A Dangerous Escalation In The Middle East As Bahrain Blames Pipeline Explosion On Iran, Terrorists

© Hamad I Mohammed / Reuters

RFE: Bahrain Says Pipeline Fire Caused By Iran-Backed Militants

Bahrain says an oil pipeline that exploded overnight was attacked by militants linked to its arch-foe Iran.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said in a statement on November 11 that the incident was a “dangerous act of terrorism.”

"Terrorist acts witnessed by the country in the recent period are carried out through direct contacts and instructions from Iran," the statement said.

No group has claimed the attack. There was no immediate comment from Tehran.

The explosion and fire hit near the village of Buri late on November 10, damaging nearby buildings.

Bahrain relies on the Abu Safa field for much of its oil, pumped in via a 230,000 barrel-per-day pipeline.

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WNU Editor: This is an ominous development. With tensions being as high as they are in the region .... it looks like some groups are taking advantage of the situation.

More News On Bahrain Blaming Pipeline Explosion On Iran, Terrorists

Bahrain calls pipeline blast 'terrorism' linked to Iran -- Reuters
Bahrain blames Iran for pipeline fire 'terror attack' -- The Times of Israel
Bahrain says militants hit oil pipeline, opening new front -- New York Daily News
Bahrain blames Iran for ‘terrorist sabotage’ after oil pipeline explosion -- RT
Kuwait strongly condemns oil pipeline bombing in Bahrain -- Xinhua
UAE condemns attack on Bahrain oil pipeline -- The National

Bahrain's King Denounces The Arab Boycott of Israel

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (R) speaks to British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) during the first Gulf Cooporative Council's (GCC) " GCC British Summit", in Sakhir Palace Bahrain, December 7, 2016.. (photo credit:HAMAD I MOHAMMED / REUTERS)

Jerusalem Post: Bahrain King Denounces Arab Boycott of Israel, Says Countrymen May Visit

The king of the island nation has plans to establish a Museum of Religious Tolerance in the capital city by the end of the year.

LOS ANGELES – Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa has denounced the Arab boycott of Israel and said his subjects are free to visit the Jewish state. The statement by the head of the Persian Gulf country, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, was revealed at a multi-national event last week in Los Angeles, hosted by the city's Simon Wiesenthal Center.

A walk through the city, at that time was an eye-opener, Cooper said. There was a church, with a huge cross, next to a Hindu temple, and 90 meters on an impressive mosque. Even a small synagogue, the only one in the Persian Gulf region, still stands in an older part of the city.

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Update: Bahrain ruler denounces Arab boycott of Israel (Arutz Sheva)

WNU Editor: Will the other Persian Gulf countries say the same thing .... I doubt it.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE And Bahrain Have Cut All Diplomatic Ties With Qatar. They Are Accusing Qatar Of 'Working With Militias, Supporting Qaeda & ISIS'

Bloomberg: Saudi-led Alliance Cuts Qatar Ties as Gulf Crisis Escalates

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, escalating a crisis that started over Qatar’s relationship with Iran and its support of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The three countries said they will suspend air and sea travel to and from Qatar. Saudi Arabia said it will shut land crossings with its neighbor, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Bahrain has given Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave.

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WNU Editor: I know that Qatar was having problems with its Arab neighbours .... these disputes have been ongoing for over a year .... but this breaking of diplomatic relations was sudden. This will have a significant impact on U.S. policies in the region. Bahrain is the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Qatar is a major buyer of U.S. military equipment and is now the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center. This break may also put at risk OPEC's oil arrangements .... Saudi, Qatar Relationship Worsens, Leaving OPEC Deal & Oil Price Stability At Risk (Mint Press). And there is Iran who is cheering this split in the Arab coalition .... Qatar needs to address its policy contradictions (The National).

