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Hasan Jamali / AP
Bahraini anti-government protesters carry a box of prepared Molotov cocktails during clashes with riot police Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in the eastern village of Ma'ameer.
MANAMA, Bahrain - As the anniversary of a failed pro-democracy uprising approached in Bahrain, the United States warned Americans in the tiny Gulf kingdom of potential unrest and moved embassy employees to safer locations.
The travel alert issued late on Monday did not specifically mention the anniversary of the uprising on February 14 last year when protesters, mainly from Bahrain's majority Shiite population, took to the streets of Manama to demand political rights.
The country is dominated by the ruling Al Khalifa dynasty, a Sunni family closely allied to other Gulf rulers and seen as a bulwark against Shia-dominated Iran's influence in the Arabian peninsula. It is also home to the U.S. 5th Fleet.
The U.S. State Department said the Bahrain government had recently refused entry to some U.S. citizens at Manama airport and that U.S. embassy employees were being relocated within the country because of the potential for violent demonstrations.
It also noted what it called "isolated examples" of anti-U.S. sentiment such as flag-burnings during protests and warned that foreigners could become targets.
"The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid all demonstrations, as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly, and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse," the alert, which runs to April 19, said.
It warned of spontaneous and sometimes violent anti-government demonstrations by protesters throwing rocks and petrol bombs, lighting trash cans and blocking highways.
"The Ministry of Interior maintains official checkpoints in some areas and routinely uses tear gas, stun grenades, and other crowd control measures against demonstrators," it said.
Washington stood behind Bahrain's government during the protests, while removing its support for rulers in Egypt and Tunisia. However, it has made an arms deal contingent on political reform.
The protest movement was crushed after a month when Saudi troops entered Bahrain to back the government, followed by nearly two months of martial law.
A rights commission headed by international lawyers said in November that 35 people - including protesters and security personnel - were killed up to June. Activists say deaths among Shiites apparently as a result of the clashes have taken the casualty list to around 60.
Bahraini employees of some companies say they have been told not to take any holidays in the coming months, in an apparent effort to discourage people from taking part in protests.
Reuters, The Associated Press and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
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http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/13/10146162-bahrain-fires-tear-gas-stun-grenades-to-halt-protesters
Leave a Comment:
Nothin' says going native like a Molotov Cocktail.... Cheers you freakin' nut-balls. If you're going to muck about go for it all the way in other words "go big or go home" no pussy footin' around with a revolution.
Isn't this where Michael Jackson moved to before his death?
They need to move them to Geneva, for all those uncivilized countries!
And you keep the 5th Fleet there?
Love the friends you have and make. I'll make sure that I never meet them.
American policies at its best.
Them Arabs must have been trained at the School of the Americas in North Carolina like every other dead squad and dictator from South America.
It's time go ... And remember not to act afraid. Animals can smell fear. And they don't like it.
Yet another country we pissed off.
Leave it to democracy-loving America to support minority rule in Bahrain.
Just another crazy dictator... ah, but he's OUR dictator... the US doesn't care for democracy at all.
Starting to realize America acts like a loan shark or a pimp when it comes to foreign relations, spreading money and favors around to unsavory characters and then strong arming like a thug . And like the mafia or gang bangers if innocent people get hurt there not much concern .
Yeah,you're right.Our GOVERNMENT does that.Don't be a tard.Who wants to remove,kill democratically elected leaders in other countries. Maybe jim smith or bob jones does,but most of us don't.What we want our government to do is secure our borders and assist in our country becoming a viable market force again.
Democracy in many of these Muslim nations means one thing - a take over by Muslim Fanatics who then take all freedoms from everyone. LOL - the people have more rights with a Dictator than they do with a Religlious Muslim controlled government.
Certainly - the US government needs to re-think the policy that means that have to become publicly involved in every crisis that occurs in these nations. They don't need to take a public position - make statements that make people think that what ever occurs is the fault of the US.