Interior Minister Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa said on Sunday 29 January 2012, recent clashes have seen an “increase in violence and attacks on security personnel.” He also stated his intention to urge parliament to pass laws to punish “assailants and the instigators” of attacks that target security forces with jail sentences lasting up to 15 years. “My responsibility is to call for the strengthening of law protecting police as there are no deterrent laws so far.”

Ali Jawad, 14 years old, murdered with tear gas canister shot point blank to head by MOI Security Forces

A report on the J28 “move-in day” in Oakland, first published at Viewpoint.

Building the Red Army: The Death and Forbidden Rebirth of the Oakland Commune
Submitted by maxrenn – 30 January, 2012 – libcom.org

“Don’t fuck with the Oakland Commune.” Words which will live forever in history, to be remembered and repeated at every glorious defeat inflicted upon the heroes of the future by mayors, police officers, unions, churches, and children. A letter, signed by the Occupy Oakland Move-In Assembly, promised to respond to the inevitable eviction of an illegal building occupation by “blockading the airport indefinitely.” Tactics only dreamed of by al-Qaeda, within the reach of Occupy Oakland after just four months.

Yesterday these words were at the center of a material practice which brought our movement up against its limits. It’s not a bad thing to meet your limits. It means confronting the possibility and necessity of radical transformation. And this confrontation should be approached with all the courage and resolve on display when a young militant throws a tear gas canister back at a line of police.

Occupy Oakland Move-In Day was to be a historic event, an occupation of a privately owned building by a mass of people, announced well in advance. The literature indicated that “multiple targets” had been identified, and that the site would be “a vacant building owned either by a bank, a large corporation of the 1% or already public.” The goal was familiar: to establish a social center in the building for community use. And in fact a remarkable schedule of events had been planned, a “festival” which could surely have drawn in attention and support.

Every action in Oakland begins with a deceptive innocence, a rally at Oscar Grant Plaza. The numbers were impressive – the mainstream media reports 1,000-2000 throughout the day – and a sign that a remarkable cross-section of the city had been waiting for this. But at the same time police were walking through the crowd with a photo album of prominent organizers, along with warrants for their arrest.

Apparently some of those arrested were returned to the rally, and the march set off in good spirits. From time to time you could look across the street and see lines of police on the next block. You could also look up and see their helicopters.

At a certain crucial intersection it became clear that police, who had a bird’s-eye view of our trajectory, were blocking the planned route. In front of us was quagmire known as Laney College. This was the first moment in which a desperately-needed contingency plan was unavailable. Though the truck with the sound system and furniture was at an impasse, the crowd spontaneously surged onto the unfamiliar campus and had no idea where to go. It wasn’t hard for the police to block the most apparent exits. …more

New Sanctions Aimed at Averting Wider Conflict
By Barbara Slavin – IPS – 25 January, 2012
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the sanctions are designed to “increase(e) the pressure for a peaceful settlement of these disputes.”

WASHINGTON, Jan 25, 2012 (IPS) – European countries are imposing unprecedented sanctions against Iran in part in hopes of preventing an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear installations that could further destabilise the Middle East and wreak havoc on the global economy.

The decision Monday by the European Union to phase out purchases of Iranian oil by Jul. 1 is timed to U.S. legislation that has the same deadline for sanctions against foreign banks that continue to do business with the Iranian central bank. However, European and U.S. experts on Iran cite the fear of a new war as a key reason for the EU decision.

“The French administration is worried about Israel attacking Iran this year,” a French researcher, speaking on condition of anonymity because he advises the French government, told IPS Wednesday.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, answering questions Tuesday in the House of Commons, said the new sanctions are designed to “to lead us away from any conflict by increasing the pressure for a peaceful settlement of these disputes.”

The EU decision reflects Israeli success in pressuring both the United States and Europe. Israeli officials have repeatedly called for “crippling” sanctions against Iran, suggesting that might forestall their use of military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities – and collateral damage in terms of sharply higher oil prices and increased regional instability.

There is particular concern that Israel might act in 2012 out of concern that Iran is nearing nuclear weapons capability and in the belief that the Barack Obama administration would be obliged to support Israel in a U.S. presidential election year.