More News On The Saudi Coalition Cutting Ties With Qatar

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE Cut Diplomatic Ties, All Contacts With Qatar, Citing 'Terrorism' -- RFE
Egypt joins several GCC countries in severing ties with Qatar -- Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain break diplomatic ties with Qatar over 'terrorism' -- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia cuts ties to Qatar, cites 'terrorism' -- Reuters
Bahrain announces it is cutting all ties with Qatar -- Al Arabiya
Bahrain Severs Diplomatic Relations With Qatar -- Sputnik
Bahrain cuts ties with Qatar for meddling in internal affairs -- Reuters
‘Terrorism, meddling in affairs’: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia & Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar -- RT
Saudi bloc splinters over hard line on Iran -- Al Monitor

Is Iran Fermenting The Unrest In Bahrain?

Washington Post: U.S. increasingly sees Iran’s hand in the arming of Bahraini militants

The men who built the secret bomb factory had been clever — suspiciously so, Bahraini investigators thought, for a gang known mostly for lobbing molotov cocktails at police. The underground complex had been hewed, foot by foot, beneath the floor of a suburban villa, with no visible traces at street level and only a single entrance, hidden behind a kitchen cabinet.

But the real surprises lay inside. In one room, police found $20,000 lathes and hydraulic presses for making armor-piercing projectiles capable of slicing through a tank. Another held box upon box of the military explosive C-4, all of foreign origin, in quantities that could sink a battleship.

“Most of these items have never been seen in Bahrain,” the country’s investigators said in a confidential technical assessment provided to U.S. and European officials this past fall that offered new detail on the arsenals seized in the villa and in similar raids that have occurred sporadically over nearly three years. In sheer firepower, the report said, the caches were both a “game-changer” and — matched against lightly armed police — “overkill.”

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Update: Gulf ministers condemn Iran’s support to Bahrain ‘terrorists’ (The Nation/AFP)

WNU Editor: Bahrain is a major U.S. ally and home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet .... so what happens in Bahrain will have consequences for U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf. But the Sunni-Shiite divide that has exacerbated the tensions in the country show no signs of being resolved, and considering the multiple wars and conflicts that have engulfed the Middle East for the past few years .... it was only a matter of time before this militancy (where weapons and bombs are being deployed) would show up in Bahrain. As for where the U.S. stands .... this about sums it up .... Trump Administration Drops Human Rights Conditions for F-16 Sale to Bahrain (NBC).

Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Calls For The Annexation Of Bahrain

Jerusalem Post: Revolutionary Guards commander demands that Iran annex Bahrain

General Qasemi, a crony of Iran's supreme leader, urged the annexation of Bahrain to Iran, explaining that "Bahrain is an Iranian province that was detached from Iran due to the colonialism."

General Saeed Qasemi, a reolutionary Guards commander and the commander of Ansar Hezbollah, a paramilitary conservative Islamic group in Iran, has demanded that Iran annex Bahrain, the Revolutionary Guard-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported Sunday.

Speaking at a forum in the city of Bushehr, Qasemi urged the annexation of Bahrain to Iran, explaining that "Bahrain is an Iranian province that was detached from the Islamic Republic of Iran due to the Western colonialism."

"Iran must make efforts to bring Bahrain back into Iranian territory and transform it into a part of Bushehr province," Qasemi further stated.

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Update: Iranian military leader calls for annexation of Bahrain (Citizens For Bahrain)

WNU Editor: Iranian claims on Bahrain go back a long time, but any move by Iran today to seize Bahrain will only result in war with Saudi Arabia, the other Gulf States, and probably with the U.S. (especially since the 5th Fleet's HQ is stationed there).

Protests Erupt In Bahrain

Thousands Of Opposition Protesters Rally In Bahrain -- Voice of America

Thousands of opposition supporters have jammed a major highway leading to Bahrain's capital, as clashes broke out for a second day at rallies marking the second anniversary of an uprising against the country's Sunni rulers.

Anti-government protesters staged the march Friday on the Boudaya highway that links several Shi'ite-populated areas to the capital, Manama.

