From The Gulf Times:
Via Terry
Interesting developments in the Gulf...
GCC troops in Bahrain ‘to help defuse tension’
Bahraini authorites have called on the population to “co-operate fully and to welcome” the troops
GCC troops yesterday started arriving in Bahrain to help restore order in the kingdom where protesters have shut down the financial centre.
Thousands of mostly Shia protesters occupied Manama’s business district, turning the regional banking hub into a ghost town as they pressed their calls for reforms.
The Saudi government said it had responded to a call for help from its neighbour as Saudi-led forces from the Gulf countries’ joint Peninsula Shield Force crossed the causeway separating the two countries.
“The council of ministers has confirmed that it has answered a request by Bahrain for support,” the Saudi government said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency.
It said that under an agreement of the six-country Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), “any harm done to the security of a member state is considered a harm done to the security of all members”.
The UAE also said it sent some 500 police to help “defuse tension”, according to Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Television footage showed convoys of unmarked, desert-brown armoured vehicles crossing from Saudi’s Eastern Province into Bahrain, the home of the US Fifth Fleet.
The Shia-led opposition alliance said any foreign force would be treated as an invading army. “We consider the arrival of any soldier, or military vehicle, into Bahraini territory... an overt occupation of the kingdom of Bahrain and a conspiracy against the unarmed people of Bahrain,” said an opposition statement.
But authorities called on the population to “co-operate fully and to welcome” the troops.
Helicopters buzzed overhead as protesters blocked access roads to the Financial Harbour business complex, a day after more than 200 people were injured there in clashes between riot police and demonstrators.
Sunday was the worst day of violence in the kingdom since seven people were killed at the start of the unrest a month ago.
Bahrain has transformed itself into a regional financial centre as it seeks to reduce dependence on diminishing oil revenues.
Police appeared to have deserted the area, while shopping malls and office towers were closed.
Protesters persisted with a sit-in at nearby Pearl Square, where activists were readying for a showdown with the security forces. Thousands gathered at the square yesterday evening.
“We are not intimidated,” said a woman protester, requesting anonymity.
Most workers seemed to be following a trade union call for a general strike to protest against violence by the security forces.
The GCC action comes two days after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates visited Manama and urged King Hamad to undertake rapid and significant democratic reform, not just “baby steps”.
In a major concession to the opposition demands, Crown Prince Salman said on Sunday he supported the creation of a parliament with full powers and pledged to tackle corruption and sectarian tensions.
But he warned “legitimate demands should not be carried out at the price of security and stability”.
The opposition has refused to negotiate until the government resigns.
Foreign Minister Khalid al-Khalifah accused the opposition of shifting their demands and likened the protesters to gangsters.
“All goodwill gestures were not reciprocated by (protesters)... Look where we are now,” he said, adding demonstrations amounted to “wanton, gangster-style takeover of people’s lives”.
The GCC troops’ move is in line with the principle of common destiny of the GCC states, which indicates that safeguarding security and stability across the GCC region is a collective responsibility, said Bahrain’s BNA News Agency.
It also follows the decisions taken by the GCC foreign ministers during their recent meeting in which they voiced their unwavering support for Bahrain, it said. AFP
Source: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=422066&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
US urges restraint by Gulf nations
Reuters/Washington
The US urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries yesterday to show restraint as Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) troops moved into Bahrain after weeks of protests.
“We urge our GCC partners to show restraint and respect the rights of the people of Bahrain, and to act in a way that supports dialogue instead of undermining it,” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
Vietor did not say whether the US supported the move but confirmed Washington was aware of the Saudi deployment and that other Gulf countries were considering similar actions to support Bahrain.
Political analysts said the GCC military move suggested Bahrain had decided to reject repeated US pleas, made most recently by visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday, for a more conciliatory approach to protesters demanding government reforms.
“What this means is that the government of Bahrain has decided to take a hard line,” said Marina Ottaway, head of the Middle East Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank in Washington.
“There has been a struggle in terms of policy advice between US and Saudi Arabia... The US has been trying to get the Bahraini government to respond by negotiation, by reform and by dialogue. The Saudis have been saying that they have to put the uprising down. They have decided to listen to the Saudis.”
The GCC troop deployment came after Bahraini police clashed on Sunday with mostly Shia demonstrators.
The GCC troops’ move is in line with the principle of common destiny of the GCC states, which indicates that safeguarding security and stability across the GCC region is a collective responsibility, said Bahrain agency BNA.
It also follows the decisions taken by the GCC foreign ministers during their recent meeting in which they voiced their unwavering support for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) called upon all citizens and residents to co-operate fully with the GCC forces and welcome them warmly.
Source: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=421896&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17
Via Terry
Interesting developments in the Gulf...
