Pro Democracy protests in Bahrain | News & Discussions

[Syrian Lion]

Four arrested for insulting Bahraini King on Twitter



Bahraini security forces have detained four men for allegedly insulting the gulf monarchy’s king on Twitter. The arrests come as part of a greater crackdown against opposition activists in the Gulf Kingdom.

Bahrain’s public prosecutor Ahmad Bucheeri said the four unidentified men were interrogated and charged with slandering King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

“They will be held in custody for seven days and will face an urgent trial before the criminal court,” he continued.

Bucheeri stressed that Bahrain’s constitution guaranteed freedom of opinion and expression, but said “this freedom should not clash with the social precepts and traditions.” He did not elaborate on what the relevant tweets said.

The arrests come as Bahrain’s parliament called on all ministers and senior officials to have Twitter accounts “to boost their interaction with the citizens,” Gulf News reports.

Four arrested for insulting Bahraini King on Twitter — RT

 

[ag3nt47]

Apparently the police found materials to make explosives in an unlicensed mosque.

Al-araybia

Police in Bahrain said on Wednesday they uncovered a weapons cache inside an unlicensed mosque where locally-made bombs were being produced.

Authorities said they seized electric detonators, stopwatches and other materials used to make bombs.

The cache was uncovered in the area of Abou Baham, a scene of violence attributed by official media to Shiite hardliners.

On Sunday authorities detained seven men over the killing of a policeman, as demonstrators tried to break through police checkpoints around the village where he lost his life.

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been convulsed by unrest since February last year following mass demonstrations led by majority Shi’ites demanding democratic change in the Sunni-led monarchy.

The ruling Al Khalifa family brought in Gulf Arab troops, mainly from Saudi Arabia, and imposed over two months of martial law to end the uprising.

The incident in the early hours of Friday was the first in which a policeman had been killed since martial law ended in June 2011. Policemen were attacked by rioters with petrol bombs and an unspecified "explosive device", the authorities said.

"Seven Bahrainis have been detained and have been referred to the public prosecution in the case of a bombing attack in al-Eker ... in which one policeman was killed and a second critically wounded during a routine patrol," a statement from the government’s Information Affairs Authority said.

It named the slain policeman as 19-year-old Imran Ahmed but did not give his nationality. Many Pakistanis and some Arab nationals serve in Bahrain’s riot police - a source of friction with protesters.

The opposition, which says more than 45 people have died in clashes since martial law ended, want full legislative powers for parliament and for the makeup of the Cabinet to be approved by parliament too. The Cabinet has been headed by an uncle of King Hamad bin Isa since 1971.

 

[Kompromat]

 

[Solomon2]

An old article, but still of interest as it demonstrates Pakistan's primary value to the rulers of the Gulf States: you are educated, primed, and bred to be their loyal soldiers.

Pakistani troops aid Bahrain's crackdown

Foundation linked to the Pakistani army has been providing Bahrain thousands of soldiers for its crackdown on protests.

Mujib Mashal Last Modified: 30 Jul 2011 15:31

Demonstrations against Bahrain's government have been escalating since the Arab Spring [EPA]
In March, as a government crackdown on pro-democracy protestors intensified in Bahrain, curious advertisements started appearing in Pakistani media.

"Urgent requirement - manpower for Bahrain National Guard," said one.

"For service in Bahrain National Guard, the following categories of people with previous army and police experience are urgently needed," said another, with "previous experience" and "urgent need" underscored.

The categories included: former army drill instructors, anti-riot instructors, retired military police, and former army cooks.

In the following two months, on the back of visits to Islamabad by senior Saudi and Bahraini officials, sources say at least 2,500 former servicemen were recruited by Bahrainis and brought to Manama, increasing the size of their national guard and riot police by as much as 50 per cent.

"We know that continued airplanes are coming to Bahrain and bringing soldiers from Pakistan," Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera.

"We do not know the exact number, but we know that it is much more than 1,500 or 2,000 people."

