Bahrain MOI under advice of US, Top Cop John Timoney, hone skills in use of tear gas as lethal weapon

editor: The MOI is responsible for scores of death as a result of abuse of less-than-lethal tear gas intended for use to disperse riotous crowds. Security forces, as a practice use tear gas in deliberate assaults against homes transforming them into gas chambers. MOI Police have established a clear pattern of targeting the sick, elderly and homes with infants. The MOI has a clear practice of “saturation bombing” of villages often at night or in the early morning hours, when people are sleeping or in the day when large protests are occurring leaving the villages more vulnerable to attack.

In the MOI attacks, ransacking homes and theft of personal property and food have become a routine practice. These are not isolated incident these are a daily occurrences and well documented frequent events. The apartheid policies of King Hamad have established that a deadly and systematic collective punishment and genocide has emerged. The al Khalifa regime has ensured the destruction of any remaining hope for the so called “reforms” they have so loudly proclaimed in recent weeks.

The regime reforms are now being seen as clear ploy by the regime, to talk of reform and willingness to “reconcile” but all the while they maintain an intense campaign of collective punishment, escalation of state violence against the opposition, their villages and those least able to defend themselves.

The intensity of lethal nature of these practices have clearly increased under consultation of US, John Timoney and UK, John Yates. When Western governments support “free enterprise murder” unchecked by the Members of Parliament and our Congressional Representatives the moral crisis calls their constituents to hold them accountable. Phlipn.

Tear gas kills two Bahrainis: opposition
AFP, 24 March, 2012

A Bahraini gestures during the funeral of 59-year-old Abda Ali Abdul Hussein in the village of Jidhafds, west of Manama, March 23, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

Ahmed Abdul Nabi, 31, died after a tear gas grenade landed in his family’s house in the village of Shahrakan, said a statement by Al-Wefaq, citing family members.

The Shiite opposition group said he died due to the “poisoning and asphyxiating gases” used by security forces against Shiite youths, who stage frequent protests against the regime of the Sunni Muslim Al-Khalifa dynasty.

It provided a picture showing a broken window through which the canister is claimed to have entered the house.

Meanwhile, a woman named Abda Ali Abdul Hussein died on Friday after inhaling gases in the village of Jid Hafs, near the Bahraini capital Manama, Wefaq said, again citing family members.

The cause of the deaths could not immediately be confirmed.

Thousands demonstrated on Friday after the Shiite-led opposition called for several simultaneous protests across villages near Manama, in an act of defiance despite a brutal crackdown last March which quelled a month-long uprising demanding democratic change.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday criticised Bahraini forces for their “disproportionate use of force” as they sought to quell protests, saying their use of tear gas may have led to over 30 deaths.

“We have been receiving worrying reports of the disproportionate use of force by Bahraini security forces, including the excessive use of tear gas, the use of birdshot pellets and rubber bullets,” said spokesman Rupert Colville. ...more