The demonstration is part of nationwide protests that began Thursday and have become violent.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Protest marches, clashes expand in tense Bahrain -- AP
Teen, police officer die as crowds protest in Bahrain on 2nd anniversary of uprising -- CNN
Protests Mark 2nd Anniversary Of Bahrain Uprising -- NPR/Global Post
Bahrain policeman killed in unrest -- BBC
Clashes mark Bahrain's second uprising anniversary -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Teen killed in protests on Bahrain revolt anniversary -- Reuters
Clashes mark second anniversary of uprising in tense Bahrain; 1 reported dead -- Washington Post/AP
Teenager dies during pro-democracy protests in Bahrain -- The Guardian
Bahrain to investigate latest protest deaths -- Al Jazeera

Protests In Bahrain Continue Even As Reconciliation Talks Begin

Bahraini Police Break Up Protest Near Manama -- Al Jazeera

Police use tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters, days before two-year anniversary of uprising.

Bahraini police have fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters trying to march to Pearl Roundabout, the now-crushed symbol of the pro-democracy uprising that began nearly two years ago.

Hundreds of people marched towards the square in the capital Manama carrying Bahraini flags and chanting, "square of martyrdom, we all still have the will."

The protest was called by the February 14 coalition, a loosely-organised group of mostly young protesters.

"Down with the corrupt government," the demonstrators chanted. "Khalifa resign," they called, referring to the king's uncle Prince Khalifa bin Salman, who has been prime minister for four decades.

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More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Bahrainis divided as leaders start reconciliation talks -- Reuters
Russia ‘to mediate in Bahrain’ -- Gulf News/Bloomberg
US welcomes start of Bahrain talks -- Global Talks/AFP
Bahrainis protest on eve of revolt anniversary -- AFP
Bahrain police fire tear gas at protest: witnesses -- AFP
Tear gas fills Bahraini capital as hundreds mark uprising anniversary -- RT
Tear Gas, Stun Grenades as Bahraini Revolution Anniversary Gets under Way -- Al Manar News
Bahrain's Arab spring chapter is still being written two years on -- Ian Black, The Guardian
Bahrain: it's time to act -- Ali Alaswad, The Guardian
Bahrain talks 'must succeed or outcome will be a disaster' -- Elizabeth Dickinson, The National

Unrest Returns To Bahrain

Bahrain Burning -- Foreign Policy

The island kingdom is descending into violence, and nobody has a plan to restore order.

Violence is once again rearing its ugly head in Bahrain. The coordinated detonation of five home-made explosive devices in the capital of Manama on Nov. 5, resulting in the death of two people and the maiming of another, was not some crude attempt to celebrate Guy Fawkes night, but an escalation of bloodshed that threatens to tip the island kingdom into chaos.

The attack appears to be an amateurish attempt to cause terror and mayhem, achieving no result other than killing innocent expatriate labourers. The quality of the explosive devices was poor, suggesting that the attacks were the work of unsophisticated actors working with little institutional support.

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My Comment: Bahrain's response to this violence is predictable .... but no one is convinced (myself included) that it will work.

Bahrain Shias Protest Against Closer Ties With Saudi Arabia

(Google)

Bahrain Protests: Shias Rally Against Closer Ties With Saudi Arabia -- The Guardian

Tens of thousands of Shia protesters demonstrate against further integration between Sunni rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Tens of thousands of mainly Shia protesters in Bahrain have joined a march to denounce proposals for closer ties between the unrest-torn Gulf kingdom and neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

There were no immediate reports of violence, but the large turnout on Friday points to strong opposition to further integration between the Sunni rulers of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Gulf leaders this week delayed a decision on the proposals.

Read more ....

