Bahraini police officers and U.S. diplomats stood in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manama and gave speeches. photo shoot on tuesday. The officers had just completed “advanced social media investigative training” provided by the U.S. State Department. The class explained “how terrorists and terrorist organizations use social media for operations, recruitment, and disinformation,” the State Department said in a statement.
According to the State Department’s own data human rights report, In Bahrain, a small, oil-rich kingdom, “calling for an end to the monarchy” is “considered an act of terrorism.” And the Bahraini government is certainly very interested in what people are saying online. Authorities rounded up thousands of civilians during protests in 2011 and are said to have tortured many of them. When dissident Nabil Rajab criticized torture on Twitter, he was imprisoned Too.
In 2017, the Bahraini government reportedly arrested and tortured Nadja Yusuf, a mother of four, wrote on Facebook that F1 events were “whitewashing” Bahrain’s image. In 2019, the government threatened to prosecute People who simply follow “inflammatory” social media accounts. In May 2023, Bahraini authorities arrested four more people. social media critic. With help from the Biden administration, they could further tighten their grip on power.
under security agreement Approved by President Joe Biden last week, the US has pledged to “deter and confront the threat of external aggression” against Bahrain, where it already hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. The two sides agreed to further integrate Bahraini and U.S. forces through arms sales, training exercises, and joint programs. The social media training was the first cooperative act since the agreement was signed.
A State Department spokesperson said, “All foreign military and law enforcement agencies receiving security assistance are vetted for human rights violations in accordance with U.S. law.” reason. “Human rights are the pillars of society” [Biden] The administration’s policies across the Middle East and North Africa and the State Department consistently raise human rights issues with senior Bahraini officials. ”
The Biden administration is currentlyhuge deal“It would unite the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia into a new order in the Middle East. The deal with Bahrain, a close Saudi ally, will test what US commitments the Biden administration can avoid. Looks like a trial balloon in Saudi Arabia.
Critics say the deal is rough on both the U.S. Constitution, which gives the Senate the power to approve treaties, and Bahrain’s rights. The agreement was hastily concluded because hundreds of Bahraini prisoners were being held. hunger strike, are demanding better medical care and the right to see their families.Immediately after signing the agreement, Bahraini immigration authorities Ban Maryam Al-Khawajathe daughter of imprisoned human rights activist Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, is on a hunger strike to protest poor health care.
“‘Turning a blind eye’ is a misnomer,” said Saeed Alwadai, a Bahraini exile and advocacy director at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy in London. “The United States is actively seeking to empower the dictatorial regime in Bahrain.”
Upon signing the agreement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called it “a framework for additional countries that want to participate in strengthening regional stability.” An anonymous Biden administration official said. new york times The transaction islegally bindingAn agreement that “does not cross the threshold of the treaty.”
These statements:NATO styleNATO was established by a formal treaty, which required approval by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate for passage.
According to a recent poll commissioned by the Quincy Institute, an anti-war think tank. the majority of Americans Opposes such agreements with Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The Biden administration appears to be indicating it can provide U.S. military protection to Saudi Arabia without public debate or a Senate vote.
Bruce Fein, a constitutional lawyer and former Reagan administration official, argues that the idea of a “legally binding” agreement without a treaty is “blatantly unconstitutional.”
“This type of agreement is a ‘treaty’ no matter how you read the Constitution or international law,” he says. “It is clear that, under international law, agreements between two sovereign powers, especially agreements on defense, qualify as treaties under all conceivable criteria.”
The agreement between the United States and Bahrain does not push the United States into war. In the event of an “external invasion,” the two countries would “immediately meet at the most senior level to determine additional defense needs and to develop and implement an appropriate defense and deterrence response as determined by the Parties.” I’m looking for it.
The text of the agreement asserts that any decisions made by the two governments will be “subject to their respective constitutions and laws.” (Japan-U.S. Alliance Treaty concluded by the Biden administration) In her private life, she is touted as a model. But Fein warns that the agreement creates political pressure to act once a crisis begins, which could make war dangerous. Fait accompli.
“Even if that were the case, they would say, ‘Our credibility is at stake.’ [the U.S. commitment] It was not legally binding. “We’re not standing side by side with the guys we said we’d be shoulder to shoulder with!” That’s why we have to go to war,” says Fain, “We’re not going to be at this rodeo like we used to be.” I have also seen it.”
This agreement is clearly aimed at a specific foreign threat. Bahraini authorities have often criticized neighboring Iran. hidden hand Behind the country’s internal problems. They have used this accusation to further rally US support, especially under the Trump administration. The specter of Iranian terrorism In Bahrain.
“Every crime [the authorities] “If they do any domestic repression inside Bahrain, they will link it to Iran,” says exile activist al-Wadai, “and every time they are exposed to international scrutiny, they are blaming another country.” That will happen.”