Stuart Eizenstat, who negotiated with Europeans a decade ago after the U.S. Congress first enacted sanctions that sought to penalise foreign oil companies doing business with Iran, told IPS Wednesday that the EU turnaround was “remarkable and stunning…given where they were on sanctions in general and Iran in particular.” …more

Playing Poker in the Strait
By James R. Holmes – 30 January, 2012 – The Diplomat

Does Iran boast the capacity to bar the Strait of Hormuz to commercial and naval shipping, as influential officials and lawmakers have repeatedly vowed to do? Doubtful – but Tehran can make serious trouble for the United States, the West, and its Middle East neighbors short of putting a stopper in the bottle of the Persian Gulf.

Just after the New Year, Iranian army chief Ataollah Salehi cautioned the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to stay clear of the Persian Gulf. “I advise, recommend and warn them over their return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf,” intoned Salehi, “because we are not in the habit of warning more than once.” The U.S. Navy paid these words little if any heed. Stennis remained in the area and was joined by its sister ship, USS Carl Vinson, in the Indian Ocean theater a few days later. Last week, after the European Union levied new economic sanctions to dissuade Iran from pressing ahead with its nuclear-weapons program, Muhammad Ismail Kowsari, deputy head of the Islamic Republic’s committee on national security, warned that the strategic waterway would “definitely be closed if the sale of Iranian oil is violated in any way.” Kowsari proclaimed that regional and Western navies would be unable to force the Strait should Iranian forces close it.

We have to allow for the bluster quotient in any pronouncement issuing forth from Tehran. Still, the Iranian armed forces possess sufficient seaward reach – in the form of anti-ship cruise missiles, speedboats and other small craft, sea mines, and so forth – to give Western capitals pause. The logic of “access denial” and “area denial,” two terms much in vogue among American commentators, involves manipulating perceptions among antagonists as much as it does girding oneself to actually fight battles on the high seas. Amassing and displaying the capacity to do significant damage sends a message. Tehran may believe it can convince Washington and its partners that persevering with sanctions will exact costs that vastly outstrip any gains the coalition can hope to extract from economic coercion. In effect, the Iranian leadership has threatened to hold hostage the 17 million barrels of oil that passes through the Strait every day, and the prosperity of oil-dependent economies with it. …more

Putting Israel First
The War Party’s Achilles’ heel
by Justin Raimondo – 30 January, 2012 – Antiwar Forum

The campaign to lure the US into attacking Iran has one big problem to overcome before the War Party can taste success: the rather obvious fact that such a war would benefit Israel, and not the United States. This is why Israel’s partisans in the US constitute the spearhead of the pro-war agitation, why AIPAC has made this a consistent theme for the past few years, and why the billionaire Sheldon Adelson, aside from funding the Newtster, has poured untold millions into the same project. Hardly a day goes by without some Israeli government official reiterating, once again, that Iran represents an “existential threat” to the Jewish state, and threatening to strike the first blow if Uncle Sam fails to wake up in time, while Israel’s amen corner dutifully echoes the same line.

Israel and its more vehement partisans in this country have demanded the US attack Iran, even going so far as to raise the specter of another Holocaust if America fails to act. However, one argument they have failed to make is significant by its absence – they have failed to show how it is in America’s interest to launch a military strike. Indeed, they have neglected this part of the equation rather ostentatiously, and yet one can hardly blame them for this oversight for the simple reason that such a case would be impossible to make. An attack on Iran would deprive the world economy of a significant portion of its energy needs, and would likely result in an economic catastrophe in this country – to say nothing of the costs of the war, in blood and treasure. War-weary Americans are not in the mood for another invasion and occupation in search of nonexistent “weapons of mass destruction.” This is the War Party’s Achilles’ heel.

How to get around this is the problem at the heart of the War Party’s current project, and in order to do so they are employing the deadliest weapon in their well-stocked arsenal: the accusation of “racism,” the most toxic accusation anyone can make about someone in the current political climate. Specifically, they are accusing war opponents of “anti-Semitism.” After all, if Israel is the Jewish state, and that state’s very existence is threatened by the specter of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program (which US intelligence has stubbornly failed to detect), then opposition to US military action is “anti-Semitism,” pure and simple. …more

Iran Oil Export Curbs Extend to 95% of Tankers in Europe’s Insurance Rules
30 January, 2012 – Maritime Sun Hellenic Shipping Portal

European Union sanctions on Iranian oil will extend to about 95 percent of tankers because they are insured under rules governed by European law.
The International Group of P&I Clubs insures all but 5 percent of the global tanker fleet and its 13 member clubs follow European rules to participate in the claim-sharing pool, said Andrew Bardot, the London-based secretary and executive officer. Carrying Iranian oil would invalidate the ships’ cover against risks including spills and collisions, he said.

