The youngest victims of tear gas in Bahrain – the babies and the unborn
24 June, 2012 – Bahrain Coordinating Committee – by Mary Fletcher Jones

Excessive exposure to tear gas has been demonstrated to cause miscarriage in pregnancy, and infants are particularly susceptible to the side effects of tear gas, which can be fatal in instances. Unfortunately, in Bahrain, many families have lost their young and unborn babies through exposure to tear gas.

On Thursday, June 21, a demonstration was held in Bahrain to bring attention to this tragic development. However, the demonstration was not met with sympathy. The protesters were fired on with tear gas and stun grenades. During the clash, even two press photographers, one from Associated Press, were temporarily detained by riot police.

For the past two years, tear gas has been used against Bahrainis in a number of ways — much of it indiscriminate and excessive. It has been used against protesters, fired into neighborhoods, and even propelled directly into homes. The BICI report stated that Bahrain’s police used a disproportionate amount of CS gas when dispersing protests, and that in a number of situations, police fired CS gas into private homes in an “unnecessary and indiscriminate” manner. …more

Iran reminds Bahrain rights violations make situation more complicated
23 June, 2012 – PressTV

Iran has warned the government of Bahrain against escalating violence in the Persian Gulf country, saying that human rights violations will only further complicate the existing situation.

Speaking to reporters during his weekly briefing on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast expressed Iran’s concern over armed attacks and direct shots targeting leaders of various opposition groups in Bahrain.

He also condemned continuation of violent measures and suppression of Bahraini people’s peaceful demonstrations by the Saudi-backed forces.

Mehmanparast expressed hope the government of Bahrain will change its approach to the people’s peaceful protests and instead of violent suppression of demonstrations, pay serious attention to people’s legitimate demands.

The spokesman advised the Bahraini government to pave the way for serious dialogue by taking confidence-building measures like releasing political prisoners, and preventing military courts from handing down harsh verdicts against academics and medical staff as well as women and the youth who pursue their natural rights.

On Friday, June 22, Saudi-backed Bahraini forces attacked anti-government protesters in the capital, Manama, injuring several demonstrators, including three senior opposition leaders.

Sheikh Ali Salman, the Secretary General of Bahrain’s main opposition bloc al-Wefaq, Hassan al-Marzooq and Jawad Fairouz, both al-Wefaq figures, were injured during the crackdown.

Salman is reported to be shot in the shoulder and back while Marzooq is shot and wounded in the chest. There was no word on how Fairouz was injured.

Bahrainis have been staging demonstrations since mid-February 2011, demanding political reform and a constitutional monarchy, a demand that later changed to an outright call for the ouster of the ruling Al Khalifa family following its brutal crackdown on popular protests.

Scores of people have also been killed and many others have been injured in the Saudi-backed crackdown on peaceful protesters in Bahrain. …more

US Ambassador in Bahrain:Iran is not interfering in the internal affairs of the GCC countries
24 June, 2012 – SHAFAQNA

SHAFAQNA (Shia News Association) — Alwatan newspaper a pro- Royal court in Bahrain had interviewed US ambassador in Bahrain Thomas C. Krajeski and he insisted that the revolution in Bahrain not related to Iran interference He said ” So far, I’m not convinced that Iran is interfering in the internal affairs of the GCC countries” then he alleged that “«propaganda» media and news reports issued by the Iranian media are incredible and unacceptable, I read and watch their news on internet, and they are clearly trying to inflame the situation, but this is different from interfering in the internal affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).”

The the reporter asked him ” But the Iranian media part of the state represented by .. What do you think?” He replied ” U.S. Ambassador (answers strongly): I do not agree to that. I do not see evidence of the intervention of Iran”

The reporter tried again to take one word from his mouth to condemned Iran interference by asking ” Do you think they are media loyal or opposition or neutral in Iran?! Acertainly well known that the Iranian media follows the authority of clerical rule and the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei”

US ambassador said ” Inside the Iran situation is different, but if your question is that Iran is interfering in the affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), I do not see any evidence of that, other than «propaganda» Media and news.”

when the reporter did not get the answer as he want , again he ask “Iranian media is part of the authority and there is no neutral media in Iran as there is no opposition to the regime allow in Iran until there is information shows?

