Bahrain, a tiny island in the western shores of the Persian Gulf, saw no reprieve from the recent anti-government protests, which were partly inspired from similiar revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
The majority Shia population in Bahrain have long said they are discriminated against when it comes to housing and government jobs and has been been calling for greater political rights from the Sunni royal family.
King Hamed bin Isa al-Khalifa, who declared a state of emergency in the island for three months on Tuesday, arrested several opposition leaders yesterday as part of a crackdown on anti-government protests in the Gulf kingdom.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she finds the situation in Bahrain alarming and criticized the government's use of force against protesters.
We find what's happening in Bahrain alarming. We think that there is no security answer to the aspirations and demands of the demonstrators, she told CBS. They are on the wrong track.
The US State Department also released a message on twitter, saying We object to excessive force and violence against demonstrators; we raised our concerns directly today to Bahrain.
The leader of Bahrain's largest opposition group has urged Saudi Arabia to withdraw its forces and called for a U.N. inquiry into a crackdown on mainly Shi'ite protesters that have raised tensions in the oil-exporting region. About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain on Monday as part of an effort by the six-nation GCC to help Bahrain's government cope with the protests.
ReutersA soldier from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces prays in front of his Armour Personnel Carrier as his fellow solider keeps watch while they guard the Bahrain Financial Harbour in Manama. Bahraini forces used tanks and helicopters to drive protesters from the streets on Wednesday clearing a camp that had become a symbol of the Shi'ite Muslim uprising and drawing rare criticism from their U.S. Allies.
ReutersThe leader of Bahrain's largest opposition group has urged Saudi Arabia to withdraw its forces and called for a U.N. inquiry into a crackdown on mainly Shi'ite protesters that have raised tensions in the oil-exporting region. About 1,000 Saudi soldiers entered Bahrain on Monday as part of an effort by the six-nation GCC to help Bahrain's government cope with the protests.
ReutersHundreds of Iraqis took to the streets on Thursday in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala to rally against the arrival of troops from Sunni-power Saudi Arabia in Bahrain.
ReutersHundreds of Iraqis took to the streets on Thursday in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala to rally against the arrival of troops from Sunni-power Saudi Arabia in Bahrain. The banner reads "Our hearts with the Bahraini Muslim people, as we demand the Iraqi government and parliament to take a serious stance from the military operations against the Muslim people in Bahrain".
ReutersHundreds of Iraqis took to the streets on Thursday in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala to rally against the arrival of troops from Sunni-power Saudi Arabia in Bahrain. The banner reads "We condemn the cowardly action of the Saudi government to send troops to fight the Muslim people in Bahrain" ReutersA demonstrator protesting the presence of the Saudi Arabian military in Bahrain holds a placard in front of the Saudi embassy in TehranReutersPolice stand guard as demonstrators protesting the presence of the Saudi Arabian military in Bahrain gather in front of the Saudi embassy in TehranReutersA man who says he is a victim of chemical weapons during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war tries to push through police lines by backing through them as demonstrators protesting the presence of the Saudi Arabian military in Bahrain gather in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran March 17, 2011.ReutersDemonstrators protesting the presence of the Saudi Arabian military in Bahrain burn a U.S. flag in front of the Bahrain embassy in Tehran.ReutersCars drive on the Pearl Square flyover past a checkpoint set up by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces as roads to the center of Manama reopen after protesters were cleared in the crackdown in Manama March 17, 2011. Bahrain arrested at least six opposition leaders on Thursday, a day after its crackdown on protests by the Shi'ite Muslim majority drew rare U.S. criticism and raised fears of a regional conflict. Troops were only allowing residents in and a long line of cars was backed up behind a checkpoint, waving through drivers heading to work in the financial district, where the protesters had tried to extend their sit-in early this week.ReutersResidents from New South Wales are not confident transport in their local area will improve in the 12 months following this week's state election.ReutersHeavy machinery clears the opposition camp at Peal Square after Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forces evacuated anti-government protesters, in Manama.Reuters
