Concerns over putting the American interests at risk in Bahrain

Among other demands, political experts stressed the need for commissioning the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare plans for relocating the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet - which has been based on the tiny island archipelago since 1995 - as an indicator of the seriousness of Washington’s concerns about the direction of the events in Bahrain. 

In this regard, a new report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that those who contend that the U.S. concerns over human rights and democracy promotion should take a backseat to hardnosed realism and strategic imperatives will soon find themselves overtaken by Bahrain’s events. 

The report entitled “The Precarious Ally: Bahrain’s Impasse and U.S. Policy”, which was prepared by an expert in the Gulf Affairs Frederick and Harry- added that “After two years of stalemate and worsening tensions, the political reforms in Bahrain became in itself strategic imperatives for the United State- crucial measures to stave off further destabilization that could put the American interests and people at risk”. 

This report - as well as many of the discussions in the most prominent think tanks on the future of the U.S. policy towards Bahrain - comes amid serious doubts about the prospects of the new “dialogue” between the opposition and the various pro-government groups. 

Washington has “welcomed” this “dialogue”, as well as the approval of Al-Wefaq Bloc to participate in it - this bloc is the main opposition political party, whose members have resigned in Parliament leaving their seats to protest against the violent repression practiced by the government against the popular protests that began two years ago. 

However, a number of the leaders of Al-Wefaq Party - who lost gradually ground in favor of radical Shiite groups that are wrapping around the Feb 14 Youth Coalition - expressed their strong doubts about the prospects for achieving significant progress, especially that the government did not release the political prisoners, not to mention that it is not willing to participate in dialogue. 

As Al-Wefaq Party is calling for the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, the Youth Coalition is demanding to end the rule of the Al-Khalifa family in Bahrain. 

Additionally, Toby Jones, Gulf affairs specialist at the University of “Rotakrz” - during another discussion session on Bahrain this week - expressed his utmost pessimism regarding this round of dialogue. 

He said, “There is a complete lack of confidence by the vast majority of Bahrainis towards the government. The government is missing a political will so that to take decisive choices, and thus there will be no change”. 

The Obama administration consistently pushed for democratic reforms and dialogue between the government of Bahrain- which is a Sunni-dominated one- and the representatives of the Shiite community, which accounts for between 60 and 70 percent of the kingdom’s indigenous population, as it has often hesitated to pressure it seriously to achieve these goals. 

Washington’s hesitation to take stronger action is due to the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which was greatly boosted in light of the growing tensions with Iran over the past two years. 
Furthermore, Washington’s hesitation is, on the other hand, faced by Saudi Arabia’s strong support for the militants of the ruling Al-Khalifa family in Bahrain, especially since Saudi Arabia - along with the United Arab Emirates - has sent 1,500 troops and policemen to Bahrain to support the government’s violent repression against the protesters.