Recruited into the special forces, the national guard, and the riot police, the Pakistani citizens are tasked with suppressing Shia protesters that are reportedly demanding equal rights after years of alleged oppression at the hands of the royal family, part of Bahrain's Sunni minority.

"Our own Shia cannot join the security forces, but the government recruits from abroad," said Rajab.

On the ground in Pakistan, the recruitments were handled by the Fauji Foundation, one of the largest conglomerates in the country with close ties to the Pakistani military. In addition to the Overseas Employment Services, which is tasked with providing job opportunities for retired military personnel, the foundation owns large cereal and gas companies, sugar mills, security firms, as well as hospitals and universities.

One of the adverts placed in Pakistani papers, reading: 'Urgent Need for Bahrain National Guard'

The Fauji Foundation did not respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment.

"Pakistanis, particularly Baluchs, make up a large part of the Bahraini force," said Fahad Desmukh, a former resident of Bahrain who now lives in Pakistan.

"They are extremely visible on the streets - so visible that the protestors were recently responding to the police in Urdu, knowing they did not speak Arabic." [Watch the video of protesters chanting 'police are crazy' in Urdu here.]

A small country of roughly 800,000 people (including about 235,000 non-nationals), Bahrain has a Defence Force of about 12,000 and a National Guard of 1,200, according to the US State Department.

The National Guard, which is in the foreront of the crackdown, seems to have been more than doubled by the recent recruitments of mostly Baluch servicemen.

"What it shows is that the Bahraini government has little trust in its own citizens to conduct security operations," Michael Stephens, a Qatar-based Bahrain specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera.

"So they rely on foreign recruits to unquestioningly carry out orders of violently suppressing protests."

While Arab nations have a long history of leaning on Pakistan for military expertise as well as foot soldiers, the recent increase in recruitments come at a tricky time. Pakistan has struggled to quell widespread ethnic violence and a robust insurgency on its own streets.

In the region, too, the country faces tremendous challenges.

"It has certainly put Pakistan in a very awkward position, where it has to balance its relationship with Iran on the one side and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on the other," Stephens said.

Iran, a leading Shia country, has repeatedly denounced the Bahraini government's crackdown on the Shia - while Saudi Arabia has remained Bahrain's closest ally.

Inside Bahrain, the recruitments have brought dangers to the South Asian diaspora, where ill-feeling towards Pakistanis has increased, reportedly because they are seen as the main vehicle in the crackdown.

The influx of Sunni mercenaries has also increased fears that the government might be naturalising the new recruits in its efforts to change the country's Shia-majority demographic.

Importing expertise


Video footage of Bahraini protesters chanting: 'Our police are Pakistani'. Al Jazeera cannot be held responsible for content hosted on third party sites [YouTube]

"In the 1970s and 80s, many Arab countries flushed with oil money bought state of the art equipment, but [the] local population lacked technical skills," said Hamid Hussain, a long time analyst and historian of the Pakistani military.

"A number of Pakistan army and air force personnel were deputed to several countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. "

The recruitments varied from a dozen advisors to thousands of trainers and operators of complicated equipment.

The most prominent cases of such partnership was in 1970, when then Brigadier Zia ul Haq helped the Jordanian forces suppress Palestinians in what became known as "Black September".

Zia ul Haq, in one of the interesting paradoxes of the Pakistani military, later became a feared dictator who introduced a swift process of "Islamisation".

Pakistan's security relationship with Saudi Arabia, in particular, has put it at odds with Iran, its neighbour to the west. The two nations have been stuck in a Shia-Sunni rivalry for decades and have battled proxy wars across the region.

During the 1991 Gulf war, much to Saudi Arabia's apparent dismay, Pakistan turned down their request for preemptive help, in case Saddam Hussain launched attacks.

Reviving the relationship since has taken a long time, but when the uprising in Bahrain brought fears of unrest knocking on Saudi doors, the chairman of the Saudi National Security Council, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, made two quiet trips to Pakistan to seek their support in case protests erupted at home.

