Folks watch The Kingdom of Bahrain carefully, besides being a Finance, Business and Communication center and having Hqs for many multinationals in the middle east, Bahrain is also home to the powerful US Fth Fleet whose primary task is to secure the Persian Gulf to ensure free flow of oil to the world.
From the CIA World Factbook on Bahrain:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
The people power uprising now spreading thru'out the Middle East has claimed the leadership of Tunisia and Egypt. Yemen is in turmoil, so is Algeria and Libya but Bahrain due to its central position in the Middle East and home to its huge US 5th Fleet is a very great concern of the American Government.
US Interests at Stake in Bahrain Unrest
February 16, 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Unrest surging through the Arab world has so far taken no toll on the American military. But that could change if revolt washes over the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain -- longtime home to the U.S. Navy's mighty 5th Fleet and arguably the Middle East anchor of U.S. defense strategy.
The discontent that has spilled into the streets of Bahrain's capital, Manama, this week features no anti-American sentiment, but the U.S. has a lot at stake in preserving its dominant naval presence in the Gulf.
Read the full article here.
Lets see as events unfold in Bahrain it may be the gateway to people's power in Saudi Arabia and will give serious headache to American hegemony in the Persian Gulf.
From the CIA World Factbook on Bahrain:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
The people power uprising now spreading thru'out the Middle East has claimed the leadership of Tunisia and Egypt. Yemen is in turmoil, so is Algeria and Libya but Bahrain due to its central position in the Middle East and home to its huge US 5th Fleet is a very great concern of the American Government.
US Interests at Stake in Bahrain Unrest
February 16, 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Unrest surging through the Arab world has so far taken no toll on the American military. But that could change if revolt washes over the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain -- longtime home to the U.S. Navy's mighty 5th Fleet and arguably the Middle East anchor of U.S. defense strategy.
The discontent that has spilled into the streets of Bahrain's capital, Manama, this week features no anti-American sentiment, but the U.S. has a lot at stake in preserving its dominant naval presence in the Gulf.
Read the full article here.
Lets see as events unfold in Bahrain it may be the gateway to people's power in Saudi Arabia and will give serious headache to American hegemony in the Persian Gulf.
No comments:
Post a Comment