Bahréin (Continuación)

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For all the fact that it's taking place in Abroad, what an uncomfortably British production the Bahrain Grand Prix has turned out to be. The whole thing echoes tales of forgotten outposts of the British empire, where a rogue commandant runs amok, assisted by conspiratorial officials banished there after various disgraces back in Blighty. Were the story in the hands of a novelistic genius like Joseph Conrad, our despotic rogue and his factotum might be some renegade captain from the East India Company and his amoral manager. But modern life has a way of failing to live up to fiction, which is why we've got Bernie Ecclestone and John Yates.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Imagine a world in which U.S. and allied forces had to travel thousands of extra miles to defend vital interests in the Middle East.

Imagine how pleased the Iranians would be if they knew their navy could have uncontested access to anywhere in the Gulf without fear of an immediate response.

If that’s not the kind of world you want to confront, then you should care greatly about continuing the incredibly important U.S. partnership with Bahrain.

As former Middle East force commander and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe, has said, Bahrain is “pound for pound, man for man, the best ally the United States has anywhere in the world.”…  Seguir leyendo »

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The political crisis in Bahrain appears to have subsided, even if the issues that provoked it remain unresolved. Now, the challenge before Washington is redefining the terms on which it deals with an important but seriously tarnished ally.

Bahrain is a major center of U.S. military operations and strategic commitment. It houses the headquarters of the Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is a prolific purchaser of American military equipment. A recent Congressional Research Service report found that the United States has undertaken a $580 million expansion of naval and air-base facilities there. In 2002 the island nation was officially designated a “major non-NATO ally,” putting it in an exclusive group of U.S.…  Seguir leyendo »

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On avait assisté au mois de mars à de violents affrontements à Bahreïn et à une vague de répression menée par les troupes saoudiennes arrivées au pays suite à des manifestations pacifiques demandant l'instauration d'une monarchie constitutionnelle. L'Iran n'a pas tardé à durcir le ton et à appeler l'Arabie saoudite à retirer ses troupes et à arrêter son ingérence à Bahreïn. Le pays qui est comme l'Iran, majoritairement chiite est par ailleurs gouverné par une minorité sunnite, a toujours bénéficié du soutien de l'Iran dans les circonstances de crise. On a souvent parlé de conflit irano-saoudien sur un territoire bahreïni.

Pour l'Arabie saoudite, tout changement politique à Bahreïn profiterait à l'Iran qui pourrait voir son rôle se renforcer davantage dans la région.…  Seguir leyendo »

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While the world was gripped by last weekend’s revelation that U.S. forces had secretly taken down Osama bin Laden, another covert operation was being carried out by armed security personnel — in the service of a key Middle Eastern ally of the United States.

Just after 8 p.m. on May 1, 35-year-old Bahraini opposition politician Matar Ebrahim Ali Matar was home with his wife when the phone rang. A woman who would not identify herself said that she had important documents she urgently needed to give him.

Matar is one of 18 members of the al-Wefaq political party who recently resigned from parliament in protest of the Sunni regime’s crackdown on predominantly Shiite protesters.…  Seguir leyendo »

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On Feb. 14, the winds of change that are sweeping the region hit the shores of Bahrain. Demands for well-paying jobs, transparency in economic affairs and access to better social services were received with good will. There is no doubt that grievances about civil and political rights for all Bahrainis are legitimate. In response, we offered an unconditional dialogue with the opposition so as to maintain the stability of our country and address the demands for reform.

Unfortunately, the legitimate demands of the opposition were hijacked by extremist elements with ties to foreign governments in the region. It became very clear that the stability, safety and economic viability of our country were being threatened.…  Seguir leyendo »

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The world watches with alternating hope and alarm as diverse countries in the Middle East and North Africa explore new relationships between governments and the governed. This struggle is of intense interest to international observers, given the key role some of these countries play in global energy and financial markets and in the political currents in Muslim countries.

In Bahrain - long recognized as a safe harbor of peaceful, moderate, progressive policies - we have witnessed demonstrations in our streets as some of our citizens demand a new social compact. Our crown prince has agreed to negotiate this, but it is attainable only if we respect the rule of law and maintain peace and security.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Avec l'envoi de plus de 1 000 hommes à Bahreïn et la répression brutale qui s'en est suivie, l'Arabie saoudite vient de signifier que l'épicentre de la révolution arabe s'est déplacé du Maghreb au Machrek, de Tunis à Manama. Nul doute que le soulèvement des Tunisiens et des Egyptiens demeurera, aux yeux de l'histoire, l'événement fondateur de ce que d'aucuns appellent la "renaissance arabe". Malgré tout, la contestation qui secoue le petit royaume de Bahreïn (à peine 600 000 habitants, hors expatriés) revêt une tout autre importance. Ce petit Etat occupe une place particulièrement importante qu'il doit à sa position géopolitique, à sa composition sociologique et, accessoirement, à sa structure confessionnelle.…  Seguir leyendo »

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The movement of Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates troops into Bahrain on Monday is a cause for concern on three levels.