“Any EU-regulated insurer will not be able to provide insurance to cover any ship engaged in the carriage of Iranian oil and petrochemicals to the EU and elsewhere,” Bardot said by phone yesterday. “We have already notified ship owners of the effect on their trading activities and our ability to cover.”
While the embargo on Iranian oil only covers the EU’s 27 member states, the extent of the region’s role in insuring ships will curb trade globally. Iran is the second-biggest member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and sends oil to China, Europe, Japan, India and South Korea. EU foreign ministers agreed to the ban on Jan. 23, seeking to increase pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, which the nation says is for civilian and medical purposes.

Vessels carrying oil from the nation will have to use “questionable” insurance, said Simon Schnorr, the London-based marine client director at Aon Risk Solutions, a unit of the world’s largest insurance broker.

Insurance Policies
The EU sanctions will still apply to shipping companies with no European link because of their insurance policies, according to Intertanko, the largest trade group representing tanker owners. Members include Hamilton, Bermuda-based Frontline Ltd. (FRO) and Tokyo-based Kawasaki Kisen (9107) Kaisha Ltd.
“The EU ban on related insurance and re-insurance means that owners or operators with no EU link who seek to transport Iranian oil will be caught even if there is no EU element to the shipment itself,” Michele White, Intertanko’s general counsel, said in an e-mailed response to questions yesterday. “This is now a highly restrictive and volatile environment in which we feel our members cannot trade without risk of breaching EU or indeed the myriad of other sanctions against Iran.”

Ship owners will struggle to find insurance that doesn’t comply with EU law and whose provider has the funds needed to meet the “standard cover provision” of $1 billion for pollution liabilities, Schnorr said. Ships without valid insurance would be barred from entering most ports, he said.

Mutual Protection
China and Japan have said they will still buy Iranian oil. The Japan Ship Owners’ Mutual Protection & Indemnity Association, the Asian nation’s only organization insuring ocean-going and coastal vessels, is a member of the International Group of P&I Clubs, according to its website. The London-based group doesn’t list Chinese members. …more

Resist U.S. war threats on Iran
by Sara Flounders – 23 January, 2012 – Fight Back

There is growing apprehension that through miscalculation, deliberate provocation or a staged false flag operation, a U.S. war with Iran is imminent.

The dangerous combination of top U.S. officials’ public threats, the Pentagon’s massive military deployment, continued drone flights and industrial sabotage against Iran provides an ominous warning. The corporate media have been more than willing to cheer industrial sabotage, computer viruses and targeted assassinations. War maneuvers with Israel scheduled for mid-January were suddenly postponed Jan. 15 until May or later.

The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly voted to include binding provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act, and President Obama signed the legislation Dec. 31 ordering Iran’s economic strangulation. These NDAA provisions demand that every other country in the world joins this economic blockade of Iran or face U.S. sanctions themselves. This itself is an act of war.

Iran has directly charged the CIA for the Jan. 11 assassination of physicist Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, which has outraged Iranians. Roshan is the fourth scientist killed in five targeted assassinations in two years.

Whether or not a war will actually erupt, it is essential to look at the powerful forces that lay the groundwork for such a conflagration.

A U.S. war would kill hundreds of thousands of Iranians and create region-wide destabilization. It would cause a wild, speculative hike in oil and gas prices, devastating fragile economies of the poorest countries and unhinging the increasingly shaky Eurozone.

Revolutionary Marxists like Fidel Castro, political leaders in China and Russia, and even a hardened Israeli general have joined many political commentators to warn that a U.S. or U.S.-supported Israeli attack on Iran could quickly become a far wider war. While defending its sovereign right to develop energy self-sufficiency, Tehran has made every effort to deflect U.S. threats and charges. Iran has submitted to years of intrusive inspections of its research and industrial facilities to confirm its compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

But Washington insists on stopping Iran’s development — and not only its nuclear energy development to assure its future as oil production declines. For decades Iran was forced to import refined oil. Washington has tried to stop Iran from importing parts to build oil refineries, as it has tried to stop all Iran’s development since the 1979 revolution. …more

FBI seeking tools to find threat info in Facebook, Twitter posts
By Alice Lipowicz – 30 January, 2012 – Federal Computer Week

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking to “search and scrape” information from social media websites, including Facebook and Twitter, for the purpose of identifying possible domestic and global threats as they develop.

