White House Makes Nice With Bahrain as Detentions and Prosecutions Continue

[EFerrari]

by Marian Wang
ProPublica, June 8, 2011, 11:42 a.m.

As the Bahraini government continued its crackdown on largely Shiite pro-democracy groups, the Obama administration reaffirmed its friendship with Bahrain this week.

More Shiites were arrested <1> and about 50 medical workers <2> were charged by the Bahraini government this week. The government has accused the doctors and nurses of supporting the pro-democracy protests that the government has been trying for months to stop. Reuters reported yesterday that the medics have been denied access to their attorneys <2>.

The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, paid a visit to the White House yesterday and met with State Department officials as well as President Obama. There, the Obama administration’s soft touch on Bahrain continued, with Obama urging the Sunni monarch to “hold accountable” those responsible for human rights abuses without specifying who be held accountable <3>, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Bahrain, of course, has long been a close ally <4> of the United States, which has in turn benefitted from the Persian Gulf country’s willingness to host the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. As we’ve noted, the U.S. has kept its criticism muted in the face of a slew of alleged abuses <5>—mass arrests of protesters, activists and medical workers; torture <6>; abuse of Shiite women and girls and the destruction of at least 47 Shiite mosques <7>.

http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/obama-admin-makes-nice-with-bahrain-as-detentions-and-prosecutions-continue

[tekisui]

1. Shameful. Recommend.

[MineralMan]

2. Yah, international relations are messy sometimes.

Lots of things to weigh and balance. Those things often conflict with each other.

[EFerrari]

3. "Messy" isn't the word I would use for coddling an administration that tortures

doctors and nurses and emts.

[MineralMan]

4. OK. Use whatever word you like.

My statement stands, however. Sometimes stuff sucks.

[tekisui]

5. What justifications do you accept for supporting this brutality?

[MineralMan]

9. Who says I support it? I don't.

That does not mean it will change, however. I doubt seriously that President Obama supports it either, but the Fleet has to have a place to go, so...

As I said, stuff is messy. The world's a messy place.

[Forkboy]

13. "The world's a messy place."

And people accepting that so readily, almost eagerly at times, ensures it stays that way.

[EFerrari]

16. It's a way to minimize responsiblity, like Bush saying "it's hard werk". n/t

[MineralMan]

18. No, it's not. It's realistic thinking.

How would you solve the problem? Do you have a solution? How do you implement it? I'm all ears.

[EFerrari]

20. There is nothing "realistic" in simply dismissing this policy.

Calling is "realistic" is an attempt to normalize complicity in gross human rights violations.

[MineralMan]

23. OK, yes...what would you do?

What's your plan for a solution to the situation? If you've already laid out the plan elsewhere, you can just give me a link.

[EFerrari]

27. Senator Leahy recommented months ago

that US foreign aid to Bahrain be "reviewed".

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/02/20/145473/bahrain-demonstrators-leahy-state/

In fact, by law it should have been suspended when the administration became aware of Bahrain's human rights violations. In addition, pressure should be brought to bear on the Saudis whose troops are occupying Bahrain and are intimately involved in "pacification.

Is that clear enough for you?

You know what is real? Real is that today doctors and nurses are being shoved before secret military tribunals and tried for treason because they did their jobs in a war zone. That's what's real.

[MineralMan]

34. I think we should review foreign aid in every country.

We don't do that, though. I've thought that for years. Yes, we can manipulate nations by doing that. Of course we can. And yet, we don't.

What would YOU do, EFerrari? That was my question. What would you do? How would you solve the problems of that region? To answer that, assume that you are, in fact, the President of The United States, with all the authority that office has. What would you do and how would what you would do solve the problem?

It's an interesting exercise. I'd love to hear your response. Maybe you actually have a plan you'd implement. If so, let's read it.

[EFerrari]

37. I answered you in plain English. Maybe you're having a bad reading day.

[Forkboy]

22. And you get to have it both ways.

You can claim to care about an issue and not have do anything about it at the same time. "It's the way it is, man, you can't fight it. It's a waste of energy. But my telling those who care that it's a waste of energy isn't a waste of energy, because it's the way it is, man."

Ideals of convenience are all the rage, just in time for Summer fashion!

[MineralMan]

24. I don't have it any way.

I don't have it both ways or any way. I have absolutely zero influence on anything in Bahrain. Zip. Nada.