The US ambassador made clearly at the end saying ” I understand your question, but what of the effect or impact?!” …source

Bahrain Cracks Down on Social Media, Arresting Activists and Proposing New Laws
By The Stranger – 18 June, 2012 BY EVA GALPERIN

Bahrain’s Minister of State for Information Affairs, Samira Rajab, has announced that the government is preparing to introduce tough new laws to combat the “misuse” of social media. Like many Gulf states, Bahrain is doubling down on state censorship in response to a year of ongoing protests connected to the Arab Spring. In case the target of this upcoming legislation was in any way unclear, Ms. Rajab went on to call out human rights activists:

It is these activists who have labelled drowning victims as those killed by torture. They have labelled sickle cell victims as being killed by security forces and they have used these media to completely distort the true picture of Bahrain. This cannot be tolerated. The rule of law shall prevail.”

Ms. Rajab justified the upcoming laws by pointing to sedition laws in the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

Meanwhile, the Bahraini government is already engaging in the kind of crackdown that the new law is supposed to enable. Activist Nabeel Rajab (no relation to the Minister of State for Information Affairs) was detained again on June 6 after complaints that he had made statements “publicly vilifying” pro-government individuals on Twitter. After the Prime Minister visited the small town of Muharraq, Mr. Rajab tweeted that he should step down. He referenced the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Muharraq in his message:

[E]veryone knows you are not popular and if it weren’t for the need for money, [the Muharraq residents] would not have welcomed you.

Mr. Rajab’s attorney notes that his second detention is extraordinary even in Bahrain, since The Bahraini Code of Criminal Procedure limits pretrial detention to exceptional cases. Authorities are not supposed to detain the accused in defamation cases, and the most severe penalty has usually been a fine.

Mr. Rajab had been previously released from jail after posting bail at the end of May. That time, the activist had also been arrested for inflammatory political comments from his Twitter account. The EFF joins other groups such as Human Rights Watch and the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Rajab, as well as the dismissal of all charges against him. We remain concerned we will see even more cases similar to this one once the new laws are passed. …more

NGOs urged to comply with foreign funds rule in Bahrain
22 June, 2012 -By Habib Toumi

Bahrain’s social development minister has urged all local societies, organisations, clubs and foundations to comply with the law regulation obtaining funds from abroad or sending money overseas.

“The law clearly specifies that sending or receiving funds from abroad requires the approval of the ministry, and while societies in general have upheld the rules, others have failed to report the transactions,” Fatima Al Beloushi said.

“We urge all NGOs to cooperate positively with the ministry on the laws regulating across the border funds and to obtain the required clearance from the ministry before they send or receive foreign funds,” she said.

Al Beloushi did not name the NGOs that did not comply with the 1989 rule that bars financial transactions with foreign entities without the ministry’s approval, but said that the authorities have discovered cases of individual members receiving funds from abroad.

“The commitment of the adherents is not less significant than that of their societies, especially in the movement of suspicious funds across the borders,” she said.

Al Beloushi, the second woman minister to be given a portfolio in the government, said that the Bahraini authorities were tracking transfers as part of the policy to combat financing terrorism or facilitating money laundering. …more

Bahrain opposition says leader injured as police stop protesters from holding rally
22 June, 2012 – By Associated Press

MANAMA, Bahrain — Bahraini riot police fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets Friday, injuring the head of the Shiite majority’s main political bloc while trying to break up protests in the country’s capital, the opposition said.

Al Wefaq’s secretary-general Sheik Ali Salman told The Associated Press he was hit in the shoulder and back by either a tear gas canister or stun grenade during demonstrations in Manama, which are common following Friday prayers. He had red welts on his skin but seemed otherwise in good health. Al Wefaq had earlier said that rubber bullets had caused the injury.

