U.S. To Resume Arm Sales To Bahrain

US Resumes Arms Sales To Bahrain -- The Telegraph

The US has partially resuming sales of military supplies Bahrain after having frozen the shipments last year after the Arab state cracked down on human rights protesters.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said "the items that we are releasing are not used for crowd control," urging Bahrain to tackle "serious unresolved human rights issues" amid a crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

Tear gas and stun grenades were excluded from the sales, according to US officials. A senior US administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity that a frigate and harbor security boats as well as upgraded F-16 engines would be transferred to Bahrain.

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Update: U.S. resumes Bahrain arms sales despite rights concerns -- Reuters

My Comment: I guess human rights is not an issue for this White House when it comes to Bahrain.

U.S. 5th Fleet Finds Itself In The Middle Of The Sunni-Shiite Conflict In Bahrain

With Bahrain Home To 5th Fleet, US Faces Dilemma Over Crackdown On Protests -- Stars And Stripes

JUFFAIR, Bahrain - First came the chants: Frenzied teenage voices full of fury, fear and collective courage, demanding democracy from a regime reluctant to give an inch.

Soon, on a warm night a week before Christmas, the mass of poor Shia teenagers in sandals, masks and soccer jerseys turned a corner and approached the fortified police station.

Shopkeepers lowered the metal gates on their stores, retreating inside.

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My Comment: The unrest in Bahrain has been ongoing for the past year .... and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. For the U.S., there are simply no good options on what to do in this country except to hope that a political compromise can be reached.

Is The US Fifth Fleet About To Move Out Of Bahrain?

US Fleet May Quit Troubled Bahrain -- The Australian/The Times

THE US Navy is looking at plans to move its Fifth Fleet away from Bahrain amid fears over violence and continued instability in the Gulf kingdom.

Sources in Washington and the Gulf have confirmed a growing consensus around the idea of relocating the fleet after the recent crackdown on anti-government protests that left at least 32 dead.

Politicians in Washington are concerned the navy's continued presence a few kilometers from the centre of the capital Manama lends tacit support to Bahrain's suppression of the opposition, amid allegations of systematic human rights abuses.

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My Comment: What a signal this would make .... the Bahrain Kingdom has been one of America's closest allies in the Middle East .... the departure of the Fifth Fleet would be a signal to everyone in the Middle East that America is now willing to throw our closest allies under the bus. After Egypt.... the sheikdoms lost a lot of confidence and trust in U.S. policy. Rejecting Bahrain will be a signal to them that it is now time for them to find other alliances and relationships that is independent from the U.S.

Should The U.S. Fifth Fleet Be Disbanded

Time To Disband The Bahrain-Based U.S. Fifth Fleet -- Toby C. Jones, The Atlantic

The massive American naval base provides legitimacy for the autocratic Bahraini regime, reinforces our problematic reliance on the Gulf, and may be strategically unnecessary.

After months of popular protests against the regime, Bahraini officials are desperate to convince anyone who will listen, and most importantly to their long time allies in Washington, that the Persian Gulf island nation is returning to normal. On Tuesday, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa visited the White House, where he offered assurances that the regime is serious about political reform and engaging in a "national dialogue" with the country's beleaguered opposition. Although it has directed muted criticism toward the Bahraini government, the Obama administration has offered repeated reassurances that it intends to stand by the ruling family.

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My Comment: The short answer is no .... the U.S. Fifth Fleet should not be disbanded. Bahrain is not the only (nor main) player in the region, and while Bahrain's unrest is an area of concern, the presence of the U.S. naval base is not the main reason why the autocratic Bahraini regime is in power.

Is The White House Plotting To Overthrow The Bahrain Government?

Bahrain Media Charge That U.S. Backs Regime's Overthrow -- McClatchy News

BAGHDAD — As Bahrain's reformist Crown Prince headed to Washington Monday for top-level talks, official news media in the Gulf state stepped up a drumbeat of anti-American attacks, some even accusing of the U.S. administration of colluding with opposition leaders they claim are trying to overthrow the state.

Al Wasat, the onetime opposition paper now under direct control of the Sunni minority government, carried an editorial with possible racial overtones Monday that claimed that "American black fingers are aiming to weaken the Gulf" states so the U.S. can create its own "Greater Middle East."

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My Comment: With the command of the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain .... the U.S. has a legitimate reason to be concerned with what is happening in the country. Even U.S. Secretary of Defense Gates' comments on reforms not being sufficient pushed in Bahrain are not crossing any diplomatic boundaries ....but .... Bahrain is in the middle of what is essentially a religious conflict, and both sides are trying to draw in U.S. support for their cause.

Why Unrest In Bahrain Worries Washington

Bahrain Protests A Worry For US And Its Fifth Fleet -- The Guardian

American naval presence in the Gulf is headquartered in the capital, Manama, where deadly clashes are taking place

The US will be watching developments in Bahrain anxiously as it is the headquarters of the US navy's fifth fleet, which operates at least one aircraft carrier in the Gulf at all times, along with an amphibious group of ships with marines aboard.

The fleet's presence is aimed at ensuring the free flow of oil through the Gulf, as well as monitoring Iran and deterring piracy.

US navy officials have said there is no sign that crowds intend to direct their hostility toward the roughly 4,200 service members who live and work there.

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More News On U.S. Interests In Bahrain

Pentagon Watching Unrest in Bahrain -- New York Times
U.S. Takes Cautious Line on Fifth Fleet's Base -- Wall Street Journal
Mideast unrest puts US military access in jeopardy -- AFP
U.S. walks tightrope in policy toward Bahrain violence -- L.A. Times
BAHRAIN: Pentagon calls on government to 'refrain from violence' -- L.A. Times
FACTBOX-U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain -- Reuters
Bahrain: Key U.S. Military Hub -- NPR
US Military Aid to Bahrain -- MRZine

My Comment: Considering how important Bahrain is to U.S. strategic and security interests, it should not be a surprise that President Obama is encouraging restraint.

But no one is listening.