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| Arabia |
| Bahrain secures bridge used by Westerners fleeing Saudi Arabia |
| 2004-07-02 |
| ABU DHABI – Bahrain has increased security along the road that links the kingdom with Saudi Arabia after receiving an intelligence alert. Officials said Bahraini authorities have bolstered police presence and patrols along the King Fahd Causeway, which connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Manama also ordered an increase in coast guard patrols around the 25-kilometer causeway. The security alert was reported on June 23 amid an intelligence warning that Al Qaida might be planning to blow up the Saudi-Bahraini bridge. Hundreds of Westerners have been leaving the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and entering into neighboring Bahrain via the bridge. The bridge has been used most by Saudi nationals who seek a quick get-away into the Western-style nightlife of Bahrain, Middle East Newsline reported. "There is concern that Al Qaida operatives might be fleeing Saudi Arabia via the Causeway or planning attacks in Bahrain," a security source said. More than 100 Bahraini police officers were now deployed on the Bahraini entry point to the bridge. They included security officers, police, SWAT teams and undercover agents. Officials said Bahraini and Saudi authorities believe Al Qaida operatives have been using the King Fahd Causeway to support insurgency attacks in Saudi Arabia. Over the last 18 months, both Saudi and Bahraini nationals have been detained on suspicion of belonging to or supporting the Al Qaida network. Saudi authorities have also increased security on their side of the bridge. Additional police were seen from the Bahraini side of the King Fahd Causeway. On June 23, Bahraini authorities released six nationals detained the previous day and accused of plotting a major insurgency strike. In a 45-minute hearing, Bahraini prosecutors did not present any charges or evidence, Attorney General Sharif Shadi said. "No charges have been pressed against any of the accused," Shadi said. "They have all been released without charge." |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #9 Doc8404, I hope that $1 pitcher is of Rolling Rock! Adding to .com description of this place: No Movie Theaters No Symphony No Play Theater No sounds of music on the streets. No sounds of women laughter No music in restaurants (except maybe Chilis) No dancing No real alcohol No pork No Museums (in Dhahran)-There is on Oil Exhibit. How many times can you go to it? No Street Festival No Ethnic festival Etc, etc,... |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-07-03 1:19:26 AM |
| #8 We used to go to Ray's in Kent - my dad told me that I had to stay out fo the Townhouse. He still teaches and lives in Hudson so we usually drank in Kep's Tavern - the only bar in town - and staggered home. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-07-02 5:08:27 PM |
| #7 Not Akron? Damn right SH. The Eastwood Grill, the Outpost and Tall Paul's Disco club - and don't forget Filthy McNasty's over in Kent; you could catch Joe Walsh there with $1 pitchers and no cover. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it. Life's been good to me sooo farrrr . . . . |
| Posted by: Doc8404 2004-07-02 3:41:24 PM |
| #6 Lol! Excellent observation... everything's relative, eh? |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-02 1:23:39 PM |
| #5 .com, when I discovered that the Saudis were coming to Bahrain as an excape from the mundane, I knew that I never wanted to visit Arabia. Bahrain ain't no Las Vegas or even Orlando or even Akron ... |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-07-02 12:58:30 PM |
| #4 Ship - I assume so, but who knows? What day of the week is it, heh? It's actually hard to remember all of the common things, the little stuff that makes life what it is here, which are not allowed there. Nowhere near as hard as getting by without them, of course. Eventually, you are just worn down to eat, sleep, work. And the one real pleasure left to you, eating, is heavily proscribed, of course. Amazing how limited the menu becomes when you remove pork and all related dishes. The real remaining reason to go to Bahrain is to eat normally - restoring the one allowed pleasure. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-02 11:41:39 AM |
| #3 Movies are a big draw - none allowed in SA, of course. No movies? Didn't realize that. Graven image deal? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-07-02 11:34:34 AM |
| #2 A few observations: 1) Bahrain is no longer the nightlife getaway for the Saudis it once was - the "ists" have taken over there, too, and shut down about 80% of the fun. So much for their foray into pseudo-democracy and the amnesty for their wackos. Example, only hotels (officially - there are a very few exceptions) are allowed to have bars - and the hours are now limited, IIUC. 2) The causeway is THE way to get the hell out of the Eastern Province. They closed down Dhahran Airport, which was great, and forced everyone to go to Dammam Int'l - a mutawa-run shithole - or used the causeway and go out via Manama's Bahrain Int'l. 3) When I was last there, at the times of day I used the causeway, the traffic was about 70-30 Saudi / Bahraini to expat. And mostly families going to the malls and movies available there sans a measure of the idiocy. Movies are a big draw - none allowed in SA, of course. 4) If the paperwork is clean, they won't catch anyone. With Nayef / Saudi complicity, that's a done deal. As A4617 pointed out once not long ago, the causeway is highly vulnerable to some bunch whacking a bunch of Westerners - it's one hell of a bottleneck and moves slooooooow in the Bahrain - to - Saudi direction. Not because of security, because of stupidity and lax assholes. 5) I've never seen an Arab, especially a Saudi, searched worth a damn. They do sometimes go after the Westerners with a extensive car search - looking for pork smugglers, mainly. Truth is, a jihadi could prolly smuggle anything short of field artillery through the causeway -- unless they have really changed things, which I doubt. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-07-02 11:11:19 AM |
| #1 Oh, goody.... more policemen to worry about. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4617 2004-07-02 8:28:57 AM |