More News On Bahrain Shiites Protesting Against Closer Ties With Saudi Arabia

Bahrainis demonstrate against Saudi union plan -- AFP
Tens of thousands join Bahrain protest against unity plans with Saudi Arabia -- Washington Post/AP
Iranian Protests Heat Up Over Saudi-Bahrain Agreement -- RTT
Iranians rally against Bahraini rulers’ move to forge closer ties with their Saudi backers -- Washington Post/AP
Iranian Protesters Denounce Saudi-Bahrain Union Plan -- Radio Free Europe

The Growing Sunni-Shiite Divide In Bahrain

A policeman tried to put out fires set by protesters in Budaiya, west of Manama, on Sunday. Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

Bahrain F1 Race: How A Sunni Backlash Kept An Uprising At Bay -- Christian Science Monitor

The Formula One race in Bahrain today has put the spotlight back on an uprising here that has faltered due to sectarian distrust.

Yaqoub al-Slaise, a young Sunni activist and assistant researcher at Bahrain University, remembers the exact moment when he decided to oppose Bahrain's uprising – once again in the spotlight with today's Formula One race here.

The country's mainly Shiite protesters, who had initially demanded only reform of the Sunni-run government, had shifted to a much bolder call after the regime began to crack down in March 2011. "The people want the fall of the regime," they shouted.

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My Comment: The Sunni population in Bahrain are looking at Iraq and Iran and are seeing for themselves on how the Sunni population are being marginalized and shut out by the Shiite majority .... I guess they do not want that experience to happen to them. On the flip side ..... the Shiite Allawite sect of Syria do not want to be marginalized in a Sunni government .... hence Bashir Assad and his Shiite dominated government are also determined to keep their power.

The old religious animosities between Sunnis and Shiites are now rearing their ugly head.

No Disruption At The Bahrain Grand Prix

Despite Protests, Bahrain Grand Prix Races Without A Hitch -- CNN

(CNN) -- Days of escalating government protests failed to halt the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday, which took place even as nearby streets were blocked with burning tires and trash.

Opposition calls for large protests had raised fears the Grand Prix would have to be canceled for a second year in a row and pose a threat to Formula One crews, workers, and fans.

There were no outward signs of protest at the race itself. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel secured the win, followed by Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean of Lotus-Renault.

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My Comment: No disruptions? It helps when there is no one in the stands.

My prediction .... if the protests are still continuing next year .... the Bahrain Grand Prix will be cancelled.

Protestors Vow To Stop The Bahrain Grand Prix

Bahrain 'Confident' Grand Prix Will Not Be Disrupted -- BBC

The authorities in Bahrain say they are confident the Formula 1 Grand Prix will not be disrupted by protests.

The heavily-guarded race track has been surrounded with layers of security to keep opposition activists away.

On Saturday, protests intensified after the body of a Shia man killed in overnight in clashes with security forces was discovered on a rooftop.

Protesters are calling for the race to be cancelled, but the government is determined it will go ahead.

On the eve of the event, British Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke to his Bahraini counterpart to "call for restraint" in dealing with protesters.

The race is due to start at 15:00 (12:00 GMT).

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More News On Protests Against the Grand Prix In Bahrain

Protests, clashes, death cast pall over Bahrain Grand Prix -- Haaretz
Bahrain vows protests won't stop grand prix -- Sydney Morning Herald
Protester dies as Bahrain Grand Prix tensions mount -- CNN
Bahrain clashes threaten to disrupt Grand Prix -- CBS
Bahrain Grand Prix to go ahead despite protester's death -- The Guardian
Death boosts tension before F1 race -- Sydney Morning Herald
Formula One lives in a Bahrain bubble -- Reuters
Grand Prix races on as streets in Bahrain morph into battle zone -- MSNBC
Bahrain analysis: how Formula One plan may have backfired for Gulf kingdom's ruling family -- The Telegraph
What they have said about the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix -- The Guardian

