Bahrain Regime’s Military Agreements with West an Impediment to Progress on Democracy and Human Rights

Bahraini Activist Discloses Al-Khalifa Regime’s Military Agreements with West
30 January, 2013 – FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- A Bahraini activist lashed out at the al-Khalifa regime for its crackdown on the people, and disclosed that the Bahraini rulers have secretly signed military and security agreements with the West, specially the US and the UK, over the suppression of those civilians who take part in the country’s peaceful demonstrations.

“In addition to their arms sales to the regime, both Britain and America help the al-Khalifa regime with the suppression of the people’s revolution through their recommendations,” a leader of Bahrain’s al-Ahrar Movement Jafar al-Hessabi told FNA on Wednesday.

He noted that after the outbreak of the revolution in Bahrain, several experts of the UK’s Scotland Yard have been in Manama to advise the al-Khalifa regime on how to crack down on the people.

“Bahrain has military agreements with Britain and this country exports weapons to Bahrain, and the Bahraini crown prince was recently in the UK to sign new agreements (with that country),” al-Hessabi said.

In Bahrain, protesters and police clash almost daily as Demonstrations are banned.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February 2011, calling for an end to the al-Khalifa dynasty’s over-40-year rule, end of discrimination, establishment of justice and a democratically-elected government as well as freedom of detained protesters.

Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar – were dispatched to the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom on March 13, 2011, to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.

So far, tens of people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing and thousands of others have been injured. …source