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Canada Goose Parka Editor’s Note:CaitlinFitz Gerald writes about international affairs and civil military relations atGunpowder Lead. She is currently turning Carl von Clausewitz On War into anillustrated children book. You can find her on Twitter atcaidid. Canada Goose Parka
canadian goose jacket When protests began in Bahrain last February, canada goose outlet toronto address they were met with ruthless crackdowns and sectarian abuses, and more than a canada goose outlet vip year later, the relationship canada goose outlet online store review between protest action and government response has not visibly changed. People are still taking to the streets in protest, and the regime is still responding with force, buy canada goose uk arrests, reported torture, and well coordinated media propaganda. The most recent focal points have been the hunger strike ofAbdulhadi al Khawaja, founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights who wasarrested in the early days of the protests,andFormula One controversial decision tothis past weekend. these excellent articles and the additional canada goose parka outlet uk attention on Bahrain due to the Grand Prix, there has finally been a sharper focus on what has been perhaps the most neglected theater canada goose outlet nyc of the Arab uprisings of the last year and a half in terms of western media coverage. canadian goose jacket
cheap Canada Goose The regime in Bahrain has developed a standard playbook in response to the canada goose factory outlet toronto location ongoing troubles. On the domestic front, they put down protests wherever canada goose outlet sale they arise. For this, they use canada goose outlet new york city regular security forces and the more irregular National Security Agency, intelligence agents empowered to make arrests and canada goose outlet mall not subject to the same oversights as regular security forces. Common tactics include arrests, beatings, and clouds of tear gas, and reports of extreme torture and abuse are widespread. cheap Canada Goose
buy canada goose jacket Externally, the Bahraini government seeks to control the media message in any way possible. canada goose uk site In addition to keeping majorwestern public relations firmson their payroll, the al Khalifas have declined visas to many news outlets others, such as al Jazeera, were banned even before the current troubles and tightly control the access of those journalists who are allowed in. buy canada goose jacket
canada goose coats on sale For example, those in the country to cover the F1 event this weekend were kept to strict paths of travel and required tomark cameras with fluorescent orange stickersto ensure that they didn stray from the race in their coverage. Additionally, as anyone who has criticized Bahrain on Twitter or on a blog with an open comments canada goose victoria parka outlet section can attest, the regime uses social media aggressively, with an army of accounts seeking out and responding vociferously to any critiques, not just those related to the F1 event. canada goose coats on sale
canada goose coats on sale The regime wanted to use the Grand Prix to show that everything is in Bahrain, and put all its efforts into making sure that it happened, that it was not disrupted, and that the focus of the world was on the race itself and not the ongoing problems in the country. canada goose coats on sale
Canada Goose Outlet The race itself finished without incident, albeit with many empty seats,waffling from corporate sponsors, and the occasional plume of smoke visible in the distance. While the government isdeclaring the event a success, it is doubtful that they are entirely pleased with the amount of attention not to mention renewed energy it has brought to the opposition. Canada Goose Outlet
canadian goose jacket The regime in Bahrain has frequently blamed unrest on foreign interlopers, by which they mean Shia ruled Iran, but the canada goose outlet toronto only foreign intervention in canada goose outlet in canada Bahrain internal affairs actually in evidence is that of Saudi Arabia, and that involvement came at the behest of Bahrain ruling al Khalifas. policy toward Bahrain. canadian goose jacket
Canada Goose Parka Bahrain is a Shia majority country ruled by a Sunni dynasty. In recent years, there have been small steps toward reforms that would allow more popular power, mixed with other steps designed to decrease the Shia majority for example, granting citizenship canada goose jacket outlet to large numbers of Sunni workers brought in from abroad. This blending of approaches is due todifferences of opinion within the ruling familyitself as well as simple fear of being canada goose outlet store calgary overthrown (often conveniently masked as caution against Iranian designs). Canada Goose Parka
canada goose coats Ironically, while there has been no evidence of an Iranian handbehind the protests of Bahrain Shia population even theBahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, commissioned last fall by the regime itself and presented publicly as a way of moving forward, could find not one scrap of evidence the crackdowns have provided Iran with the opportunity to loudly pledge solidarity with their oppressed co religionists, rhetorically through their state run media if not materially. canada goose coats
Canada Goose Outlet Saudi Arabia is a Sunni majority country ruled by a Sunni monarchy, but with a large Eastern Province, which houses both the country oil deposits and a large Shia population, and which neighbors Bahrain. al Khalifas fear the majority they rule. The Saudis fear that the uprising in Bahrain could spread to their own Shia community. canada goose outlet store toronto While canada goose outlet ontario the two regimes are friendly, the Saudi intercession in Bahrain was more about sending a message to and preventing possible unrest among their own citizenry and doing what they felt would minimize potential benefits to their rival Iran than about support for the Bahraini monarchy, as would be any closer political allegiances into canada goose jacket uk which they might enter. Canada Goose Outlet
canada goose store They either have not considered that aiding in the oppression of Bahrain Shia could actually serve as a spur to more action canada goose outlet legit from their owndissatisfied residentsor, more likely, are simply relying on their historical preference for swift, ruthless suppression and gambling that quelling the uprising in Bahrain will have more of a quieting effect in the Eastern Province, and the quicker the better. canada goose store
cheap Canada Goose In addition to a religious sect and an Iranian bogeyman, these two monarchies share an elevated position in United States foreign policy. Navy Fifth Fleet. interests in the two countries heavily favor stability, often at the cost of freedoms. would take the sort of steps it did in Libya, or the sort of less stringent steps it has taken in Syria, or even Egypt. approach could prove to be dangerously short sighted. is in an awkward position regarding oft lauded ideals of democracy promotion and human rights. This does not even take into account possible repercussions were the opposition ever to actually overthrow the al Khalifas. reliance on Bahrain as a strategic foothold in the Gulf, depending on the eternal survival of a status quo built on majority disenfranchisement and widespread https://www.canadagoosesale.biz abuse is foolish. position is also questionable as it relates to Iran. purports to oppose. An canada goose outlet location opposition movement that started out as a peaceful voice for democratic reforms is increasingly radicalizing, creating an opening for Iran to potentially start providing material support. In the event of an overthrow of the current government, Iran would also be well positioned to receive favorable treatment from the new government. The Bahraini protest movement did not need to be a sectarian battleground, but the government response has ensured that it has become an increasingly contentious canada goose parka uk one. policy has amounted to cross our fingers and hope the al Khalifas and the Saudis can make this all go away soon. But it is not going away. interests don necessarily include canada goose outlet buffalo democratic reform and human rights for the people of Bahrain, it would behoove us to start seriously considering alternatives before all parties are hopelessly trapped by the tangle of interests at play. cheap Canada Goose
canadian goose jacket The views expressed in this article are solely those of Caitlin Fitz Gerald. canadian goose jacket
cheap Canada Goose What does not seize to amaze is that Syria is on the verge of bring Canada Goose Outlet invaded (to protect Israel), Iraq was invaded (free oil for US) as was Libya (so Europe could get free oil too!!), but Saudi, Bahrain and Kuwait are not touched or even pretend pressured for their brutal regimes (since they are US allies). This double standard MUST be addressed. Therefore, is it the norm that a US ally can brutalize its people, but it is a crime against humanity if you are NOT a US ally. cheap Canada Goose
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