Bahrain Protestors Promise Disruptions During This Weekends Grand Prix

'Go To Syria, It's More Important Than Here': F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone Tells Journalists As He REFUSES To Cancel Bahrain Grand Prix... And Thousands Of Pro-Democracy Protesters Flood Streets -- Daily Mail

* Protesters planning 'Days Of Rage' to disrupt controversial event
* Motorsport's stars take to the track for first practice session today
* Fears violent rallies pro-democracy activists will overshadow race
* Yvette Cooper: 'Button and Hamilton should NOT be taking part'
* George Galloway: 'Circuit is stained by blood of those asking for vote'
* Force India workers fly home after fleeing protesters hurling petrol bombs
* Vettel: 'What really matters is tire temperatures and the cars'

Bernie Ecclestone today told journalists covering the Bahrain Grand Prix they 'should go to Syria' if they wanted a good story - as thousands of pro-democracy protesters flooded the streets to rally against the ruling regime.

Standing alongside the Gulf island nation's Crown Prince, the pint-sized Formula One boss sparked outrage by saying that, despite the obvious dangers to all involved, he could not cancel the event.

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More News On Bahrain Protestors And The F1 Grand Prix

Bahrain's 'days of rage' - live updates -- The Guardian
Bahrain Grand Prix 2012: I cannot call off this race and it will go ahead, says Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone -- The Telegraph
Bahrain Grand Prix must go on despite protests, prince says -- National Post/Reuters
Bahrain Grand Prix: Thousands demand cancellation -- BBC
Bahrain Protesters Call for ‘Days of Rage’ as Grand Prix Nears -- Voice of America
Bahrain protesters rally as Formula 1 teams practice for controversial race in Gulf kingdom -- Washington Post/AP
Fearful Force India skip Bahrain practice as worries grow ahead of troubled Grand Prix -- Daily Mail
Bahrain tightens security as controversial F1 race gets under way in Gulf Kingdom -- Globe and Mail
Bahrain Grand Prix revs up polarisation of Gulf state -- The Guardian
Why is Bahrain F1 race under fire? -- CNN

Bahrain Cannot Guarantee The Safety Of Formula One Teams And Spectators At This Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix

A woman and her child pass in front of anti-Formula One graffiti in the village of Barbar, west of Bahrain’s capital Manama. Photograph: Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters

Bahrain Unable To Guarantee Safety For Formula One Says Former Met Officer -- The Guardian

John Yates says incidents at grand prix are possible and police will use live rounds if necessary.

The government of Bahrain cannot guarantee the safety of Formula One teams and spectators at this Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix as violence escalates in the Gulf kingdom, according to the British former police officer who is working on security at the track.

John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police who is employed by the Bahrain government to advise on police reform, told the Guardian: "People say can we guarantee security. Of course we can't guarantee security. I'd be a fool to sit here and say that.

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My Comment: F1 better be ready because the activists in Bahrain know that this event will have the world press in attendance .... a perfect venue for demonstrations and (probably) violent confrontations.

Update: Bahrain: What You Won't See at F1 -- Elizabeth Dickinson, World Affairs

Masive Demonstration In Bahrain Underway

Bahrain Protesters Join Anti-Government March In Manama -- BBC

Tens of thousands of people have joined an anti-government march just outside the Bahraini capital, Manama.

Video posted online showed protesters with Bahraini flags in a line stretching back hundreds of metres.

The security forces fired tear gas at a small group of protesters, but the rally was mostly peaceful.

Activists had called for the biggest rally since the Bahraini authorities quelled a popular protest with help from Saudi troops more than a year ago.

Next month, the Bahraini Grand Prix is due to be held in what the authorities are trying to promote as a return to normality in the country.

