You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Arabia
Bahrain MPs quit to protest crackdown
2011-02-18
[Iran Press TV] Eighteen members of Bahrain parliament have resigned from their posts in a show of protest against the violent crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

The politicians announced on Thursday that they have suspended their membership in parliament over the killings of Shia demonstrators, Press TV cited an unnamed opposition parliamentarian as saying.

According to Bahraini health ministry, three people were killed and 195 injured when police launched a crackdown against protesters in capital Manama on Thursday.

Armored vehicles rumbled through the capital on Thursday as the government tried to quell the protests inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
So were they Bahraini or Saudi armored vehicles? There was this rumour (with video! see link) yesterday that the Saudis sent like 150 tanks rumbling across the causeway into Bahrain.
Can't be true: the Saoodi army doesn't have 150 tanks that can roll anywhere...
Bahrain's army has said it will take all necessary measures to ensure security and called on people to avoid going to central areas of Manama.

The US Department of Defense says Washington is closely monitoring the developments in Bahrain, which is the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and holds some 4,200 US service members.

The magnitude of the pro-democracy protests in Bahrain is unprecedented in the history of the Persian Gulf kingdom and the authorities' efforts to quell them have so far been ineffective.

The demonstrators are demanding a new constitution that would move the country toward democracy and limit the king's powers.

Bahrain is ruled by a royal family, who are blamed for discrimination against the country's Shia population -- comprising 70 percent of the population.

Protesters have also called on the Bahraini king to fire his uncle, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, who has been the country's prime minister since 1971.
Posted by:Fred

00:00