If you do, tell me what you're planning to do to fix the problem. What's your solution?

[Forkboy]

26. Not only do you sell your own voice short.

You waste it by telling others theirs is as big a waste as you're willing to make your own.

[MineralMan]

38. No, I do not sell my voice short. Not at all.

I'm very effective in my tiny little sphere of influence. Beyond that, my voice is hidden in the thousands of other voices. So, I work locally. It's what I can do. As I said, you're welcome to do as you please. I hope what you do matters. I'm not confident of that, though...not at all.

I will suggest, though, that you take a close look around your own area. There could be injustices happening right nearby. You might be able to make a difference.

[EFerrari]

41. Summer whites 'til Labor Day.

[MineralMan]

17. You know, whether it's accepted or not changes nothing.

Injustices are everywhere, from the United States to Bahrain and every place in between. How do we rid the planet of injustice? I wish I knew. Perhaps you do.

In the midst of all that, there's a planet full of people with differing ideas and beliefs. Who's in charge of that? Yes, Bahrain has a bunch of crap going on internally. So did Egypt. Egypt's citizens rose up and threw the bum out. How's that working out for the Egyptians? Will what finally emerges in Egypt be a just and ethical society? I doubt it. Will everyone's rights be respected? Probably not. Will people be jailed unjustly? I imagine so.

In the meantime, Bahrain is where the Fifth Fleet is based in that part of the world. Food, fuel, other stuff is found there by our Navy. What do we do about that? Yes, I'd like to see us out of Afghanistan and Iraq, too. We made a mistake going to both places. But, if we suddenly withdraw from both, will the people there have a just and equitable society, or will things become worse than they already are? I think we both know the answer to that question.

So, what do we do? What does President Obama do? How do we create a just and fair world for all the world's people? We can't even do it here in our own country. So, what do we do? Well, what we've always done is to weigh things and try to find some sort of balance. In Bahrain, we express our concern about the injustices happening there, while we refuel and resupply our ships at the base we have established there. We need the base, but we also want to promote justice. So, we weigh and balance. Life's messy.

Over in Egypt, one dictator is gone. Now the military is in charge - temporarily, they say. What's next in Egypt? A socialistic democracy with every person treated fairly and justly? Do you think so? I don't. What's probably next is another strong ruler who will turn into the next dictatorial ruler. And, since the Suez Canal is a strategic passage, we'll make some sort of accommodation with whatever government ends up in charge of Egypt. What else would we do? Send in troops? Really?

It's easy to sit here in our safe spots in the U.S. and criticize what's going on around the world. It's easy, because none of us bears any responsibility for fixing things. We can describe bad conditions and decry them, but none of us is in any position to do a damn thing about them. Is President Obama in a position to do anything about them? Not really, although he can use whatever influence he may have to try to get leaders of other countries to do something. In a pinch, he can commit our forces to attempt to force the issue, but that's not a very popular thing to do, and it's very expensive.

So, people are being unjustly treated in Bahrain. They're being unjustly treated in most nations of the world, including our own. And, all the while, we need gas and oil and stuff mined out of the ground and manufactured goods. So, we weigh and balance and try to come up with solutions that work, more or less. Nobody's satisfied. Nobody likes to see what's happening. Everyone wishes there was a solution. But there's not. There is no solution, because human beings are human beings. They love and hate. They behave well and badly. They have prejudices and religious beliefs that get in the way of justice and equality.

What would you do? What do you expect the President of The United States to do? How should all this be fixed, in your opinion?

[Forkboy]

25. I don't know what works. I know what doesn't get anything done though.

Shrugging your shoulders and saying, "Oh well".

You should spend all this energy you're expending here on me on the issue instead, not telling the people concerned about the issue that's it's "messy". You say you wish it were different, but scold the people wishing it were different for wishing it were different.

I also don't share your feeling that because humans are humans we have to accept certain things because of it. If something bothers you speak up about it and see what happens, instead of only speaking up to those already doing the speaking up, and only then to tell them that they're essentially wasting their time because, hey, human nature and all.

And I thought I was cynical.

[MineralMan]

31. I'm a student of history. Always have been.

The region in question has a very, very long history. It's worth looking at, even if you just focus on the history beginning with the 20th century.

We can't even run our own lives, to be quite frank. We damn sure can't run the Middle East. Every time we try, we screw things up worse than they were before. History is a great predictor of the future.

