US Support for Bahraini Repression Slips into the Mainstream

John Glaser, December 19, 2011

Congratulations to the New York Times for catching up with what Antiwar.com has been covering since the first days of the Arab Spring and long before. Nicholas Kristoff’s Op-Ed on Saturday had the title “Repressing Democracy, With American Arms,” referring to U.S. policy towards Bahrain. Kristoff writes that Obama should “understand the systematic, violent repression” in Bahrain and stop sending arms and support.

People here admire much about America and welcomed me into their homes, but there is also anger that the tear gas shells that they sweep off the streets each morning are made by a Pennsylvania company, NonLethal Technologies. It is a private company that declined to comment, but the American government grants it a license for these exports — and every shell fired undermines our image.

…I asked [Zainab al-Khawaja, prominent activist, whose husband and father are both in prison and have been tortured for pro-democracy activities and was arrested herself last week] a few days before her arrest about the proposed American arms sale to Bahrain.

“At least don’t sell them arms,” she pleaded. “When Obama sells arms to dictators repressing people seeking democracy, he ruins the reputation of America. It’s never in America’s interest to turn a whole people against it.”

He also talks about the 14 year old boy shot by security forces with a tear gas canister at point blank range. A video is provided:

Here’s my post on that incident back in August: Ongoing US-Supported Repression in Bahrain

Update: Via As’ad AbuKhalil, this is what happened in Bahrain over the weekend. By the account of a correspondent inside Bahrain, it was “by far the most violent day since during the time of emergency law.”



10 Responses to “US Support for Bahraini Repression Slips into the Mainstream”

  1. liveload
    December 19th, 2011 at 9:48 am

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  2. liveload
    December 19th, 2011 at 10:49 am

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  3. Superfluid
    December 19th, 2011 at 11:23 am

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  4. Bahrain Opposition Urges “Serious” Reform, Condemns Government Violence -- News from Antiwar.com
    December 19th, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    [...] U.S. support for the dictatorship in Bahrain has continued unabated throughout their harsh repression in the latest months. International pressure forced the Obama administration to suspend a new shipment of military equipment to Bahrain worth $53 million, but officials have indicated they are still mulling over whether or not to send it. [...]

  5. liberal
    December 20th, 2011 at 4:23 am

    This is what makes the attempt to foil the "hypocrisy charge" regarding R2P (responsibility to protect) laughable. The argument is some kind of utilitarian claim that it's still better that we helped free Libya from Ghaddafi, even if we don't do so in Bahrain. (I'm putting aside, of course, the question of whether it will be a "net benefit" to Libyans in the long run.) But the argument is extremely weak, given that as JG alludes here, the issue isn't merely that we don't help overthrow the Bahraini regime, but actually actively aid it.

  6. Orville H. Larson
    December 20th, 2011 at 5:24 am

    Incredible at it seems, the New York Times actually got it right for once!

    The U.S. Government doesn't give a rat's ass for "freedom" in the Middle East. It only believes in handing over the store to Israel, its "51st state."

  7. billet pas cher d'avion
    December 21st, 2011 at 2:27 am

    mouai … :o tu devrais te relire ton article on voit quelques d’ incohérences.

  8. Bahrain Failing to Prosecute Abuses, Continuing Repression, Says UN -- News from Antiwar.com
    December 21st, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    [...] U.S. support for the dictatorship in Bahrain has continued unabated throughout their harsh repression in the latest months. International pressure forced the Obama administration to suspend a new shipment of military equipment to Bahrain worth $53 million, but is still contingent on reform. [...]

  9. Antiwar.com’s Week in Review | December 23, 2011 « Antiwar.com Blog
    December 23rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    [...] the bipartisan rush to war with Iran, how government secrecy obstructs accountability, the mainstreaming of U.S. support for Bahraini repression, and being on the wrong side of history in [...]

  10. Why US Support for Sadistic Tyranny in Bahrain Continues « Antiwar.com Blog
    December 27th, 2011 at 6:54 am

    [...] support for this savagery remains assertive, however. Over $92 million in aid has been sent since Obama’s inauguration and another $26.2 [...]