GCC troops in Bahrain ‘to help defuse tension’
Bahraini authorites have called on the population to “co-operate fully and to welcome” the troops
GCC troops yesterday started arriving in Bahrain to help restore order in the kingdom where protesters have shut down the financial centre.
Thousands of mostly Shia protesters occupied Manama’s business district, turning the regional banking hub into a ghost town as they pressed their calls for reforms.
The Saudi government said it had responded to a call for help from its neighbour as Saudi-led forces from the Gulf countries’ joint Peninsula Shield Force crossed the causeway separating the two countries.
“The council of ministers has confirmed that it has answered a request by Bahrain for support,” the Saudi government said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency.
It said that under an agreement of the six-country Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), “any harm done to the security of a member state is considered a harm done to the security of all members”.
The UAE also said it sent some 500 police to help “defuse tension”, according to Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Television footage showed convoys of unmarked, desert-brown armoured vehicles crossing from Saudi’s Eastern Province into Bahrain, the home of the US Fifth Fleet.
The Shia-led opposition alliance said any foreign force would be treated as an invading army. “We consider the arrival of any soldier, or military vehicle, into Bahraini territory... an overt occupation of the kingdom of Bahrain and a conspiracy against the unarmed people of Bahrain,” said an opposition statement.
But authorities called on the population to “co-operate fully and to welcome” the troops.
Helicopters buzzed overhead as protesters blocked access roads to the Financial Harbour business complex, a day after more than 200 people were injured there in clashes between riot police and demonstrators.
Sunday was the worst day of violence in the kingdom since seven people were killed at the start of the unrest a month ago.
Bahrain has transformed itself into a regional financial centre as it seeks to reduce dependence on diminishing oil revenues.
Police appeared to have deserted the area, while shopping malls and office towers were closed.
Protesters persisted with a sit-in at nearby Pearl Square, where activists were readying for a showdown with the security forces. Thousands gathered at the square yesterday evening.
“We are not intimidated,” said a woman protester, requesting anonymity.
Most workers seemed to be following a trade union call for a general strike to protest against violence by the security forces.
The GCC action comes two days after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates visited Manama and urged King Hamad to undertake rapid and significant democratic reform, not just “baby steps”.
In a major concession to the opposition demands, Crown Prince Salman said on Sunday he supported the creation of a parliament with full powers and pledged to tackle corruption and sectarian tensions.
But he warned “legitimate demands should not be carried out at the price of security and stability”.
The opposition has refused to negotiate until the government resigns.
Foreign Minister Khalid al-Khalifah accused the opposition of shifting their demands and likened the protesters to gangsters.
“All goodwill gestures were not reciprocated by (protesters)... Look where we are now,” he said, adding demonstrations amounted to “wanton, gangster-style takeover of people’s lives”.
The GCC troops’ move is in line with the principle of common destiny of the GCC states, which indicates that safeguarding security and stability across the GCC region is a collective responsibility, said Bahrain’s BNA News Agency.
It also follows the decisions taken by the GCC foreign ministers during their recent meeting in which they voiced their unwavering support for Bahrain, it said. AFP
Source: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=422066&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
US urges restraint by Gulf nations
Reuters/Washington
The US urged Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries yesterday to show restraint as Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) troops moved into Bahrain after weeks of protests.
“We urge our GCC partners to show restraint and respect the rights of the people of Bahrain, and to act in a way that supports dialogue instead of undermining it,” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said.
Vietor did not say whether the US supported the move but confirmed Washington was aware of the Saudi deployment and that other Gulf countries were considering similar actions to support Bahrain.
Political analysts said the GCC military move suggested Bahrain had decided to reject repeated US pleas, made most recently by visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday, for a more conciliatory approach to protesters demanding government reforms.
“What this means is that the government of Bahrain has decided to take a hard line,” said Marina Ottaway, head of the Middle East Programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank in Washington.
“There has been a struggle in terms of policy advice between US and Saudi Arabia... The US has been trying to get the Bahraini government to respond by negotiation, by reform and by dialogue. The Saudis have been saying that they have to put the uprising down. They have decided to listen to the Saudis.”
The GCC troop deployment came after Bahraini police clashed on Sunday with mostly Shia demonstrators.
The GCC troops’ move is in line with the principle of common destiny of the GCC states, which indicates that safeguarding security and stability across the GCC region is a collective responsibility, said Bahrain agency BNA.
It also follows the decisions taken by the GCC foreign ministers during their recent meeting in which they voiced their unwavering support for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Bahrain Defence Forces (BDF) called upon all citizens and residents to co-operate fully with the GCC forces and welcome them warmly.
Source: http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=421896&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17
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