I'm not cynical at all. On a small scale, I can do good things and help things happen. When it comes to Bahrain, it's a bit out of my range. It's a bit out of Obama's range, too. We do ourselves no favor, and we do the people of that region no favor by pretending that we can make their lives better. We cannot. Only the people there can do that. And in a very, very long history, they haven't succeeded in doing so. I doubt they will, either. I think I'll focus on my tiny little corner of the planet. You're welcome to fret about Bahrain, though, if that pleases you. I wish you good success in making something happen there. I'm not sure how you think you'll do that, but good luck with it.

Just be aware that when the power shifts in Bahrain, or Egypt, or any other place you'd care to name, the injustices will just shift to another group. This has it always been, and thus will it ever be.

[EFerrari]

36. Oh, what baloney. Not accepting fucked up policy is the only thing

that ever has produced real change.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

35. Ahh, welcome to the wonderful art of Saying Without Saying.

Ain't it cute?

[sabrina 1]

10. Rape and torture is messy, although I would choose other words

to describe it. Otoh, we are not exactly in a position to demand that other abusers of human rights hold anyone accountable. We are still waiting for this administration to hold our own war criminals accountable, something that gets pointed out frequently now by other nations we attempt to lecture on human rights issues.

I'm sure the people being slaughtered by our ally in Bahrain would take issue with your description of what is happening to them though. I would use stronger words, such as 'crimes against humanity' and criminal under International law. I wonder what will happen when the people of Bahrain prevail? Because they will. I guess the US will abandon their 'ally' as they have Mubarak and Ben Ali to their fates.

Biden eg, didn't think Mubarak was a dictator, but then he didn't live under his brutal regime. The Egyptian people took matters into their own hands, as so many others are now doing. Our 'friend and ally' as described by this administration is now facing the death penalty in his country. I oppose the death penalty but am not sorry to see that at least in some countries now, criminals, torturers and raiders of the country's treasure, are being held accountable. I hope it catches on.


We look worse and worse each day to the rest of the world as our dictator friends and allies are toppled by their own people.

[MineralMan]

12. Yes, of course.

And what would you suggest that we do? Seriously. Should we send troops in? As you say, we're not entirely blameless ourselves, are we? In the meantime, the Fifth Fleet uses Bahrain as its base. What do we do about that?

It's not as though there are any states in that area that are egalitarian democracies, is it? We're there, although we shouldn't be, and we use Bahrain as a base for some operations in the region. What would you do if you were in President Obama's position? Any suggestions for him?

There are extreme injustices going on in many places around the world, just as there have been for centuries. And, in the midst of all that, stuff happens that has nothing to do with the injustices. How do you suggest we stop what is going on in Bahrain and other places in that and other regions? What is the role of the United States? Do we police the world and guarantee equal human rights in every nation? How?

How's Egypt doing after their uprising? Is the problem solved? Are the people there now free and equal? Do you expect them to be soon?

I'm sorry, but, as I said, the world's a messy place. I don't know how to fix that. Do you?

[Enrique]

14. no, no egalitarian democracies in the region

we made sure of that.

[MineralMan]

19. We did? When did we do that? Was it all sweetness and light

in that region before we got involved? Really? Are you sure?

[Enrique]

28. no, the world was messy in the Cold War too

in many parts of the world, egalitarian democracies were known as "Communists" and we had to quash them. We had no choice, because the world was a messy place, etc.

[EFerrari]

15. We don't have to send troops in. Our good friends the Saudis already have.

Bahrain is an occupied country right now.

[MineralMan]

21. What do you recommend, then, EFarrari?

How would you fix the situation? I confess that I have no idea how to do that? Have they fixed the situation in Egypt? I must have missed that, somehow. In over 4000 years, it seems as messed up as ever. If things are great there, I missed the news, I guess. How would you fix Bahrain? Just a rough outline would be fine, thanks.

[EFerrari]

32. I answered you in #27. And for future reference,

you don't need an action plan to point out that something is wrong. Were that true, no one would report house fires or traffic accidents or child abuse or My Lai or Watergate or Abu Graib. I hope that's helpful to you going forward.

[Distant Observer]

6. The hypocricy and complicity with Saudis is so deep, I don't see complaint making any difference

The Saudis let us have our way in Africa so that they can have their way in Arabia. That's the deal and Obama is stuck with it.

I just wonder how many billions exchanged hands.

