Posted on 05/27/2002 12:44:23 PM PDT by colgin
Bahrain Crowd Attacks U.S. Sailors After Car Accident By Adnan Malik Associated Press Writer Published: May 27, 2002
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) - A U.S. sailor and his Ethiopian bride remained hospitalized Monday after they were attacked by a crowd when their car hit a local woman outside a store. The newlyweds were under observation at the military hospital on this tiny Persian Gulf island, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, Navy spokesman Lt. Chris Davis said. He would not identify the patients but said their conditions were "not life threatening."
However, a U.S. Embassy statement said the sailor's wife was seriously hurt.
Another sailor who was in the car with the couple was treated Monday at the Bahrain Defense Forces hospital and released, he said.
According to Davis, the three went to the Farshat Al-Areas store about nine miles southwest of Manama, the capital, seeking a refund of the $79.50 deposit the woman placed on a wedding dress.
The store refused to pay in full and a heated argument spilled into the street, attracting a crowd and causing a traffic jam, Davis said.
"They were trying to leave the area and struck a local woman in the process," Davis told The Associated Press. "They tried to check on her, and when they got down to help her the crowd took offense on them."
The crowd smashed the car windows and beat its occupants, he said.
Davis and the U.S. Embassy said only two U.S. sailors were involved in the incident.
However, Abdul Hadi Yousif, whose wife owns the shop, and other Bahrainis at the scene said more servicemen showed up as matters escalated. Yousif said at least seven U.S. personnel were involved.
He said his 26-year-old sister-in-law was hit by the car and suffered a fractured leg.
Yousif said the sailors began destroying the shop, punching his wife and her sister, who is three months pregnant. Two Indian tailors employed at the store tried to intervene and were beaten by the sailors, he said.
"It is the Americans who started the fight," Yousif said. "They owed us money and they wanted us to pay them. This is unbelievable."
Police intervened, and witnesses said the crowd of up to 500 chanted "Death to America!" and called for U.S. forces to leave the island kingdom. The crowd dispersed about five hours later.
Officials at Salmaniya Hospital, where witnesses said some shop employees were taken, refused to comment.
U.S. Navy and Bahraini authorities were investigating, the U.S. Embassy statement said. Davis said no charges had been filed yet.
AP-ES-05-27-02 1413EDT
How did they "strike" a woman while on the way out? I'm assuming they did more than just bump into her, since that wouldn't be "striking" her. The Navy version of this story is weak, IMO. OTOH, this could just be due to the sailors expecting American-style customer service from an Arab vendor.
Gettin' really tired of seeing this one...
If it's death they're interested in, we can surely accomodate them.....
I'd really like to see us take a policy that makes "death to america" signs or chants in any public venue, in any third world crap pile, a 'three strikes you're out' offense.
Third time stated in public & we start the pull out, under armed security force and with everyone quite clear on the idea that there are live rounds in the weapons because we consider ourselves in hostile territory.
Then put the money saved into heavy sea and air lift, armed drones, and new lethal goodies for the troops.
The storekeeper let the local Iranian shia contacts know what was about to happen so the rent-a-crowd could be there on a moment's notice.
I suspect that the women was one of those insurance artists that make fake car impact injuries to get money from foreigners, to avoid the Bahraini legal system.
If your car was surrounded by a mob trying to break your car windows and kill you and your wife, you'd probably step on the gas, too. This isn't the first symptom we've seen of Anti-American hatred in Bahrain.
Imagine a chanting crowd surrounding and pounding on the car, and a PO'ed sailor slamming his foot down on the accelerator. I am surprised they got out to check on the woman?
You bet I would. But there are a few things I don't quite understand about this. For example, if their car was surrounded by a mob, and they hit the gas and hit a 26-year old woman, that would mean she was in the mob. However, these 'mobs' (usually engineered by local vendors to apply pressure on someone so they can get their $$) are almost always all-male. And then, of course, there's the discrepancy over the number of soldiers. And if there is a history of anti-Americanism in Bahrain (which there is), there is also a history of American GI's being pretty aggressive in foreign countries. The facts of this, I hope, will come out soon.
If she was in the mob, then stopping was a mistake. They should have high-tailed it outta there.
That would make far to much since for the brain dead bureaucrats in gov't.
Besides, if we did that, what would the crazy Mohammads use as an excuse for terrorizing us then?
We have to stay in the region because the region has something that is vital to our national security interests. I'm sure you know what that something is. Until Pootie-Poot can get his nations industry at a point where it can rival Saudi Arabia (or come close), we're still gonna need the Middle East for that special something.
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