The potential threats would be mapped and supplemented with additional data using “mash-up” techniques, according to a Request for Information directed to vendors published by the FBI on Jan. 19.

The FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center asked vendors to describe what services and software they could provide and at what price. Responses are due by Feb. 10.

The FBI is looking for an application that would search, collect and analyze publicly-available messages posted on social media networks. It notes that the networks have become primary sources of on-the-ground information on public reaction to global and domestic events and fomenting possibly threatening initiatives, the RFI said.

“Social media has become a primary source of intelligence because it has become the premier first response to key events and the primal alert to possible developing situations,” the RFI stated.

The goal is to collect and analyze the raw data to improve real-time situational awareness. Desired capabilities include the ability to quickly “vet, identify and geo-locate breaking events, incidents and emerging threats.”

The FBI is looking for a solution offering an automated capability to collect and analyze data from social networks including Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, along with news sites. Users should be able to create new keyword searches. Foreign-language tweets would be translated into English. …more

US sale of some military items to Bahrain draws congressional opposition
By Associated Press, 30 January 30, 2012 – Washington Post

WASHINGTON — The United States is selling some military equipment to Bahrain as it walks a fine line between pushing the Sunni monarchy to open talks with the opposition while proceeding cautiously with a strategic ally to counter Iran.

The sale of an undisclosed amount of spare parts and equipment has drawn opposition from some in Congress who argue that it sends the wrong signal about the U.S. commitment to human rights. The State Department said late Friday that the equipment is for Bahrain’s external defense and support for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which is based in the country.

“This isn’t a new sale nor are we using a legal loophole,” the department said. “The items that we briefed to Congress were notified and cleared by the Hill previously or are not large enough to require congressional notification.”

The administration said it is maintaining its “pause on most security assistance for Bahrain pending further progress on reform.”

It was almost a year ago that Bahrain’s Shiite majority demanded greater rights from the 200-year-old ruling Sunni dynasty. More than 35 people have died in the unrest that Bahrain leaders claim Iran has encouraged.

The United States sees its allies in the Persian Gulf region as particularly crucial after Iran warned it might use military force to close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the gulf in response to international economic sanctions.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., collected signatures from lawmakers on a letter they plan to send to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton later this week expressing their opposition to the administration’s moves. They argue that Bahrain is still violating human rights and using excessive force to crack down on protests.

“Small steps deserve small rewards,” the two wrote. “In the case of Bahrain, any military equipment is a big reward and will be viewed as such by other governments and the people of Bahrain. The incentives are simply wrong.” …source

Cuba: 3 Dissidents Are Released, Rights Group Says
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – 23 January, 2012

Amnesty International said Monday that three antigovernment protesters held without charge for 52 days were released last week, hours after the human rights group identified them as prisoners of conscience. They were released Friday, a day after a hunger-striking dissident died, prompting condemnation from dissidents and human rights groups. The freed dissidents — Ivonne Malleza Galano, Ignacio Martínez Montejo and Isabel Haydee Álvarez — were threatened with “harsh sentences” if they did not stop their anti-government actions, Amnesty said.

Cuba: Jailed dissident dies after hunger strike
20 January, 2012 – Index on Censorship

Dissident Wilmar Villar Mendoza, has died in a hospital in eastern Cuba following a 56-day hunger strike. Villar launched his strike shortly after his November arrest, after which he was put on trial and sentenced to four years in prison for crimes including disobedience, resistance and crimes against the state. Fellow opposition activists have claimed mistreatment by the Cuban government contributed to Villar’s death.
…source

Isaiah 29:15-16 – woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” they turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!… Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing?”

U.S. Arms Sales to Bahrain: 4 Questions for the Obama Administration
by: Sanjeev Bery – 30 January, 2012 – Human Rights Now

As I wrote on Saturday, the Obama Administration has authorized a new U.S. arms sale to the Bahraini monarchy. This comes just months after a Congressional and public outcry that led the administration to suspend a prior $53 million arms sale to Bahrain.

Members of Congress, journalists, and Amnesty International were all outraged over the last proposed arms sale. That’s because Bahraini protesters continue to be tear gassed, beaten, and even killed while exercising their human rights of free speech and association – rights that include the freedom to criticize one’s government.

