Showing posts with label U.S.-BAHRAIN RELATIONS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S.-BAHRAIN RELATIONS. Show all posts

Saturday, November 10, 2012

U.S. WELCOMES BAHRAINI POLITICAL SOCIETIES' DECLARATION OF PRINCIPALS OF NONVIOLENCE

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Support for Bahraini Opposition Political Societies' Declaration of Principles of Nonviolence

Press Statement
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 9, 2012


We welcome the "Declaration of Principles of Nonviolence" issued by six opposition political societies in Bahrain on November 7. Publicly committing to nonviolence is an important confidence-building measure, and we applaud the societies for committing to a non-violent path in order to pursue their goals. We urge the government and these six political societies to engage seriously and practically about ways to allow for the resumption of peaceful demonstrations as soon as possible.

We have repeatedly called on the Government of Bahrain and all elements of Bahraini society to take concrete steps to create a climate conducive for meaningful national dialogue that is responsive to the aspirations of all Bahrainis. We urge all parties to contribute to fostering a climate of reconciliation.

We remain deeply concerned about continuing clashes between police and demonstrators in Bahrain as well as an increase in violent and increasingly indiscriminate attacks on Bahraini civilians and security forces.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. In addition, the Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. During the mid-to-late 1990s, Shia activists mounted a low-intensity uprising to demand that the Sunni-led government stop systemic economic, social, and political discrimination against Shia Bahrainis. King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa, after succeeding his late father in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms in part to improve relations with the Shia community. After boycotting the country's first round of democratic elections under the newly-promulgated constitution in 2002, Shia political societies participated in 2006 and 2010 in legislative and municipal elections and Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest bloc of seats in the elected lower-house of the legislature both times. In early 2011, Bahrain's fractious opposition sought to ride a rising tide of popular Arab protests to petition for the redress of popular grievances. In mid-March 2011, with the backing of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals, King HAMAD put an end to the mass public gatherings and increasingly disruptive civil disobedience by declaring a state of emergency. Manama also welcomed a contingent of mostly Saudi and Emirati forces as part of a GCC deployment intended to help Bahraini security forces maintain order. Since that time, intermittent efforts at political dialogue between the government and opposition have remained at a stalemate. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), formed in June 2011 to investigate abuses during the unrest and state of emergency, released its final report in November 2011. The King fully endorsed the report, and since then Manama has begun to implement many of the BICI's recommendations, including improving policing procedures, reinstating fired workers, rebuilding some mosques, and establishing a compensation fund for those affected by the unrest and crackdown. Despite this progress, street protests have grown increasingly violent since the beginning of 2012.

Monday, May 14, 2012

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEETS WITH CROWN PRINCE OF BAHRAIN


FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, right, escorts Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to a meeting at the Pentagon, May 11, 2012. The two leaders discussed issues of mutual concern. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo. 

Panetta, Bahraini Crown Prince Meet at Pentagon
WASHINGTON, May 11, 2012 - Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Bahraini Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa met today at the Pentagon to discuss regional and bilateral issues, a senior DOD official said.

Panetta affirmed the long-standing commitment of the United States to a strong partnership with both the people and the government of Bahrain, said Navy Capt. John Kirby, deputy assistant secretary of defense for media operations.

The two leaders discussed the full range of regional and bilateral issues, including Bahrain's support of United States Naval Forces Central Command, Kirby said.

They also discussed the Bahraini government's ongoing efforts to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report, Kirby said. The commission was established by the King of Bahrain in late June 2011 to investigate the civil unrest that had occurred in Bahrain in February and March of that year.

The defense secretary noted the steps already taken to implement the report's recommendations, Kirby said. But Panetta, he added, also expressed his belief that work remains to fully address ongoing human rights issues, including individual cases.

Panetta also acknowledged the release of previously requested items and services that will help Bahrain maintain its external defense capabilities, Kirby said. The United States government, he added, will continue to withhold materials that are predominantly intended for use by police and other internal security forces.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

U.S. RENEWS SECURITY RELATIONS WITH BAHRAIN


FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Photo Credit:  Vladimir Arshinov([User:Vladimir_arsh GFDL CC-BY-SA-3.0 
Renewal of U.S. Security Cooperation With Bahrain
Press Statement Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
May 11, 2012
Today, the Administration informed Congress that for national security interests we have decided to release additional items and services for the Bahrain Defense Force, the Coast Guard, and the National Guard for the purpose of helping Bahrain maintain its external defense capabilities. Bahrain is an important security partner and ally in a region facing enormous challenges. Maintaining our and our partners’ ability to respond to these challenges is a critical component of our commitment to Gulf security.

We have made the decision to release additional items to Bahrain mindful of the fact that there are a number of serious unresolved human rights issues that the Government of Bahrain needs to address. We will continue to maintain the holds on the TOW missiles and Humvees that were notified to Congress last October. Certain additional items for the Bahrain Defense Force, as well as all items for the Ministry of the Interior, excepting the Coast Guard and units deployed in Afghanistan, will also remain on hold. The items that we are releasing are not used for crowd control.

While the Government of Bahrain has begun to take some important steps to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report, the country is becoming increasingly polarized and much work remains to be done. We are concerned about excessive use of force and tear gas by police. At the same time, we are concerned by the almost daily use of violence by some protestors. We urge all sides to work together to end the violence and refrain from incitement of any kind, including attacks on peaceful protestors or on the Bahraini police.

Going forward, we will continue to engage with Bahrain to encourage meaningful progress on human rights and reform. The United States believes that addressing the underlying causes of last year’s unrest and undertaking meaningful political and institutional reforms are critical to Bahrain’s stability and the strength of our countries’ longstanding partnership. All Bahrainis have a significant stake in participating in dialogue that leads to reform, and we call on the Bahraini government and people to resolve their issues through discussion. We remain committed to supporting Bahrain in achieving progress in these areas.

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