U.S. Navy Officer Presents New Strategy for Bahrain
26 June, 2013 – POMED

Commander Richard McDaniel, USN, Federal Executive Fellow at Brookings’ Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, published a report entitled “No ‘Plan B:’ U.S. Stretegic Access in the Middle East and the Question of Bahrain,” on how the U.S. should respond to the continued uprisings in Bahrain against the monarchy in order to maintain military access, “diversify the U.S. footprint,” and positively affect Bahrain’s progress towards better governance and human rights reform. McDaniel argues that maintaining the 5th fleet’s presence in Bahrain is in the U.S.’s and Bahrain’s strategic interest, and could grant the U.S. greater leverage in encouraging democratic reforms. The 5th Fleet has also helped the U.S. build strong political, economic, and cultural ties with Bahrain, and losing naval access to Bahrain would hinder the United States’ capacity to deter Iran, combat piracy in the Indian Ocean, and maintain freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.

McDaniel characterized the opposition in Bahrain as a Shi’a uprising, but points out that only a small minority of Shi’a Bahrainis adhere to the same religious doctrine as Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and even fewer are ethnic Persians or carry political allegiance to Iran’s leadership (pp. 7-11). However, McDaniel contends that “many fear that the Bahraini youth will grow weary of slow reform and begin to radicalize…the longer it takes Bahrain to implement reforms the likelier it becomes.”

McDaniel blames the U.S.’s “close relationship with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain [as] the reason the State Department has only applied moderate pressure for reforms” in Bahrain. He also argues that “the United States should view democratic reforms, wherever they occur, as in its best interest (p. 9),” and that “the biggest threat to U.S. access is not democratic reform that leads to a constitutional monarchy, but a lack of reform that [results] in continued instability, unrest, and the empowerment of radical leadership (p. 11). ” To this end, he argues that the U.S. should develop a “Plan B” to move the 5th fleet in the event that Bahrain becomes too unstable. The alternatives, however, are more expensive, strain the U.S.’s relationship with Bahrain, reduce the U.S’s ability to respond quickly to a regional crisis, and hurt the U.S.’s ability to push for democratic reforms (pp. 23-27).

Regardless, McDaniel argues that “Bahrain is a major non-NATO ally, therefore the U.S. has an obligation to stand with it during challenging times while still encouraging democratic reform. Voluntarily removing the U.S. footprint from Bahrain would do little to improve the situation, potentially create a power vacuum, destabilize the region, and eliminate the moderating effect that U.S. influence has had on the Bahraini crisis…The U.S. should leverage elements of national power to promote positive change, understanding that it has a moral obligation to stand on principle and strongly encourage democratic reform (26).”
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Bahrain accused of systemic repression
21 June, 2013 – UPI

PARIS, June 21 (UPI) — Human rights activists imprisoned in Bahrain should be released immediately and unconditionally because their detention is arbitrary, a rights federation said.

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, organizations party to French advocacy consortium International Federation for Human Rights, said Friday they were frustrated with the harassment and ill-treatment of rights defenders in Bahrain.

The rights group said at least four human rights defenders are imprisoned or were held briefly on charges of participating in “illegal gatherings” or for establishing a group “in order to disable the provisions of the constitution.”

Dozens of protesters died during violence associated with anti-government demonstrations in 2011. The Sunni-led monarchy was criticized for its harsh crackdown on dissenters, though the government said it is committed to reforms outlined by a commission probing the incidents.

The rights organizations criticized Bahrain for its “acts of repression, including judicial harassment, against human rights defenders” in the country. The charges filed against rights defenders are not justified, they said.

Human Rights Watch published an 87-page report Thursday highlighting what it said were repressive policies in Bahrain.

Bahrain said a national effort to promote reconciliation would put its work on hold during the holy month of Ramadan, which starts next week.
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Bahrain activist Zainab al-Khawaja ‘given new jail term’
25 June, 2013 – BBC

A court in Bahrain has sentenced pro-democracy activist Zainab al-Khawaja to two months in jail for insulting police, opposition sources say.

The decision would mean she stays in jail until February 2014, as she is already serving previous sentences.

Her father Abdulhadi al-Khawaja is also in jail.