Regarding this new arms sale, here are the top four questions that the Obama administration must answer immediately:

1. Why was the arms sale kept secret from the public?

Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy leaked the news of the arms sale on Friday. He also reported that U.S. arms sales under $1 million don’t have to be publicly disclosed. So the Obama administration didn’t publicly mention it. But why? At a time when the Bahraini government continues to crack down on protesters, why did the Obama administration keep the contents of this arms sale — or multiple arms sales – secret?

2. What is in the arms sale?

U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that the arms sale “includes spare parts,” arms for Bahrain’s “external defense”, and that “none of these items can be used against protesters.” But the last time the U.S. State Department said that arms were being sold to Bahrain for “external defense” – the arms package contained humvees. This came after the Bahraini government had already used tanks to surround a hospital where wounded protestors had been treated. The public needs to know what the Obama administration is selling to Bahrain. Ammunition? Replacement parts for ships? Vehicles to transport soldiers? Landing gear for cargo planes? Tanks?

3. How many secret arms sales are there?

In his above mentioned piece, Rogin implied that the Obama administration could hypothetically turn the suspended $53 million arms sale into 53 or more separate arms sales under $1 million each — and that none of them would have to be reported. Is that what is happening? How many unreported U.S. arms sales to Bahrain are happening now — or are slated to happen in the future?

4. How does this secret arms sale square with the President’s State of the Union address?

In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama referred to the “wave of change” in the Middle East. He also described what U.S. foreign policy would be: “We will stand against violence and intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings –- men and women; Christians, Muslims and Jews.”

It remains to be seen what is in this latest arms sale (or sales) to Bahrain. But at a time when Bahrainis are experiencing human rights violations at home, it doesn’t look good to be handing their government additional military equipment. …more

Bahrainis slam regime violence, brutality
29 January, 2012 – By Shiapost

Bahraini anti-government protesters have held demonstrations across the country to condemn the ongoing violent crackdown by the Manama regime, Press TV reports.

Demonstrators chanted “Down with (King) Hamad” during protests in several towns and villages on Sunday.

According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR), four people died on January 25 as a result of the violent crackdown on the anti-regime demonstrations.

Bahraini protesters on Sunday also commemorated those killed by the Saudi-backed regime forces.

The BCHR said 14 Bahraini activists that have been under arrest since March 2011 announced a one-week hunger strike beginning on Sunday in protest to the ongoing suppression of the people of Bahrain including “arbitrary detentions, unfair trials, and the policy of unfair suspension from work.”

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs since the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain in February 2011.

On January 26, Amnesty International called on Bahraini authorities to “investigate and account for the reports of more than a dozen deaths following tear gas use.”

Amnesty also called on the US government to “suspend transfers of tear gas and other riot control equipment to the Bahraini authorities.” …more

Call to International community: Detained activists and political prisoners on hunger strike in Bahrain
29 Jan 2012 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Bahrain Center for Human Rights calls for an urgent intervention from the international community to put an end to the continues violations of human rights, including but not limited to, the continued detention of hundreds of political detainees in appalling conditions, despite the acknowledgment of the BICI report that confirmed that they were subject to arrests and torture on the back of practicing illegitimate rights to freedom of expression and assembly. The international community’s silence over the Bahraini regime’s continuous crimes is leading the people of Bahrain to take desperate measures risking their own lives.

14 activists who were detained since last March have announced their intention to start a hunger strike starting today January 29th, 2012 for one week until February 4th, 2012 in protest to the continued suppression of the people of Bahrain including the continued arbitrary detention, the unfair trials, the sentencing of innocent people for peacefully protesting demanding rights and the continued policy of starvation of the people through the unfair dismissal and suspension from work. There are concerns over the health of the activists who will be on hunger strike; AbdulJaleel AlSingace, who suffers from poliomyelitis, has previously suffered a heart attack after going on an earlier hunger strike; Hassan Mushaima, 63 years old, was not able to receive the required medication for cancer which he had in 2010, and there are fears the cancer might return; Mohamed Jawad Barweez could be the eldest detainee of over 65 years of age, his family has raised concerns over his health as well. In addition, they still suffer from the effects of the torture as stated in the report of the independent commission of inquiry. It’s not expected that medical care will be provided to them if needed at the prison, as made evident from previous cases.

