U.S. SHOULD CONDEMN GOVERNMENT PERSECUTION OF PEACEFUL SHIA DEMONSTATORS IN BAHRAIN

The U.S. government under Pres. Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rightly condemn Syria for war crimes in the shelling and bombing of civilian cities.  But where is their condemnation of the Khalifas in Bahrain for sending out thugs in the police and army to shoot peaceful demonstrators with bird shot and choke ordinary civilians with corrosive tear gas?

Why the silence?  Two reasons.

1.   The U.S. Navy a has a big presence with its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.  And the U.S. thinks it should maintain a military presence there as a threat to Iran just across the Persian Gulf.  But the presence of so many American warships and sailors has done little to advance the decline of influence of Iran in the area.

2.  The peaceful demonstrators in Bahrain are Shia, whereas the ruling Khalifas are Sunni.  The relation of Sunnis to Shia in Bahrain is a lopsided three out of 10.  But the Shia find themselves cut off from working for the government or securing their economic rights.  Because Iran is mostly Shia, the U.S. has credulously believed the warnings of Sunni rulers in Bahrain and elsewhere who claim that Shia in Bahrain are disloyal and a fifth column secretly promoting Iran's agenda.  They rant against Iran, and exaggerate its nuclear program as a threat because, as Sunni Arabs, they hate the Shia Persians.

Thus, the U.S. under Obama and Clinton remain hypocritically silent when it comes to denouncing gross human rights violations in Bahrain.

OBAMA: CONDEMN KING OF BAHRAIN FOR RAIDING HOSPITALS FOR WOUNDED PROTESTERS

Why can't Barack Obama come out and denounce the government repression of peaceful demonstrators in Bahrain? This is disgraceful and American acceptance of unjust repression. Obama is silent because the U.S. has its Navy Fifth Fleet based there. Shame on Obama and Gates and Clinton.

Clifford Krause writes in The New York Times today that King Khalifa's thugs and security forces routinely arrest demonstrators who they find are seeking medical help in hospitals. Khalifa claims the hospitals are dens of Shiite terrorists, a ridiculous claim that Obama should condemn, as there is absolutely no evidence of terrorism in Bahrain.

OBAMA: CONDEMN KING OF BAHRAIN FOR SHOOTING PEACEFUL PROTESTERS

The U.S. government condemns Syria and tyrant Assad for shooting demonstrators trying to rid themselves of a cruel dictator. But Obama, Clinton, Gates remain mostly silent when King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa of Bahrain orders his army to shoot and kill Bahrainis who protest against their lack of equality. Why? The U.S. bases its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.