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More News On Widespread Demonstrations In Bahrain

Mass pro-democracy protest rocks Bahrain -- Reuters
Bahrain protesters boost pressure with huge rally -- AJC/AP
Thousands of protesters flood major highway in Bahrain -- CTV
Bahrain protesters march in huge rally -- Financial Times
Iraqi Shiite protesters demand Bahrain’s Sunni king be banned from upcoming Arab League summit -- Washington Post/AP
Bahrain Braces for 200,000 Protesters Taking to Streets -- International Business Times
Bahrain’s huge anti-government rally, in photos -- France24

Worries Grow Of A Violent Shiite-Sunni Confrontation in Bahrain

In Bahrain, Worries Grow of Violent Shiite-Sunni Confrontation -- New York Times

MANAMA, BAHRAIN — Mohammed Ibrahim, 19, a Shiite student at the University of Bahrain, says he has gotten used to the tear gas the police use to disperse protests, which he and his friends attend every Friday.

Suspended for several months after the violent suppression of last year’s pro-democracy movement, he recently was allowed back on campus.

“They had suspended me because I participated in demonstrations on the campus and there had been fights with some Sunni students,” Mr. Ibrahim said in an interview last week.

Now he is back in school, but the situation between Shiite students like him and Sunni students is very “tense,” he said.

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My Comment: The trend is in that direction .... a Sunni-Shiite confrontation. As the anniversary date for the uprising approaches, clashes are intensifying and detainees are dying in prison .... and many are now bracing for the worse.

Unrest Returns To Bahrain After Publication Of Report Critical Of The Government`s Handling of Protestors

Police Fire Tear Gas At Protesters During Bahrain Funeral Protest -- The Telegraph

Protesters clashed with police on after the funeral of a Shi'ite man who died a day earlier when a police vehicle smashed into his car.

Some 10,000 people from the majority Shi'ite community in the Gulf Arab state took to the streets of the town of Aali, chanting slogans that were taken from the inquiry led by international rights lawyer Cherif Bassiouni.

Bassiouni surprised Bahrainis and most observers with a hard-hitting report whose main points were read out in front of King Hamad and senior figures from the ruling Al Khalifa family on Wednesday.

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More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Bahrain used "excessive force" in crackdown: inquiry -- Reuters
Bahrain Rights Report Finds Government Used Excessive Force -- Voice of America
Bahrain commission issues brutal critique of Arab Spring crackdown -- Christian Science Monitor
Bahrain's king promises reform after torture report -- L.A. Times
King Hamad of Bahrain welcomes report accusing kingdom of torture -- The Guardian
Bahrain Opposition Hopes Rights Report Leads to Wider Reform -- Wall Street Journal
Bahrain hints at evidence of Iran protest links despite report rejection -- Washington Post/AP
Bahrain at crossroads on path to reconciliation -- Financial Times
Bahrain's Rights Report: Power Speaks Truth to Itself -- Aryn Baker, Time

Unrest In Bahrain -- News Updates March 25, 2011

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Heavy Security Quells Bahraini Protests -- Al Jazeera

One man dies from suffocation as security forces in Bahrain use tear gas to keep a lid on anti-government protests.

Police have broken up small scattered protests in Manama, Bahrain's capital, using tear gas after calls for a "Day of Rage" were quashed by a heavy security force presence.

Helicopters, extra checkpoints on major highways and visible security forces appeared to have prevented any major demonstrations from gathering support.

A 71-year-old man died of asphyxiation in his home after police fired tear gas in the village of Mameer, the main Shia protest group said.

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More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Bahrain Protesters Hit by Tear Gas -- Voice of America
Bahrain police tear gas Shiite protesters -- AFP
Bahrain forces quash small protests in "Day of Rage" -- Reuters
Bahraini forces fire tear gas at protesters after Shiite cleric vows demands won't be silenced -- Canadian Press
Bahraini Protesters Defy Ban -- Wall Street Journal
Shiite-led revolt awakens Bahrain Sunnis -- Zawya
Bahrain Use of Force May Hit Economy as Shiites Opposed to Ruler Protest -- Bloomberg
Bahrain's crushed Shia feel forgotten -- Financial Times
After the crisis, Bahrain's sectarian divide grows -- Reuters
Bahrain: Protesters Reject Sunni-Shia Split Claims – OpEd -- Eurasia Review

