They mourned the killing of 7 of their fellow protesters last week, honoring them by re-naming the intersection 'Martyrs' Roundabout'
Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bahrain. Show all posts
Feb 25, 2011
A Sea of People in Bahrain
In Bahrain friday large numbers of pro-democracy protesters marched through the city to the Pearl Roundabout.
They mourned the killing of 7 of their fellow protesters last week, honoring them by re-naming the intersection 'Martyrs' Roundabout'
They mourned the killing of 7 of their fellow protesters last week, honoring them by re-naming the intersection 'Martyrs' Roundabout'
Feb 18, 2011
Bahrain Explodes
The small Persian Gulf country of Bahrain has witnessed anti-monarchy protests against the government of the Khalifa family there. The situation inside the key US ally escalated as the government opened fire on protesters yesterday, killing 3 and injuring many.
Today the protesters returned to the Pearl Roundabout, a location that has become their country's Tahrir Square, only to be assaulted once more by government forces. These assaults come despite requests from the United States that the Khalifa family show mercy and tolerance for the peaceful protesters. This chilling tweet from the New York Times Nicholas Kristof came amidst the chaos:
Clearly, the United States is in another bind - support peace and democracy and lose a key ally, or support violent dictators and keep an important geostrategic foothold in the Persian Gulf?
Photo thanks to Al Jazeera English, whose excellent live blog can be found here.
Today the protesters returned to the Pearl Roundabout, a location that has become their country's Tahrir Square, only to be assaulted once more by government forces. These assaults come despite requests from the United States that the Khalifa family show mercy and tolerance for the peaceful protesters. This chilling tweet from the New York Times Nicholas Kristof came amidst the chaos:
Panicked crowds running thru hospital after police attack. Drs rushing to ER. Tear gas grenades outside, wafting in.
Clearly, the United States is in another bind - support peace and democracy and lose a key ally, or support violent dictators and keep an important geostrategic foothold in the Persian Gulf?
Photo thanks to Al Jazeera English, whose excellent live blog can be found here.
Feb 16, 2011
Police storm protesters in Bahrain, at least 2 dead
Two to three hours ago police stormed the Pearl roundabout in Manama, Bahrain where peaceful demonstrators are camped out in protest of the dictatorial al-Khalifa family in power there. Al Jazeera English has the story (as usual):
This follows recent crackdowns on protesters by the regimes in Iran and Libya, which were condemned by the United States government. I would not expect such a condemnation from the Obama Administration over Bahrain, however, since the small island nation in the Persian Gulf is a key regional ally and the command base of the US 5th Naval Fleet.
Bahrain is one of the places from which the United States hopes to contain Iranian influence. Losing it as an ally would be a detriment to an already crumbling American hegemony in the region.
This follows recent crackdowns on protesters by the regimes in Iran and Libya, which were condemned by the United States government. I would not expect such a condemnation from the Obama Administration over Bahrain, however, since the small island nation in the Persian Gulf is a key regional ally and the command base of the US 5th Naval Fleet.
Bahrain is one of the places from which the United States hopes to contain Iranian influence. Losing it as an ally would be a detriment to an already crumbling American hegemony in the region.
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