commission, which included investigations into thousands of complaints filed by Bahraini citizens and foreign nationals.

“The Commission Chairperson informed His Majesty that approximately 9,000 written complaints were received by the BICI from both citizens and foreign residents who claimed to be victims of human rights violations,” the BICI said. “Moreover, the BICI conducted over 5,000 personal interviews with individual complainants at the Commission’s offices during which allegations of human rights violations against those individuals and their families were investigated.”

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The BICI said that it deeply appreciated the large amount of information, testimony, and complaints received from political societies, human rights activists, and civil society institutions.

“This information has assisted the BICI in identifying the nature of the human rights violations that occurred during the events of February and March 2011 and related subsequent events. To this day, the BICI continues to receive information from these non-governmental sources to which the Commission attaches great importance as it sheds light on the events under investigation and their consequences.”

The panel said that it was still awaiting responses from various ministries and government agencies to its enquiries regarding their role during the events.

“This is in line with the Commission’s examination of the policies and practices of these agencies during the events under investigation, which aims to establish whether these governmental institutions and their agents upheld the rule of law and respected international human rights law,” it said.
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Bahrain sentences 20 protesters to jail
20/10/2011 – VOB

A Bahraini military court has given six-month jail terms to 20 more people arrested during anti-regime protests in the tiny Persian Gulf country.

Thursday’s verdicts came as the court issued more than 130 convictions related to anti-government demonstrations against the ruling monarchy. The harsh sentences have drawn international criticism. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed “deep concern” over the sentences and called for the release of all political detainees in Bahrain. The Saudi-backed Al Khalifa regime of Bahrain has been dealing with protesters harshly since the popular uprising began in the Persian Gulf sheikhdom in mid-February. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds of others, including physicians and academics, have been jailed. Some of them say they were tortured while in custody. International lawyers have filed suit against the Bahraini regime at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. …source

U.S. monitors end use of sold weapons
Published: Oct. 20, 2011 – UPI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 (UPI) — Washington supports Bahrain’s right to defend itself, though any military agreement includes monitoring of end use, the U.S. State Department said.

Washington put a $53 million arms agreement with Bahrain on hold to wait out a report from an independent commission monitoring the human rights situation in Bahrain.

Amnesty International, in an assessment of arms transfers, criticized nations like the United States, Russia and several European countries for supplying weapons to regimes that later responded with force to anti-government protesters.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said Washington supports Bahrain’s right to self-defense.

“Whenever we conduct these kinds of sales, whether they be to Bahrain or elsewhere in the world, we always include an end-use monitoring component that allows us to see if these are being used for the purpose for which they were intended,” he added.

Bahrain called in security support from members of the Gulf Cooperation Council for help in responding to a Shiite uprising against the Sunni regime early this year.

Toner added that it could be “a matter of months” before vetting procedures regarding arms sales are completed.

The Pentagon in September notified Congress of the proposed sale of armored vehicles and wire-guided missiles to Bahrain. …source

CNN Editor’s Note: Rob Sobhani is the President of Caspian Energy Consulting, a group with interests in energy and infrastructure projects. He engages extensively with heads of state in the broader Middle East for work and wrote the book, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: A Leader of Consequence. He holds a PhD from Georgetown University. [Including interests in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia}

Iran’s Target: Bahrain
10/20/11 03:37 – Rob Sobhani CEO, Caspian Group Holdings

In 1892 at the old souk in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, the American Mission Hospital was established. Six years later, American philanthropists opened the American Mission School to deliver quality education to citizens of this Arab nation. A famous Arab proverb symbolizes the struggle these Americans faced in running a hospital and school in the later days of the 19th century: “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.” Today this 100-year friendship between the island nation of Bahrain and the United States is in jeopardy by the same government that wanted to assassinate a Saudi diplomat in Washington, DC.

One of the fundamental goals of the Islamic regime in Tehran is to overthrow the monarchy in Bahrain and install an Islamic Republic. This has been a goal of the clerics since they came to power in 1979 and as early as last year, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, stated, “Bahrain is Iran’s 14th province.” In fact, Iran has hijacked the recent protests by Bahrainis for better living conditions as a means to overthrow this pro-American ally.

The key question President Obama and members of the U.S. Congress have to ask themselves is: how can Washington protect Bahrain from Iran and at the same time assist its rulers in their challenge to address the grievances of its citizens? This is an important question because the stability of the energy-rich Persian Gulf is tied to Bahrain. The U.S.-Bahrain relationship is vital to America’s energy security and those of its allies. Fully 67 percent of the world’s proven crude oil reserves are situated in the Persian Gulf and approximately 30 percent of the daily global crude oil exports pass through the territorial waters of Bahrain on the way to consumers worldwide. …more

U.S. Has Few Options to Curb Crackdown in Bahrain
By Emile Hokayem – Oct 19 2011 – The Atlantic
Though the Persian Gulf island nation is a close U.S. ally and the host of its Fifth Fleet, there’s not much that American pressure or diplomacy could do that it isn’t already

A teenager joins anti-government protesters as they try to get back to Manama’s Farook Junction, also known as Pearl Square / Reuters
MANAMA, Bahrain — On Tuesday, the U.S. reached a tentative deal to sell Bahrain, the site of a short-lived uprising and a brutal and sweeping crackdown with sectarian overtones, $53 million in arms. Though the arms deal is not final, it has already drawn criticism from human rights groups and inside Bahrain.

Very soon, the Arab uprising that the U.S. has said the least about is likely to make America’s life in the Persian Gulf a lot harder. Bahrain dropped off of the radar this summer. This won’t last.

With the international attention elsewhere and unserious attempts at a national dialogue going nowhere, protesters are taking back to the streets and clashing with police in villages around the capital Manama. By-elections to fill the seats of opposition parliamentarians who resigned during the uprising attracted a meager 17 percent of voters. Later this month, an independent investigation commission will submit a report and recommendations about the bloody events of February and March. Whether it will name those who directed the repression, call for a reversal of the often severe and unfair punishments inflicted on protesters, or serve as a national healing mechanism is still unknown, as is the willingness of the Bahraini government to implement its suggestions.

It is doubtful that the report, however needed, will be a game-changer. Two entrenched, increasingly sectarian narratives have crushed any goodwill and middle ground. The battered opposition is struggling to devise a political strategy and contain its frustrated youth, some of whom risk being radicalized. The opposition last week released a new platform, the Manama Document, which restates its demands but is unlikely to inspire its base. The Sunni ruling elite, confident that it won this round decisively and restored a measure of normalcy, is displaying as much complacency as intransigence. …more