Iran is threatening Bahrain sometimes insist As a historical province of Iran.And Bahraini authorities discovered Iranian weapons I am smuggled into the country. However, a 2011 commission of inquiry sponsored by the Bahraini government itself found thatclear linkIn other words, the unrest in Bahrain is fundamentally a Bahrain problem.
“Our movement predates the Iranian revolution,” said Khawaja, whose father is on hunger strike. He works as a consultant for human rights organizations. “Bahrain has one of the longest-running civil rights movements in the region.”
Bahrain was part of the British Empire and ruled the Shia Muslim-majority island through a Sunni Muslim dynasty. The dynasty has remained in power since Bahrain gained independence in 1971. Emir Isa bin Salman suspended Bahrain’s first constitution shortly after it was passed in 1973. He instituted a strict system of security courts and retained colonial police chief Ian Henderson, a former British intelligence officer who had helped transform Kenya into a “nation”.British concentration camp. ”
Britain handed over a major military base in Bahrain to the US Navy in 1971, and it became an important part of the growing US presence in the Middle East, with the main US fleet stationed in the region. In return, Bahrain was able to strengthen its military by purchasing American-made weapons.
Sheikh Isa’s son, King Hamad bin Isa, announced reforms after ascending the throne in 1999. torture prison returned In the late 2000s, he went to Bahrain, repression escalated According to Human Rights Watch, it occurred during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. In recent years, the Bahrain government has undertaken the following initiatives: religious clergy, secular opposition, photojournalistthose who criticize on Twitter in the name of national security.
Ironically, the last foreign military to open fire on Bahrainis was an ally of the Bahraini government. Saudi Arabia during the 2011 uprising sent troops Enter Bahrain, take back the streets from protesters, and prevent the collapse of the monarchy. Dozens of people were killed (according to the 2011 commission, at least five were tortured to death) and thousands were arrested during the crackdown.
“Ultimately, it is Saudi Arabia that will not recognize democracy in Bahrain,” said Sara Leah, executive director of Arab World Now Democracy, an organization founded by slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.・Mr. Whitson says. “When the Biden administration says it’s defending Bahrain, it means it’s defending Bahrain’s dictatorship.”
Providing defense guarantees to a small country like Bahrain would allow the Biden administration to say “there’s nothing special about what we’re doing with Saudi Arabia,” Whitson said.
Bahrain faced reform pressure from Washington and other foreign capitals after the 2011 uprising. Al-Wadei blamed the pressure in large part for the death of protester Abdulredda Buhmaid, who was shot dead by police on camera in February 2011. Footage of the shooting and doctors’ attempts to save Mr Buchmaid went viral on social media.
Another turning point came in May 2011, when then-President Barack Obama took office. publicly criticized The Bahrain government Shia mosque bulldozer.Several years later, Bahraini authorities kicked out US diplomat Tom Malinowski, now a New Jersey Democratic congressman, meets with opposition parties.America froze some military aid From 2011 to 2015, it began demanding that Bahraini authorities: Human rights class.
The US government seemed to have overlooked another possibility. That means the Bahraini government was fully aware that it was violating human rights. Saeed Yusuf al-Muhafda*, a Bahraini human rights activist and researcher who fled to Germany in 2014, said the government was simply “taking advantage of these policies.” [training] “It’s a time-buying program,” he continued until the criticism subsided.
bahrain aid war with islamic state He brought much credit to the kingdom in Washington. So was the Abraham Accords, a 2020 agreement to normalize relations between Israel and Arab countries, including Bahrain.King Hamad could portray himself as a moderate Islamic ruler, and the US State Department called bahrain “A model of a society that actively supports religious freedom, tolerance, and the diversity of its people.” Many U.S. policymakers now see the Bahraini monarchy as a positive force for good rather than an unpleasant partner. I’m looking at it.
“I am pleased that the United States has reaffirmed its strong partnership with Bahrain, a friend of Israel,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). wrote on social media After the Biden deal. “I had the opportunity to visit Bahrain earlier this year and am confident that together we will stand up against evil countries like Iran that seek to destroy freedom and democracy.”
Khawaja says, “There are fewer people who want to talk to me.” [human rights] Now that Bahrain has signed the Abraham Accords, she is trying to convey a message to U.S. officials who agreed to the talks: “There must be no creating hostility toward the United States where the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is based.” It’s in America’s best interest. ”
Four days after the US-Bahrain agreement was signed, Khawaja joined a delegation of human rights activists to travel to Bahrain to protest the conditions in her father’s prison. Her request was that her ailing father, the founder of the Bahrain Human Rights Center, be seen by a cardiologist. Mr. Khawaja is expected to be jailed upon arrival. Instead, she was turned away at the airport.
“I thought I would be relieved if I got rejected, but I think I’m just frustrated,” she said. reason After a week. “I’m worried that the attention will fade and I won’t be able to save my father’s life.”
*Correction: The original version of this article stated this incorrectly. Yusuf al-Muhafda’s background is as follows.
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