[EFerrari]

7. It won't but it's still important to keep track of what is happening.

[EFerrari]

8. Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
June 7, 2011

SECRETARY CLINTON: I’m very pleased to welcome to the State Department His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Bahrain. He’s here in Washington meeting with high-level officials in our government. He has just come from the White House meeting there. And it is very significant to have these discussions, to hear directly from the Crown Prince about the plans that Bahrain is pursuing with respect to dealing with the issues that it currently is considering at home, and to create the conditions for political and economic reform.

Bahrain is a partner, and a very important one, to the United States, and we are supportive of a national dialogue and the kinds of important work that the Crown Prince has been doing in his nation, and we look forward to it continuing.

CROWN PRINCE AL-KHALIFA: Thank you very much. It’s a great pleasure to be here. I have the honor to be here as a representative of my country during this challenging time. It is a great test, but also a great opportunity to drive the nation forward. We are committed to reform in both the political and economic spheres, and I would like to reiterate that support and to find out ways in which we can work closely with our very important ally, the United States, in making it happen, because I personally feel, and I think many do, that this is in the interests of both our nations.

Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you very much.

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/06/165215.htm


Doctors and nurses ‘tortured with wooden boards studded with nails’ in barbaric crackdown on protests in Bahrain

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:45 PM on 8th June 2011

Doctors and nurses who are on trial before a military court were 'sleep deprived beaten with rubber hoses and wooden boards studded with nails' before being 'made to sign false confessions' Amnesty International has claimed.

Dozens of medical workers, who were arrested weeks ago, face a range of charges arising from their involvement in treating people injured when security forces violently crushed mass pro-reform protests in February and March.

They are accused of misusing their positions at Salmaniya hospital to make false allegations of security force violence, to have operated on some patients unnecessarily causing their deaths and to have denied medical treatment to others for sectarian reasons, as well as a string of related offences.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2000998/Bahrain-protests-Doctors-nurses-tortured-barbaric-crackdown.html#ixzz1OhpNgG6W

[sabrina 1]

11. The King should remember that just months ago, Hillary

was welcoming Ghadaffi's son to the State Dept. And both Biden, Hillary and Obama were calling Mubarak a 'good friend and ally'. We are not exactly the most trustworthy 'friends'. But then so many of OUR friends are brutal dictators it does become a problem to try to defend them when they are exposed, and our support of them is exposed, to the rest of the world.

Maybe we should choose our friends better. At least it would be easier to stand up for them when they get in trouble with their own people.

[Romulox]

29. Havoc! International Law says that we MUST now invade Bahrain.

Er, right? :shrug:

[EFerrari]

33. LOL. Yes and they can defend their country with the military aid

we're continuing to give them. :crazy:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

30. Tail wags dog and dog is grateful.

[EFerrari]

39. Opponents of democratic change in #Bahrain have new ally: Henry Kissinger!

@KenRoth Kenneth Roth
by 48thave
Opponents of democratic change in #Bahrain have new ally: Henry Kissinger! Embarrassing. http://bit.ly/joG7UM
2 hours ago via SocialFlow
http://twitter.com/#!/KenRoth/status/78491492959780864

Democratic change in Bahrain does not serve US interests: Kissinger
Submitted 2 days 10 hrs ago

Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger emphasized that a democratic change in Bahrain did not serve the interests of his country, highlighting once again the western double standard towards the Arab revolt, the daily Die Welt reported Monday.

Speaking at a round-table discussion on global affairs in Berlin, Kissinger said it's 'not in our interests' for Shiites to take over power in Bahrain since this could lead to 'the breakup of Saudi Arabia.'

He conceded the upheaval in Bahrain and other Arab Persian Gulf countries was a 'strategic and at the same time moral problem' for America.

The silence of the world, and particularly the US, in the face of the murderous Al-Kalifa repression is galling to ordinary Bahrainis who oppose the crackdown, who atch the world condemn rulers in Libya and Yemen without a mention of Bahrain which is also home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/International/06-Jun-2011/Democratic-change-in-Bahrain-does-not-serve-US-interests-Kissinger

The gang's all here!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

40. Well, at least Henry is telling the truth about American foreign policy and it's objectives.

Instead of the usual bucket of pure crappola about "freedom", "Democracy" and "Human Rights" given us by whoever happens to be in charge of the neo-con/neo-lib colonialism at the moment.