This hunger strike started in a wave by the political leaders detained, many prisoners including those held in Jaw and the central region prisons have announced their solidarity and will join this hunger strike. The families of the political leaders have also announced that they too will join, and members of Bahrain youth society for human rights, will be joining this hunger strike as well.

BCHR holds the international community responsible for any consequences on the life of the 14 activists and the political prisoners joining the hunger strike. BCHR calls for immediate urgent action and demands that:

– The immediate release of all political detainees who have been detained tortured and sentenced in unfair military trials for practicing a basic right and peacefully protesting.
– Stop the continued violations of human rights in Bahrain including the violent suppression of peaceful protests, continued arbitrary detention, and the unfair trials and sentences.

The 14 activist on hunger strike:

1. Abdulwahab Hussain Ali (life sentence imprisonment)
2. Ibrahim Sharif Abdulraheem Mossa (5 Years imprisonment)
3. Hassan Ali Mushaima (life sentence imprisonment)
4. Abdulhadi Al Khawaja (life sentence imprisonment)
5. Abduljalil Abdullah Al Singace (life sentence imprisonment)
6. Mohammed Habib Al Safaf (Mohammed Habib Miqdad) ( life sentence imprisonment)
7. Saeed Mirza Ahmed ( Saeed AlNouri) ( life sentence imprisonment)
8. Abduljalil Mansoor Makk (Abdul Jalil Miqdad) (life sentence imprisonment)
9. Al Hurra Yousif Mohammed (2 Years imprisonment)
10. Abdullah Isa Al Mahroos (5 years imprisonment)
11. Salah Hubail Al Khawaj (5 years imprisonment)
12. Mohammed Hassan Jawad (15 years imprisonment)
13. Mohammed Ali Ismael (15 years imprisonment)
14. Abdul Hadi Abdullah Mahdi Hassan (Abdulhadi AlMukhodher) (15 years imprisonment)
…source

With all HR violations in the educational sector: Bahrain elected Vice-President of UNESCO IBE
29 Jan 2012 – BCHR

Recently, Bahrain was elected as the Vice-President of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) (bna.bh/portal/en/news/490966) regardless of the human rights violations committed by the Bahraini government and Ministry of Education towards members of the educational sector, which includes students of all levels, teachers and professors. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) condemns the UNESCO’s act of turning a blind eye towards the human rights and educational violations in Bahrain, especially as one of its main roles is to protect and nurture individual human rights. This act does not contribute in any way to the respect for human rights in Bahrain, but expresses support for the regime which did not stop targeting educators and students with arrests, unfair trials, and suspension from work for merely exercising the right to freedom of expression. BCHR demands freezing of Bahrain membership in the UNESCO IBE until it takes measurable steps to stop all the violations in the education sector.

The Bahraini government has been systematically violating human rights since the start of the pro-democracy movement on February 14 2011. Its brutal mass attack on pro-democracy protesters has resulted to the killing of 62 protesters, sacking of more than 2000 workers, arrest and detention of more than 1000 political detainees and many critical injuries. The medical and educational sectors have been the most affected by the government’s systematic crackdown on the opposition. The educational sector has especially been attacked on a large scale with the targeting of teachers, students and university professors. The following is documentation of the ongoing violations against the educational sector in Bahrain:

University students …more

Detained Bahraini Activists on Food Strike, Protest Arbitrary Verdicts
Local Editor – Moqawama

The detained Bahraini opposition idols started a food strike to protest the maltreatment and the arbitrary sentences issued against them.

On this level, The February 14 coalition called for organizing peaceful protests in solidarity with the detainees. In a statement issued, the coalition indicated that the so-called confessions linked to the detainees are either fabricated or were extracted my means of force.

Moreover, head of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights Mohammed al-Maskati clarified that “conducting the strike came after the regime’s Interior Ministry demanded the toughest punishments against those who take part in protests, and called for a 15-year imprisonment on charges of attacking the security forces”.

Meanwhile, the regime forces continue their deadly crackdown against peaceful protesters, attacking unarmed demonstrators and even targeting safe houses with toxic gas.

The country’s Sitra Island held the funeral procession of martyr Mohammad Ibrahim, who was killed earlier last week by Bahraini troops. Forces closed all the entrances and exits of the island, to prevent people from reaching the procession and taking part. However, many Bahrainis were able to reach the region, affirming their determination to continue their peaceful demonstrations until their demands are met. …source

Obama administration approves arms shipment to Bahrain
by Sanjeev Bery – 28 January, 2012 – Human Rights Now

Despite continued human rights violations against civilians, Foreign Policy’s Josh Rogin reports that the Bahraini government is about to get even more military armaments from the United States. According to the article, which quotes key members of Congress, the Obama Administration has approved a new sale of US arms and/or military equipment to Bahraini security forces.