"Potential need for foreign troops in case protests spiral out of control has forced Saudis to work with current Pakistani civilian government for whom they have nothing but utter contempt," said Hussain.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani told Prince Bandar that his country supported the Saudi stance in the Gulf and the Middle East and would stand by Riyadh for regional peace, according to Pakistani media.


Al Jazeera's Fault Lines examines why the US supports protests in Libya - but not in Bahrain

"The president and prime minister of Pakistan, faced with grim economic situation of the country and army brass uncertain about continued US funding, are delighted at the potential of a cash windfall from Saudi patrons," said Hussain.

Also on Prince Bandar's agenda was gaining Pakistan's support for the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) force that deployed to Bahrain for helping the Kingdom.

The trip was followed by visits from the Bahraini foreign minister and the commander of their national guard.

Then, recruitment adverts appeared in Pakistani media.

Baluchistan, where most of the recruits come from, is a province of six million in Pakistan's southwest. For decades, an armed movement for self-determination there has been met with a severe government crackdown.

Baluch nationalist fighters expressed their dismay at the recruitment long before the recent escalation.

"We call upon the Baluch nation not to become part of any tyrant or oppressive army, at a time when the Baluch nation is living in a state of war … and are struggling against the tyrants ourselves," Basham Baluch, a spokesman for Baluch Liberation Front said in a 2009 statement.

"Instead of turning the young Baluch into hired killers, they should join the national armies [Baluch Liberation Front, Baluchistan Liberation Army] to make the independence of their homeland a reality.

"We do not want the Baluch people to be used and turned into mercenaries."

The backlash

Bahrain is home to a large population of foreign labourers. The majority of the work forces there comprises South Asian migrants, particularly Pakistanis.

"Our country has a history of appreciation for the help Pakistanis have provided in development. But more recently we have seen crimes directed at Pakistanis, and that is worrying," said Rajab, the human rights activist.

He points to the fact that thousands of people have been arrested and hundreds of houses have been looted by government forces. Since Pakistanis make up at least 30 per cent of the security forces, he says, when people think of the crackdown they think of Pakistanis.

"The poor Pakistani labourer who has nothing do with security forces suffers from all this."

Human rights activists and analysts also fear that the government is swiftly increasing the rate of naturalisation for Sunni immigrants in recent months in order to tip the ethnic balance of the country.

With a clear Shia majority, the country has been ruled by a royal family from the Sunni minority.

"What needs to be closely watched is the number of these recruits who will be naturalised in the coming months and years ahead," said RUSI's Stephens.

"Many will not return home to Pakistan, and recent statistics show that South Asians make up a big majority of the foreign citizens naturalised in Bahrain."

While many believe Pakistan is providing workers and soldiers to Bahrain in return for much needed economic aid, activists such as Rajab remain perplexed by the decision.

"What I wonder is how the Pakistani government allows this many people to be brought here and used as mercenaries," said Rajab.

"We know that many of these recruits are poor, uneducated, and are just looking for a job. They don't know what they are signing up for. But the Pakistan government certainly knows, so why are they allowing this?"

Follow Mujib Mashal on Twitter: @mujmash

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

An old article, but still of interest as it demonstrates Pakistan's primary value to the rulers of the Gulf States: you are educated, primed, and bred to be their loyal soldiers.

the foundation you are referring to serves RETIRED officers......when they are retired, they are no longer Defence Ministry employees nor are they taking part in army-related affairs.

if some went for purely financial reasons (a lot of you autistic liberal shmucks love to claim that once they're retired, they live lavishly and are floating in funds) -- it's their OWN prerogative.

