15.Mar.2011
Arab Monarchies Won’t Go Down Without A Fight
Sell ‘meaningful concessions’
In a visit to Bahrain Saturday, [US Defense Secretary Robert] Gates told Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Sheik Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa that they needed to speed up reforms and make meaningful concessions to the opposition …
The opposition, which has staged street protests for a month, is demanding an end to long-time discrimination against Bahrain’s Shiite citizens, who make up 70 percent of the population, as well as democratic reforms. …
“Saudi Arabia is acting in self-interest [by occupying Bahrain] because what happens in Bahrain has direct implications for Saudi Arabia — it cannot simply avoid intervention,” said Fares Braizat, an analyst at the Qatar-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.
By sending in troops, the kingdom is sending “a very strong sign that it will not allow significant change to happen in Bahrain,” Braizat added.
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