Unrest In Bahrain -- News Updates March 21, 2011

Protesters shout slogans asking for the release of prisoners they say are held without trial, in Saudi Arabia's eastern Gulf coast town of Qatif March 11, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Stringer

Bahrain's King Says Crackdown Averted Foreign Plot To Destabilise The Country -- The Telegraph

Bahrain's king has said his forces have foiled a three-decade-old foreign plot to destabilise the country after they cracked down on a pro-democracy protest movement.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa said the plot by unnamed foreign powers "had been fomented for twenty to thirty years for the ground to be ripe for subversive designs".

His statement came as a fourth day of funerals was held for protesters killed in the violence last week, and opposition groups said around 100 people were still missing.

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More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Bahrain Says Foreign Plot Foiled -- Voice of America
Bahrain says it has foiled "foreign plot" -- Reuters
Bahrain says it has foiled "foreign plot" -- L.A. Times
Bahrain unrest: King Hamad says foreign plot foiled -- BBC
Bahrain's King: Foreign plot to destabilize country foiled -- CNN
Crackdown Was Only Option, Bahrain Sunnis Say -- New York Times
Bahrain's king thanks Saudi troops for thwarting 'external plot' -- Christian Science Monitor
Bahrain king makes veiled charge against Iran over Shiite unrest in island kingdom -- Canadian Press
Saudi role in Bahrain brings regional stakes -- Sify News
Bahrain opposition urges government to take steps toward talks -- Reuters
Symbol Of Uprising Is Destroyed In Bahrain -- NPR
The dire consequences of Saudi intervention in Bahrain -- Kristin Diwan, CNN
Crackdown in Bahrain: Notes from the field: Despite the protests, the Al Khalifa family does not look like it will be dethroned, but that may come with a cost. --
Michael Hudson, Al Jazeera

My Comment: It is all about religion, and Bahrain's majority population (70%) is Shiite. As long as the demographics favor the majority Shiites, the Sunni leadership will always have problems in accommodating the political aspirations of this group .... doubly so if many Sunnis decide to ignore the Shiite majority and maintain the status quo.

Unrest In Bahrain -- News Updates March 17, 2011

Bahrain Opposition Leaders Arrested, Shiite Neighborhoods Sealed Off -- L.A. Times

Bahrain's opposition forces appear, for now, to be frightened and uncertain how to respond to a continuing crackdown in which at least half a dozen opposition leaders were arrested and Shiite neighborhoods were sealed off.

Bahrain's security forces arrested at least half a dozen opposition leaders Thursday and sealed off Shiite Muslim neighborhoods on the second day of crackdown that, at least for now, appeared to have left the regime's opponents frightened and uncertain about how to respond.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Bahrain

Opposition Leaders Arrested in Bahrain as Crackdown Grows -- New York Times
Bahrain Arrests Opposition Leaders After Clashes -- Voice of America
Bahrain arrests opposition leaders as crackdown intensifies -- Washington Post
Bahrain reinforces crackdown with arrests -- The Hindu
Bahrain Arrests Dissidents -- NPR
Curfew in Bahrain capital after security clears protesters from Pearl Square -- Washington Post
Saudi troops must leave Bahrain: opposition leader -- Reuters
Saudi Shi'ites protest, support Bahrain brethren -- Reuters
UN warns of 'shocking' abuses in Bahrain -- Yahoo News/AFP
UN Human Rights Chief Slams Bahrain's 'Military Takeover of Hospitals -- Voice of America
Bahrain's Crackdown Draws International Criticism -- Voice of America
Bahrain: takeover of hospitals 'violation of international law' -- The Telegraph
White House appears reluctant to take hard line with Arab monarchies -- Washington Post
Bahrain violence presents U.S. with fresh dilemma -- Reuters