On an OFFICIAL level, Pakistan has no involvement in Arab springs anywhere -- Bahrain included. Al-Belooshi tribe in Bahrain (one of the main tribes) has its ancestry in Pakistani Balochistan; they are ethnic Baloch who settled for many years in the island nation. Many of them belong to police forces and are pro-establishment. This is all Bahraini internal matter. Pakistani individuals' role is so neglible compared to Saudi role -- they sent like 40% of their army to Manama, lol.



and how SILLY of you to talk about serving others' dirty work when the average US-tax payer is fed up of their funds and resources going (being wasted) on safeguarding israel -- which is a faraway land that offers little benefit to U.S. (compared to having friendly Arab states - which would suit them much better). At least in this case, Pakistani tax-payer isn't paying for it.


oh by the way, US also has retired officers who go into private sector (commercial) activities encompassing security......i seem to vaguely recall an entity called Blackwat.....oh wait -- was it a "limited liability" company by the name of Xe Services?

cant rememeber, they keep changing names!

 

[A.Rafay]

Those radical protesters of bahrain are beating innocent Pakistanis

 

[A.Rafay]

 

[Devil Soul]

Bahrain bomb blasts kill two foreign workers
Two foreign workers have been killed and a third seriously injured by bomb blasts in Bahrain, officials say.

Police said there were five explosions caused by home-made devices in two areas of the capital Manama on Monday.

One of the men died at the scene when he kicked a device in Gudaibiya. The second died in hospital after being injured by an explosion near a cinema.

A third explosion in Adliya injured another man working as a cleaner. Officials said the victims were Asian.

Their nationalities are not known, but the biggest expatriate communities in Bahrain are Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi.

The head of Capital Governorate Police urged all residents of Bahrain not to touch strange objects and to notify the authorities if they saw one.

An investigation into who caused the blasts is under way.
BBC News - Bahrain bomb blasts kill two foreign workers

 

[Hasbara Buster]

deleted; wrong thread

 

[Ceylal]

Dangerous: A Bahraini officer "Ali Aaref" slaps a citizen on his face - YouTube

 

[Syrian Lion]

Teargas, clashes at funeral for Bahraini protester ​

Bahraini government forces clashed with protesters on Sunday at the funeral of a demonstrator killed by teargas at a previous rally. Violent crackdowns continue as the demonstrators protest against the royal family, ruling for more than 40 years.

Scores of Bahrainis attended the funeral of the protestor Haj Habib Ibrahim Abdullah, which resulted in another demonstration against the ruling Al-Khalifa family’s regime.

Protesters shouted slogans against the regime and called for release of jailed activists. Government forces fired teargas and birdshot to disperse the crowd.

A demonstration on Sunday was held at the funeral of Abdullah, who died after inhaling poisonous teargas. He and his grandson were exposed to lethal gas fired by government forces during a peaceful anti-regime demonstration last Monday. The nine-year-old grandson is now suffering from side effects and is being treated abroad, Ahlul Bayt News Agency reports.

Abdullah and his grandson were exposed to gas during a previous peaceful demonstration which was held in Malkiya village last Monday aftertop Bahraini court overturned an appeal by 13 anti-regime activists on their sentences for protesting in 2011. Seven of the activists received life sentences, the other sentences ranged from five to 15 years in prison.

The 13 whose appeals were overturned were originally part of a group of 20 activists convicted by a military tribunal of conspiring against Bahrain’s Sunni royal family and “setting up terror groups to topple the regime.” They then lost an appeal in civilian court in September 2011. Seven chose not to appeal again.

Asma Darwish from the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights told RT that Bahraini authorities are regularly using excessive volumes of “toxic gases” against citizens even inside peoples homes.

“Bahrain has been using teargas canisters or as I like to call it toxic gases against citizens even in their houses not even protesting in the streets,” she said, sharing her own experience of being attacked with tear gas in her home while being eight months pregnant. “I was nearly 9-months pregnant as our house was targeted by teargas canisters and these men stormed into the house.”
She also claimed that the house of an 88-year-old man was targeted on several occasions, leading to his death.

“We have been pointing to the amount of teargas being used in residential areas against peaceful protesters and we are very disappointed at the international community’s reaction, especially the US and the UK’s position towards the Bahraini revolution, being an ally and applying double standards when it comes to dealing with the situation in Bahrain,” she added.

