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Bahrain security forces fire on defiant protesters(Edited)

chuck schmidt

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MANAMA, Bahrain – Security forces opened fire Friday on Bahraini protesters for a second straight day, wounding at least 50 people as thousands defied the government and marched toward Pearl Square in an uprising that sought to break the political grip of the Gulf nation's leaders.

Once again, Bahrain authorities showed no hesitation in using force against demonstrators who ramped up demands to bring down the whole ruling monarchy.

U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the use of violence against the protesters in Bahrain, as well as in Libya and Yemen, where heavy crackdowns by old-guard regimes were reported. A Libyan doctor said 35 protesters were killed in the eastern city of Benghazi during a confrontation with security forces, while four people were killed and 48 were wounded during protests called as part of a "Friday of Rage" in Yemen.

The continuing wave of anger in the Arab world followed successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, where hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak one week ago.

Critically injured protesters were again rushed to Manama's main Salmaniya hospital, which also received the dead and wounded after riot police smashed a protest encampment early Thursday in the landmark square.

Some doctors and medics on emergency medical teams were in tears as they tended to the wounded. X-rays showed bullets still lodged inside victims.

"This is a war," said Dr. Bassem Deif, an orthopedic surgeon examining people with bullet-shattered bones.

Of the 50 injured, seven were critically hurt, Health Ministry official said. Seven people have died in Bahrain's unrest this week, including five on Thursday, and more than 200 have been wounded. ...

Bahrain security forces fire on defiant protesters - Yahoo! News

So what next? Are these people insurgents who should be mowed down, or patriots who should be upheld in our hearts?
 
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Re: Unrest in Arabia

I wonder what we will do if this spreads to Saudi Arabia. Invasion?
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

This is a very tricky situation. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, this is a prosperous emirate that has been more successful than others are allowing the benefits to spread throughout society. However, the monarchy is Sunni and the majority of the population is Shi'a. There is concern (though not confirmed as far as I know) that this may be inspired by Iran. The KSA would be very concerned if the IRI were able to gain significant influence on their side of the Gulf. This situation has already gotten more violent than either Tunisia or Egypt and I don't see that changing. Like Libya, if this IS to result in a toppling of the ruler, it will take time and sacrifice as I expect much more blood will be shed. Unlike Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the dark spectre of sectarianism is very much at play here...
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

Seeing some of the videos that are leaking out of Bahrain is very sorrowful.
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

This is a very tricky situation. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, this is a prosperous emirate that has been more successful than others are allowing the benefits to spread throughout society. However, the monarchy is Sunni and the majority of the population is Shi'a. There is concern (though not confirmed as far as I know) that this may be inspired by Iran. The KSA would be very concerned if the IRI were able to gain significant influence on their side of the Gulf. This situation has already gotten more violent than either Tunisia or Egypt and I don't see that changing. Like Libya, if this IS to result in a toppling of the ruler, it will take time and sacrifice as I expect much more blood will be shed. Unlike Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the dark spectre of sectarianism is very much at play here...

Very insightful post.

I see the violence escalating every time a monarchy is threatened especially in a Country that is rules by a minority as is the case here. This one could get extremely bloody before it's resolve.

As to Saudi Arabia we do indeed have reason for concern and it comes down once again to oil, the one thing we could live without from them if the Environmentally ill in this Nation would would sit down and shut up.

Currently there is talk about mandating a certain number of electric cars be build every year but the demand it's there.

I personally would love to have an all electric for use around town which is over 90% of where I go. Thye cost however is way too much for what you get.

India makes the Tata Nano and sells it for about $2500 and it gets geat mileage but there is very little room for a couple of 6' men. Still if they come here I might just have to get one to in town use only. I would never go on a freeway in one.

In yellow you can see it.m And it's almost cute.
tata_nano_1.jpg
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

Very insightful post.

I see the violence escalating every time a monarchy is threatened especially in a Country that is rules by a minority as is the case here. This one could get extremely bloody before it's resolve.

As to Saudi Arabia we do indeed have reason for concern and it comes down once again to oil, the one thing we could live without from them if the Environmentally ill in this Nation would would sit down and shut up.

Currently there is talk about mandating a certain number of electric cars be build every year but the demand it's there.

I personally would love to have an all electric for use around town which is over 90% of where I go. Thye cost however is way too much for what you get.

India makes the Tata Nano and sells it for about $2500 and it gets geat mileage but there is very little room for a couple of 6' men. Still if they come here I might just have to get one to in town use only. I would never go on a freeway in one.