Ms Khawaja has been a leading activist in the Gulf kingdom, which has been in political turmoil since pro-democracy protests erupted in February 2011.

In March Ms Khawaja was sentenced to three months in prison for “insulting and humiliating a public employee”.

Since then she has been sentenced to several additional short terms on other charges which she is serving concurrently.

Her father is among eight activists and opposition figures sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly plotting to overthrow the state.

The evidence that Mr Khawaja was convicted on is widely accepted as having been secured under torture.

Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family but the majority population is Shia who have long complained of discrimination.

On 14 February 2011, peaceful protesters – many of them Shia – calling for reform and democracy took over Pearl Roundabout.

Three days later security forces cleared the site using tear gas, batons and birdshot.

As violence escalated 35 people, including five police officers, were killed, hundreds more were hurt and thousands jailed in February and March 2011.

Since then, opposition and human rights activists say more than 50 people have died, a figure which the government disputes.
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Detained Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab writes to IFEX from prison
17 Jun, 2013 – Bahrain center for Human Rights

In a letter read out during the IFEX general meeting, detained Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab thanked IFEX members for their support and encouraged them to continue fighting for free expression:

Colleagues, heads and members of regional and international organisations that defend freedom of opinion and expression and human rights, my friends from the members of the IFEX network, activists and advocates, and leaders of civil society groups,

Dear friends, the unknown soldiers, the managers, administrators and workers at the IFEX office in Canada,

Warm greetings.

It’s saddening to be away from your important meeting for the second time and, as you know, this absence is out of my control.

I was banned from travelling during the previous IFEX general meeting in 2011 without any given reason. My absence this time is because I have been behind bars for more than a year as I am serving an unfair and arbitrary sentence as revenge for my struggle and activities which aim to defend freedom of opinion and freedom of expression in my country Bahrain and in the whole of the Gulf region.

I would like to inform you, my dear friends, that despite the bad and difficult circumstances I have been suffering from since my arrest, my beliefs have not changed at all and my spirit is still very strong. These circumstances have not weakened me or caused any despair or lack of hope. This injustice has motivated me to continue fighting for freedom of opinion and expression and for human rights, and to stand by all oppressed peoples whose rights have been violated, and to enable them to look forward to a better future.

Dear colleagues, the dissemination and promotion and protection of human rights principles and moral values and virtues in our communities which live under oppression and injustice is not an easy job, but we must, as activists and human rights defenders in this region of the world, be prepared to pay the price of this struggle, and this price is often painful and it is the punishment I serve out today, which has kept me away from you and from this valuable meeting.

What makes me strong, brave and respectful is the stance and support given by you and the free people of the world to me and to all people who are detained because of their opinions and human rights work in the Gulf region. It is because of the good feelings you have given us, which made clear that we as Bahraini and Gulf activists are not alone in the battle for gaining freedom. You are standing by us.

The continuous urgent actions and the incredible work you have done through IFEX in recent months was brilliant and clear to all in our country and the whole region and also to regional and international human rights institutions. The fast professional development of the network (IFEX) would not have happened without these unknown soldiers who work tirelessly at IFEX’s offices day and night. These people became like members of my family who communicate on a daily basis and the youngest of my children now knows the names of the staff and managers of IFEX as a result of this constant communication and the care that is shown.

Certainly our network has a global position today, developing in a few years as one of the leaders of the major struggles in defending human rights and freedom of opinion and expression in the world. And so we feel proud when we tell people that we are members of IFEX which takes up the fight and has contributed to spreading human rights education and the awareness of freedom of opinion and expression in our Gulf region and also publicising and uncovering the ongoing violations against freedom of expression worldwide in different languages. Also, the network has offered professional, technical, moral and organisational support available to us at the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and also for many regional and international organisations which work on similar issues.

I call on you to carry on with your work for a better future for our rights of freedom of opinion and expression and all human rights worldwide and especially in our region, towards which most countries turn a blind eye in order to protect their interests in the oil-rich region.

Finally, I must lift my hat and bow my head in respect and appreciation for your struggle for rights and send a kiss and hug for each one of you.

God bless you,

Nabeel Rajab
Jaw prison, Manama, Bahrain
June 2013
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