Thousands of Shiites protested against the jailing of 13 activists on charges of plotting to overthrow Bahrain’s monarchy on Saturday near Manama, witnesses said, AFP reports.
The demonstrators shouted “we will not resign ourselves to it" and "we will not forget the prisoners”, while some carried photos of the convicted. The protest was held under close supervision of police forces.

Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since February 2011, calling for an end to the Al-Khalifa family rule which continues in the country since 1974. The protesters also stand for an end to the discrimination of the state’s Shiite majority by the predominant Sunni government.

Eighty people have been killed and thousands arrested since the unrest began. Many opposition figures have been arrested on the allegation of planning to topple the government.

According to a 2011 reports by Human Rights Watch, the government regularly abuses its citizens. The abusesinclude denying defendants the right to counsel and to present a defense, denial of medical access to protesters injured by security forces, torture and ill-treatment during interrogation.

Teargas, clashes at funeral for Bahraini protester (PHOTOS) — RT

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

Dangerous: A Bahraini officer "Ali Aaref" slaps a citizen on his face - YouTube

To show the difference between Iranians and us, I think this officer should be fired and punished. I detested him the way he hit the guy in front the child, I couldn't defend that, but on the other side would their human emotions (that's IF they have any) get moved whenever they see whole families being slaughtered in Syria? I doubt that...

 

[beast89]

To show the difference between Iranians and us, I think this officer should be fired and punished. I detested him the way he hit the guy in front the child, I couldn't defend that, but on the other side would their human emotions (that's IF they have any) get moved whenever they see whole families being slaughtered in Syria? I doubt that...

that fake revolution that started with violence......the one where thugs chant allah akbar when beheading civilian and throwing them off the roofs? Bet you're proud of child FSA soldiers. It could of ended long time but the terrorist refused to hold talks as if they held the moral high ground.

 

[Syrian Lion]

Tear gas fills Bahraini capital as hundreds mark uprising anniversary

​

Bahraini police have used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters in Manama, as they marked the second anniversary of the Shiite-led uprising against the Sunni regime.

Demonstrators tried to march to Pearl Square, the site they occupied two years ago when the protest against the royal family – rulers for over 40 years – first began.

"Square of martyrdom, we all still have the will! Down with the corrupt government!" chanted protesters carrying Bahraini flags as reported by AFP.

"Khalifa resign," the demonstrators also called, referring to the king's uncle Prince Khalifa bin Salman, who has been prime minister for four decades.

The attempt to march to the square came after the main Shiite opposition bloc, al-Wefaq, organized a massive protest in which thousands took part in the Shiite village of Sanabis, near Manama.

After the opposition's rally ended, "a group of saboteurs caused riots and blocked roads, requiring authorities to take legal action against them," the interior ministry said on Twitter.

Opposition supporters have been demonstrating for more than a week ahead of the anniversary which is set for February 14. A Clandestine radical cyber-group Revolution Youth Coalition has reportedly called for demonstrations marking the date.

During the uprising in 2011, protesters camped for one month at Pearl Square before being forcefully driven out in mid-March. Authorities later razed the square.

Anti-government protesters have been holding demonstrations across Bahrain since that moment, calling for an end to the discrimination of the state’s Shiite majority by the predominant Sunni government.

Eighty people have been killed and thousands arrested since the unrest began. Many opposition figures have been arrested on the allegation of planning to topple the government.

The opposition believes that one of the reasons why Western powers support the “dictatorship” is the crucial US naval military base located in Bahrain. Meanwhile, Bahraini authorities claim the country has no problems with freedom of speech or democracy and denounce protesters as criminals and saboteurs trying to instigate revolution and topple the legitimate government.

Tear gas fills Bahraini capital as hundreds mark uprising anniversary — RT

 

[Syrian Lion]

THE CLOUDS OF DEATH MOVIE


Note: This Movie Rejected By: BBC - CNN - FOX NEWS - ALJAZEERA

The unfolding events in Bahrain reveal to every observer that the security crackdown has crossed all lines and gone far beyond rationality. As the security forces have been witnessed to respond to the ongoing peaceful protests and demonstrations with excessive use of gas in a collective punishment on all residents, resulting in tens of deaths so far. That is, added to the brutal home raids and street arrests, along with other measures that are far from meeting legal standards and security proficiency.