In yellow you can see it.m And it's almost cute.
tata_nano_1.jpg

America needs to get off its foreign oil addiction by tapping into its domestic supply in the short term and developing alternative energy sources (NOT including ethanol). Not all countries have a domestic supply to tap. Sadly, Taiwan has very small oil reserves. As for transportation, I use the car sparingly (Costco runs, family trips), using the bicycle to commute, while my wife uses a fuel efficient scooter. We need more electric alternatives, but at the same time, we also need to change our electric grid. Here, we rely too much on coal and oil to power our plants. We have three nuclear plants, but sorely underuse our massive green energy resources (including wind, solar, tidal, and geothermal). The USA has similar resources (though perhaps not on as large a scale as related to size as we do)... We all need to learn how to make better use of them...
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

Saudi Arabia isn't even our number one or two oil importer. I think Europe uses more of their oil than we do.
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

Saudi Arabia isn't even our number one or two oil importer. I think Europe uses more of their oil than we do.

True, but we (both the US and Taiwan) do use their oil and the fact that the U.S. is so reliant on important oil is a factor...
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

This is a very tricky situation. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, this is a prosperous emirate that has been more successful than others are allowing the benefits to spread throughout society. However, the monarchy is Sunni and the majority of the population is Shi'a. There is concern (though not confirmed as far as I know) that this may be inspired by Iran. The KSA would be very concerned if the IRI were able to gain significant influence on their side of the Gulf. This situation has already gotten more violent than either Tunisia or Egypt and I don't see that changing. Like Libya, if this IS to result in a toppling of the ruler, it will take time and sacrifice as I expect much more blood will be shed. Unlike Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the dark spectre of sectarianism is very much at play here...

That is the problem with why the Bahrain security forces are taking out the protestors. The majority of the security are Sunni so they no qualms with killing the "bad" guys. Because they know that if they loose power. They will lose everything and be prosecuted because they are the minority in the country. Plus the Shi'a in the nation worship Hezbollah. So that is not good for "us". But the bloodshed will be worse than what we have seen in Egypt, Tunisia. So it will be interesting to see, if anyone is interested here is a video:
Embedded media from this media site is no longer available
 
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Re: Unrest in Arabia

True, but we (both the US and Taiwan) do use their oil and the fact that the U.S. is so reliant on important oil is a factor...

See what is wrong with the price of oil. Are the commodity traders that RAISE the price of a barrel of oil on speculation and fear. These uprisings are making some of them very rich and I am sure they are hoping more chaos will follow. Because that would increase the price of oil. Even though there is no shortage of oil or anything. Its the traders that are part of the blame, etc. But that is a whole other talk.
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

Agreed! Speculation was the biggest problem last time the oil price spiked!
 
Re: Unrest in Arabia

This is a very tricky situation. Unlike Tunisia and Egypt, this is a prosperous emirate that has been more successful than others are allowing the benefits to spread throughout society. However, the monarchy is Sunni and the majority of the population is Shi'a. There is concern (though not confirmed as far as I know) that this may be inspired by Iran. The KSA would be very concerned if the IRI were able to gain significant influence on their side of the Gulf. This situation has already gotten more violent than either Tunisia or Egypt and I don't see that changing. Like Libya, if this IS to result in a toppling of the ruler, it will take time and sacrifice as I expect much more blood will be shed. Unlike Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, the dark spectre of sectarianism is very much at play here...

The problem with the statement that this was supported by Iran is that there isn't really any evidence of this. The reason for the uprising is two-fold. Firstly, Shi'as are discriminated against. The best posts in government go to Sunnis, and many Shi'as are fed up. The second reason is Bahrain's recent backslide into tyranny. In the 1990s, the government and several Islamist groups violently clashed. To avoid further violence, the king offered reforms. He created a legislature, constitution, and removed restrictions on speech. Things went well for a couple years. Bahrain stood as a beacon of progress and emerging democracy in the Arab world. Then the King started to slow or even reverse his reform. The bicameral legislature has an elected lower house, but the unelected upper house holds far more sway and is often a rubber stamp for the king. Civil liberties have begun to backslide, and there are restrictions in place to protect government officials from being prosecuted for human rights violations that they committed before the signing of the 2002 constitution. Bahrainis see what is happening in the rest of the Middle East, and they probably figure that now is the right time to revolt.

What makes these protesters so much more dangerous to their government is that they have tasted freedom. Jefferson stated that those who know freedom will not easily give it up. The government of Bahrain has given its people a taste of liberty only to wrench it away. This loss is far more compelling to the protesters than the rantings of some cleric in Tehran
 
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Re: Unrest in Arabia

Jefferson stated that those who know freedom will not easily give it up.

Jefferson also stated that...

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work
and give to those who would not.”

Thomas Jefferson quotes
 
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