It suggests that conservative Arab leaders in key energy-producing states are worried about the potential for unrest in Yemen to their west and Bahrain to their east to spill over into their countries.

It accelerates the long-simmering ideological war between some Arab leaders and the Iranian government, with an unspoken but strong undertone of Shiite-Sunni tensions.

It is likely to spark fresh internal tensions in some Gulf states where Shiite minorities will raise the level of their demands and protests.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Describing a pro-government demonstration in Bahrain last week, Michael Slackman wrote in the New York Times that it was an affluent crowd, very different from the mostly low-income Shia who were protesting against the government. "The air was scented with perfume, and people drove expensive cars," he said.

While local and international media talk repeatedly about Bahrain's sectarian divide, demonstrators on both sides insist there is Shia-Sunni unity. So what, exactly, is going on?

First, some facts. The majority of Bahrainis – about 70% – are Shia, and the majority of pro-reform/anti-government demonstrators at the Pearl Roundabout are Shia. It is true, also, that Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni royal family, and that the majority of participants at pro-government rallies appear to be Sunnis.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Quand on se penche sur les manifestations antigouvernementales qui ont éclaté dans le petit royaume de Bahreïn, la question n'est pas de savoir pourquoi ces événements se produisent, mais pourquoi ils ont mis autant de temps avant de survenir. Durant ces six derniers mois, les tensions se sont dangereusement exacerbées dans le pays. Mais elles sont nées il ya plusieurs années déjà. La dynastie sunnite régnante Al-Khalifa a opprimé l'opposition et élaboré un plan provocateur qui vise à rétablir l'équilibre démographique en réduisant la proportion majoritaire actuelle de 70% de chiites. Et ce, tout en ignorant le souhait raisonnable des groupes d'opposition qui lui demandent d'octroyer plus de pouvoir au parlement élu.…  Seguir leyendo »

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The fervor for change that inspired revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt is now rocking Bahrain. But the uprising in Manama differs from the mass protests that turned out longtime rulers in North Africa. Indeed, sectarian fault lines, together with the security forces’ complete fealty to the monarchy, seriously diminish the likelihood of peaceful regime change.

Whereas Tunisia and Egypt are relatively homogeneous countries – Sunni Muslims constitute more than 90% of their inhabitants – Bahrain’s Sunnis, including the royal family and the country’s political and economic elite, comprise only about one-third of the population. The rest are Shia. Each of these groups is making different, if not contradictory, demands.…  Seguir leyendo »

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On Wednesday evening, some Bahraini friends of mine decided to go to the Pearl Roundabout in the center of the capital to clean up antigovernment graffiti sprayed by youngsters there. It wasn’t that they disagreed with the protesters; indeed, they supported the calls for reform. But they felt that removing the spray paint was a way to help ensure that demands for change were taken seriously and that protesters weren’t dismissed as just a bunch of vandals.

I was curious about the camp that had been established on the Pearl Roundabout the day before, so I decided to go along. As a Briton who has lived here on and off for 10 years, I have always felt welcomed and part of Bahraini society.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Where’s the next place to blow in the Arab revolution? Candidates are many, but there’s one whose geopolitical impact vastly exceeds its diminutive size — the island of Bahrain.

This is a place run by an oppressive and corrupt little regime, long coddled by Washington because the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered there. The future of the base is far from secure if the regime falls.

A few hard facts about the island that should give pause for thought:

First, Bahrain is a Shiite island. You won’t see it described that way, but it is — 70 percent of the population, more than the percentage of Shiites in Iraq.…  Seguir leyendo »

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Cyber activists in Bahrain have declared Valentine's Day a "day of wrath" in the kingdom. It is also the 10th anniversary of a referendum in which Bahrainis approved a national charter promising a new political era after decades of political unrest.

Organisers chose this date to signal their belief that the authorities had reneged on the charter's promise. Taking a cue from the protests in the wider Arab world, their stated aim is to press the authorities on their political and economic grievances.

The day of wrath's Facebook page passed 10,000 supporters within a few days, and a declaration in the name of Bahraini Youth for Freedom is being widely circulated online.…  Seguir leyendo »