He said he was leading about 40 protesters on the way to a march when they encountered police who ordered them to disperse and then started firing into the crowd.

Hassan al-Marzooq, another opposition leader, was hit in the neck by a rubber bullet, an Al Wefaq statement said. He has since been taken to a private hospital in the capital for treatment.

Salman said the leaders had been intentionally targeted, the first time that the Bahrain security forces had done so.

“More violations will complicate our efforts for reconciliation and a meaningful dialogue,” he said. “We continue our democratic demands and call for universal human rights principles through peaceful assemblies. It is the people’s right.” …more

The US planning a rather large footprint in Kuwait for several years.

US Basing Substantial Force Out of Kuwait
22 June 2012 – The Grog

The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces and the world nervously eyes Iran, according to a congressional report.
The study by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee examined the U.S. relationship with the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman – against a fast-moving backdrop. In just the last two days, Saudi Arabia’s ruler named Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz as the country’s new crown prince after last week’s death of Prince Nayef, and Kuwait’s government suspended parliament for a month over an internal political feud.

The latest developments inject even more uncertainty as the Middle East deals with the demands of the Arab Spring, the end to U.S. combat operations in Iraq at the end of 2011 and fears of Iran’s nuclear program.

“Home to more than half of the world’s oil reserves and over a third of its natural gas, the stability of the Persian Gulf is critical to the global economy,” the report said. “However, the region faces a myriad of political and security challenges, from the Iranian nuclear program to the threat of terrorism to the political crisis in Bahrain.”

The report obtained by The Associated Press in advance of Tuesday’s release provided precise numbers on U.S. forces in Kuwait, a presence that Pentagon officials have only acknowledged on condition of anonymity. Currently, there are about 15,000 U.S. forces in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Buehring, giving the United States staging hubs, training ranges and locations to provide logistical support. The report said the number of troops is likely to drop to 13,500. …source

As Hopes for Reform Fade in Bahrain, Protesters Turn Anger on United States
Ed Ou for The New York Times
25 June, 2012 – NYT

MANAMA, Bahrain — In a dark alleyway of a low-slung suburb here, two dozen protesters gathered quietly and prepared to march toward a United States naval base. A teenager wrapped his scarf close to his mouth, bracing for tear gas. A man peeked out of his doorway, holding his infant daughter above his head, to show her a ritual of defiance that has become a grinding way of life.

For months, the protests have aimed at the ruling monarchy, but recently they have focused on a new target. To their familiar slogans — demanding freedoms, praising God and cursing the ruling family — the young protesters added a new demand, written on a placard in English, so the Americans might see: “U.S.A. Stop arming the killers.”

Thousands of Bahrainis rose up 16 months ago, demanding political liberties, social equality and an end to corruption. But the Sunni monarchy, seen by the United States and Saudi Arabia as a strategic ally and as a bulwark against Iran, was never left to face the rage on its own.

More than a thousand Saudi troops helped put down the uprising and remain in Bahrain, making it a virtual protectorate. The United States, a sometimes critical but ultimately unshakable friend, has called for political reform but strengthened its support for the government. Last month, the Obama administration resumed arms sales here.

Backed by powerful allies, the government has pursued reform on its own terms. Dialogue between the country’s Shiite majority and the king has stopped. Twenty-one of the most prominent dissidents still languish in prison, and no senior officials have been convicted of crimes, including dozens of killings, that occurred during the crackdown last year. Opposition activists are still regularly detained or interrogated for their words.

On Friday, in what activists called a dangerous escalation, riot police officers forcefully dispersed a rally by Bahrain’s largest opposition party, injuring its leader. Every night, protesters march and clashes erupt, in a violent standoff that often seems a breath away from an explosion.

Some Bahrainis had pinned hopes for reconciliation on a report, issued six months ago, that investigated the events of February and March 2011 and found that the security forces had used indiscriminate force and torture in putting down the uprising. King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa promised to heed the report’s findings and punish officials responsible for abuse. …more