In a question and answer session with reporters on Friday, US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated that the US Government planned to “release some previously notified equipment needed for Bahrain’s external defense and support of Fifth Fleet operations.”

Ms. Nuland went on to add, “This includes spare parts and maintenance of equipment. None of these items can be used against protestors.” Pay close attention to the word “includes.” What else is in the sale?

Of course, the challenge with this is that there is no way to independently verify what the US Department of Defense and State Department are allowing Bahraini security forces to buy. Foreign Policy’s Rogin reports that because the sale – or multiple sales – all fall below the $1 million mark, the US Government doesn’t have to make the details public.

Given the track record of the Bahraini government in violently responding to protestors’ demands, any US transfer of weapons, ammunition, or military equipment must be looked at closely. In Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain, the US government has a bad history of providing weapons to those who have ultimately been willing to point them at their own people. The Bahraini government continues to demonstrate that willingness, even after significant international criticism.

On January 26th, Amnesty International reported on over a dozen deaths that followed the excessive use of tear gas and other crowd control agents by Bahraini security forces. But the violence didn’t start there. In the protests against the Khalifa monarchy during early 2011, at least 47 people died. More have alleged torture following arrest, and thousands have been fired from their jobs. It is unclear how many were reinstated in the aftermath. …more

….more

Bahrain: UPDATE – Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and 13 other prisoners start hunger strike
Front Line Defenders – 29 January, 2012

On 29 January 2012 human rights defender Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and 13 other prisoners, including prisoners of conscience and human rights defender Abduljalil Al Singace, started an open-ended hunger strike to protest against the arbitrary arrest and detention of peaceful protesters and continued human rights violations in Bahrain.

The striking prisoners are held in Jaw Prison and are serving prison sentences, some of which are life sentences, handed down after grossly unfair trials. To express solidarity with Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and the other prisoners on hunger strike the President of Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights Mohammed Al Maskati and its board members started a hunger strike on 30 January 2012.

Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, former Front Line Defenders Protection Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, was arrested in April 2011. His case was considered by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) which detailed the types of torture and ill-treatment he was subjected to while held incommunicado.

The BICI forensic team established among other things that Abdulhadi AlKhawaja was “thrown on the ground, rolled down stairs, kicked and beaten with sticks. His hands were cuffed behind his back and he was blindfolded. His son-in-law was also arrested. Immediately after the arrest, the detainee received a hard blow to the side of his face, which broke his jaw and knocked him to the ground”.

Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, an internationally renowned human rights defender, remains in prison despite an unfair trial in the National Safety Court, torture and the clear insistence by the BICI report that all convictions by the National Safety Court be fully reviewed.

Front Line Defenders calls on the authorities in Bahrain to immediately release Abdulhadi AlKhawaja and drop all charges brought against him; bring to justice those involved in his torture and ill-treatment; and implement without delay all the recommendations made by the BICI. …more

Bahrain eyes tougher laws calling for 15-year jail time for attacks on security forces
By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, January 30, 2:15 AM

MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahrain’s interior minister is calling for tougher laws that could bring up to 15 years in prison for an attack on security personnel or their families.

The proposal by Lt. Gen. Sheik Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa seeks to strengthen the government’s hand against escalating pro-reform protests by the kingdom’s Shiite majority.

The official Bahrain News Agency says the plan was sent to the country’s parliament Monday for review. The chamber is dominated by pro-government lawmakers.

Bahrain claims more than 40 riot police were injured last week in attacks that included the hurling of firebombs.

