Islam Times - ‘World must force US to stop arming Bahraini regime’

Islam Times - A senior member of the Bahraini opposition has asked the international community to put pressure on the United States to force it to stop supplying weapons and poisonous gas to Bahrain.

“Human rights activists and organizations must continue to put pressure on the Americans to stop supporting the supply of chemical gases and weapons (to Bahrain) that are used for crowd control and repression,” Bahrain Freedom Movement leader Saeed al-Shehabi said on Saturday.

The Bahraini activist also urged the international community to stop “John Timoney, the US officer who has... intensified the crackdown since he went to Bahrain” and “British officer John Yeates” since the two police officers have “both (been) instrumental in intensifying aggression and repression towards the Bahrainis.”

“I think it is the duty of human rights activists and enlightened people to convey the message of the Bahrainis to the United States and also to the EU, especially because they are the people who supported this regime,” al-Shehabi added.

The Bahraini regime has been using US-supplied weapons and poisonous gas in its crackdown on anti-regime protests since the popular uprising began in February 2011.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs for attending anti-regime demonstrations.