Bahrain Tears Down Monument as Protesters Seethe

NYTIMES.COM ^ | March 18, 2011 | By ETHAN BRONNER

[Son House]

Bahrain on Friday tore down the protest movement’s defining monument, the pearl at the center of Pearl Square, a symbolic strike that carried a sense of finality. The official news agency described the razing as a facelift.

“We did it to remove a bad memory,” Bahrain’s foreign minister, Sheik Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, said at a news conference. “The whole thing caused our society to be polarized. We don’t want a monument to a bad memory.”

The destruction of the monument was part of a chain of events that, in a matter of days, turned Bahrain from a symbol of hopeful pro-democratic protest into one of violent repression.

...In Bahrain, the Arab spring turned to winter in less than a week. Martial law was declared on Tuesday. It is now illegal to hold rallies. Tanks remain outside the central hospital and Saudi troops are here as back-up.

...The Farhan family is poor, like many in this village and like many of the 70 percent of the country that is Shiite. Ahmed Farhan, who never married, lived with his family in a ramshackle structure around a courtyard, having lost his job as a fisherman some years ago after harbor construction made fishing impossible. He was taking part in a protest demonstration when he was killed.

The battle to turn this kingdom into a democracy has also been a battle of class and ethnicity — poor majority Shiites against the Sunni elite and royal family. It is also an international struggle, with Saudi Arabia on one side, Iran on the other.

[Son House]

I'm one of the few who are optimistic about the folks in the middle east fighting for their freedom, I think they actually are not going to be foiled into serving another ruler, and will continue to protest and resist if that happens, also, we'd better think twice about who gets to buy jets and other military equipment, lest the worst case scenario it being used on civilian populations. And I think this country is more front page news then the media gives it.

[Cheetahcat]

Why because the Government is suppressing the Iran Terrorists?? Kill them all.

[JoeProBono]

[GeronL]

It might be easier not to sell Bahrain arms if our 5th fleet wasn’t based there.

[bill1952]

>I think they actually are not going to be foiled into serving another ruler, and will continue to protest and resist

LOLOLOL
They are ISLAMIC Shiites tying to turn this into another country ruled by IMMANS & SHARIA law.

The Shias WANT this - you are the fool here sir.

[Son House]

Thanks for the before and after, another link of interest, although it seems here we and the British get some of the blame;

Communique from Bahrain Freedom Movement
http://www.voltairenet.org/article168947.html
The past 48 hours have been amongst the worst in the history of Bahrain as Death Squads roamed the towns and villages, wielding swords, axes, iron bars and wooden sticks and attacked Bahrainis. Last night residents were attacked inside their homes in several villages, including Malikiyah, Sitra, Nuwaidrat, Bani Jamra, Masha, Daih, Karzakkan, Dar Kulaib and others. There are plenty of images clearly showing these vicious militias attacking and destroying people’s lives and property.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

You should read this thread, to see this in the larger context:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2690936/posts

Iran is most likely behind the rebels.

[Vigilanteman]

These protestors are no friends of ours. They are mostly Shiite nut-jobs stirred up by Achmed Dickjob.

Bahrain is second only to Israel in freedom enjoyed in the Middle East. Women can freely work and vote here. It does have a reputation of being sort of the Las Vegas of the Middle East, but that's quite relative. Sort of like being the most sober neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Bottom line is these protestors aren't demonstrating for more freedom; they just want to make Bahrain more like Iran.

[Son House]

Me not totally naive to that, but I also wouldn’t discard a real quest for freedom too.

[Son House]

Courtesy Ping, thinking you may want to see some of this too

[pallis]

Islamic Democracy.... LOL!

[mlocher]

I'm one of the few who are optimistic about the folks in the middle east fighting for their freedom, I think they actually are not going to be foiled into serving another ruler, and will continue to protest and resist if that happens, also, we'd better think twice about who gets to buy jets and other military equipment, lest the worst case scenario it being used on civilian populations. And I think this country is more front page news then the media gives it.

As I understand it, the Bahrain situation is more about Sunni--Shi'ite differences than it is about folks fighting for their freedom.

The US cannot be effective if in face we are witnessing religious civil wars. Let them sort out, with the help of Allah of course, their own leadership issues.

[skeeter]

They’re fighting for freedom, Iran style.

[PrinceOfCups]

Bahrain is second only to Israel in freedom enjoyed in the Middle East. Women can freely work and vote here. It does have a reputation of being sort of the Las Vegas of the Middle East, but that's quite relative. Sort of like being the most sober neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

Nope, Dubai is the Las Vegas of the Middle East. Bahrain is older, quieter and a resort for Saudis needing to get out of Riyadh for a weekend.

[robowombat]

Yes, and the royal government is showing some stones in pulling down the focal symbol; of the Iranian proxies. I hope that this is a signal of what is to come if the Iranian proxies continue to try and topple the monarchy. The question for the US here as in the rest of wogistan is not about moralizing globalony but who and what serves our interests best. In Libya, we and the rest of the EU dopes and dupes are lining up on the side of an Islamacist controlled revolt. In Libya it is a choice of turds and ColK represents a lot less of a threat to our interests than Islamacists. In Bahrain the torpidly corrupt monarchy supports our interest of naval access to control one of the truly critical maritime chokepoints, the Straits of Hormuz, the rioters are dupes, surrogates, or stooges of Iran who is ever trying to dismantle the encirclement that the US has achieved of Iran. It is not a lot of graduation day rhetorical sentimentality or denatured Enlightenment emoting that represents our interests, it is pure concrete national political and military advantage that is at stake.

[dangerdoc]

Bahrain almost feels like the USA after you’ve been stuck in Saudi for a while.

[Vigilanteman]

You are probably right. Let’s say Bahrain is Jackpot (Idaho border) or Wendover (Utah border) or Stateline (California border) or Mesquite (Arizona boder), a smaller version of Dubai but the same role.

[conservativegramma]

Don't get taken in by that site. Those 'freedom fighters' have been terrorizing anyone non-shiite. They've put up barricades and roadblocks all over the country, carrying long swords, knives and even meat cleavers. THAT was the reason the King called in the Saudi's. They have also been harrasing Indian and Asian workers (particularly bangladeshi's). They have killed 2 of these bangladeshi workers by driving a truck over them.

Does your 'freedom' site report any of this??? NO........

[Anoreth]

I know an MK1 who’s still in Bahrain. Says it’s a real mess there.
sigh.

[Tax-chick]

Have some sympathy for the Bangladeshis and Filipinos who make up the workforce in places like Bahrain.