King Hamad’s Stumbling Block – Ego driven by Lust for Power

Bahrain Today: A Tale of Missed Opportunities
By Badr al-Ibrahim – 17 January, 2012 – Al-Akhbar

The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) – also known as the Bassiouni Commission in reference to its chair, Cherif Bassiouni, has been heavily criticized and questions have been raised about its independence given that it was established by Bahraini authorities.

Bassiouni is thought to have violated rules of professional conduct by issuing “political edicts” in the media after his report was released. Such comments violated the investigative mission he was assigned to carry out and undermined his professionalism and objectivity.

Despite all that, Bassiouni caused an uproar when he discredited the Bahraini authorities’ claim that there is a connection between the popular protest movement in Bahrain and Iran.

The Bahraini regime had used this claim to vilify the opposition, protesters, and to justify bringing in the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) Peninsula Shield Force. Most importantly, this accusation fostered hostility against the Bahraini revolution in the Gulf region by playing the sectarian card.

Many believed that the Bassiouni Commission report would provide the regime and the opposition with a graceful exit out of the crisis. The commission was established in June to investigate unrest in Bahrain following the popular uprising and government crackdown in February and March. It was thought that the work of the commission – established due to Western and specifically US pressure – would provide a stepping stone for real political dialogue and a compromise that would satisfy everyone.

The US, whose Fifth Fleet is stationed in Bahrain, seemed annoyed with the way the Bahraini regime managed the crisis. They wanted to see a solution that would preserve stability in the small Gulf island. But the Bahraini authorities did not offer anything new.

Preoccupied with its military withdrawal from the region, its Afghanistan dilemma, and its economic crisis, the US did not do much either, apart from continuing to treat different countries that are part of the Arab Spring with double standards (For example, it strongly interferes in Syria and shows concern for the situation in Egypt, while it turns a blind eye to what is happening in Yemen and Bahrain).

After the report of the BICI, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa removed the country’s national security chief Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, member of the ruling family, from his position. He was then appointed as Supreme Defense Council secretary-general and as an advisor with the rank of minister.

This step showed that even expectations of using some officials as scapegoats, by holding them responsible for the crimes committed during the uprising, were misplaced.

Instead, the Bahraini regime has raised the ire of its people as it has honored those who violated their rights and killed and tortured them. The continued crackdown and killing of protesters, including children, supports the view that the regime’s hawks have emerged victorious over its doves.

This view stems from the belief that there are differences within the Bahraini regime regarding the best way to handle the protests. …more