The Idea : This documentary aims to shed light on the suppressive methods that have turned non-lethal arms, used to disperse protests, to lethal ones, by not abiding by manufacturer’s warnings which state very clearly that the misuse of these arms can cause severe injuries and damages, or even death. As mentioned in most warning labels on grenades used by Bahrain authorities in streets.

The documentary details the nature of the gas-grenade ingredients and the damages and illnesses they can cause, as well as the fatal injuries caused by the deliberate misuse of such arms, as the forces have repeatedly aimed these arms directly at persons.

The film : The documentary goes through the stories of six victims of different ages,

The film includes interviews and stories of six victims, and which are all taken on ground in Bahrain, as briefed below:

1- The death of the martyr Ali al-Sheikh (12 year old) who was directly targeted with a gas grenade at close range on Eid day. The documentary shows the injuries the boy sustains to the neck and face. It also includes interviews with both his parents, his father explaining the details of the incident on ground.

2- An interview with a brother of a disabled woman who died in her house from gas asphyxia with video footages of the security forces caught red-handed throwing gas canisters inside the old house.

3- The story of the martyr Sayed Jawad, a 35 year old who feared going to hospital after he had suffered from gas asphyxiation and septicemia. His mother tells how he spent the last hours of his life in hospital in an emotional interview.

4- The child martyr Sayed Hashim, who is a friend if the martyr Ali al-Sheikh and was murdered the same way.

5- An interview with the parents of, Zainab Haram, an infant who was only one month old when she was exposed to the regime forces’ excessive use of gas in neighborhoods. The little one received medical treatment the same day Emergency law was declared in Bahrain and the Saudi forces entered Bahraini territory. Zainab lost eyesight and her medical report has been hidden. In this documentary, experts talk about how toxic gas can cause such damages.

6- The story of Bahrain’s youngest martyr, Sajida, who died at the age of five days after her family’s house and neighborhood were filled with gas by the regime forces. We were given video footages-from the mother- of the baby going through breathing difficulties.

The Documentary also includes comments of 11 experts from different countries, and they are as follows:

1- Professor Robert Douglas, Respiratory Physiologist and researcher –London
2- Dr. Peter Hall: Executive Director of Physicians for Human Rights- London
He has been working in the organization for 15 years. He talks about the types of gasses used and the human rights violations in Bahrain.

3- Dr. Goerge Fahila: Head of emergency department at Hammoud hospital –Lebanon
4- Srgabo Ganico: Retired police officer and expert in security affairs –Russia
He talks about the professional security methods and legal standards to disperse protests and how to deal with any riot acts.

5- Saultan Allam: British Police Officer since 1984 –London
He has been through intensive training in security and order maintenance. He has a good experience in handling protests and the necessary security measures that take place as the situation on ground develops, especially the use of gas.

6- Dr. Fadl Daher: Independent Security and Investigations Professional and General Secretary at Lebanese Center for the Rule of Law (LCRL)-Lebanon

7- Nadeem Houry: HRW Deputy director of Middle East and Notrh Africa –Lebanon
8- Prof. Taysir Hamiya: Chemical expert-Lebanon
9- Nabeel Rajab: Head of Bahrain Centre for Human Rights –Bahrain
He talks about the methods of the security forces, its disrespect for human rights and whether it acts in systematic or individual behavior.

10- Rola Al-Saffar: Head of Bahrain Nursing Society –Bahrain
She talks about the side effects civilians suffer and the different types of gasses used, in addition to the fear of visiting hospitals after they have been occupied by the military.

11- Dr. Taha al-Durazi: Consultant Neurosurgeon –Bahrain

We managed to find several types of unexploded gas grenades and canisters used by the Bahraini regime and film the mutilation of those grenades in Bahrain.