The Shiite-led uprising seeking greater rights began nearly a year ago. Authorities worry that unrest will increase before the Feb. 14 anniversary. …more

There are numerous unconfirmed reports of unrest at Bahrain’s Jaw Prison, following reports of abuse to Political Prisoners who have begun hunger strike. Updates as they become available. See Recent Report by Bahrain Center for Human Rights on Jaw Prison HERE

Twitter Roundup at 8:32 AM MST USA

– Political leaders/detainees imprisoned in Jaw Facility are undergoing #HungerStrike r attacked/gased & put in Solitary confinement #Bahrain
25 minutes ago

– There R diff prisons in Jaw, long sentences including Amal in prison1, many political detainees in prison4, 14 activist in prison6 #bahrain
54 minutes ago

– At least few detainees from prison1 at Jaw were taken into solitary confinement as confirmed by a call to @Sadiqshabaani #Bahrain
56 minutes ago

– Urgent: According to several sources, now political prisoners are being shot at with teargas INSIDE Jaw prison #Bahrain
1 hour ago

– URGENT: A call from a political prisoner in Jaw now, “Its chaos in here! Plz do anything you can to help us” #Bahrain

Bahrain: The continued harassment, intimidation, and persecution of the Medics by the government
Gulf Center for Human Rights – 29 January, 2012

Beirut, 29 January, 2012 – The Gulf Centre for Human Rights and Bahrain Centre for Human Rights would like to express in the strongest possible terms their profound concern following the arbitrary arrest and detention of two medical staff , Dental Assistant Halima Abdulaziz Al-Sabag and Head of Dental Nurses Aqeela Radhi Hammad, which represents a continuation of targeting trends that evolved over the previous months in Bahrain that include medical staff, teachers, students, journalists, worker, as well as human rights defenders.

According to accurate information received by GCHR & BCHR, Dental Assistant Halima Abdulaziz Al-Sabag has been taken from her workplace in Salmaniya hospital on Thursday, January 26, 2012, allegedly she was to have taken first-aid medicines for the treatment of injured protesters, who suffer as a result of the suppression of the authorities. Al-Sabag’s family was not able to know her whereabouts for hours after the arrest and they managed finally to see her at Hoora police station. Al-Sabag brought to the Criminal Investigation Directorate in the same night of her arrest and appeared before the public prosecutor, on the morning of 27th of January 2012, who made the decision to keep her in custody for a week pending investigation on the alleged charge of exploitation of her Job to seize the money of the state, a charge denied by Al-Sabag. On Sunday morning, January 29, 2012, Head of Nurses Aqeela Radhi Hammad has been arrested, in what appears to be linked to the arrest of Halima Al-Sabag.

In a telephone conversation with her family on 28th of January, 2012 Halima Al-Sabag complained that the authorities have kept her in a cell with a number of defendants charged with “prostitution” in a move aimed at including coercion and psychological pressure on her, which is contrary to the provisions of articles of “the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” issued by the United Nations, which stated in its article (63) (1) clearly that ” The fulfillment of these principles requires individualization of treatment and for this purpose a flexible system of classifying prisoners in groups; ” where the objective is explained in accordance with Article (67 / a) which states: “To separate from others those prisoners who, by reason of their criminal records or bad characters, are likely to exercise a bad influence; ” …more

Nazi tyrant Adolf Hitler got things done, says Bernie Ecclestone
5 July, 2009 – Lauren Crooks – Sunday Mail

FORMULA ONE chief Bernie Ecclestone has sparked outrage after praising Hitler’s ability to “get things done”.

The outspoken billionaire also slammed today’s politicians for being weak and declared Britain was wrong to help overthrow Saddam Hussein.

He claimed democracy had done nothing for Britain and we would be better off with a government based on tyranny.

He said: “In a lot of ways – terrible to say this I suppose – but apart from the fact that Hitler got persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done.

“In the end he got lost, so he wasn’t a very good dictator.”

Ecclestone went on to slate Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, saying: “I prefer strong leaders.

“Margaret Thatcher made decisions on the run and got the job done. She was the one who built this country up slowly and we’ve let it go down again.

“All these guys – Gordon and Tony – are trying to please everybody all the time.”

He claimed democracy was a failure, saying: “It hasn’t done a lot of good for many countries – including this one.”

He also claimed close friend Max Mosley would do a better job as prime minister.

Motorsport boss Mosley – son of Sir Oswald Mosley who headed up the British Union of Fascists – was recently accused of being a dictator by F1 racing teams.

Ecclestone insisted: “Max would do a super job. He’s a good leader. I don’t think his background would be a problem.”

The F1 boss also claimed Britain and America should have stayed out of Iraq.

He added: “We did a terrible thing when we supported the idea of getting rid of Saddam.

“He was the only one who could control that country. It was the same with the Taliban.

“We move into countries and we have no idea of the culture – the Americans probably thought Bosnia was a town in Miami. …more