Bahrain: A Deep Desire for Freedom?
on Thursday, February 17, 2011
The desire for freedom in Egypt has sparked a fire spreading through Iran, Libya, Yemen and Bahrain. Bahrain has received the most media attention today due to the violent response of the country's military. Early this morning Bahrain's riot police descended on hundreds of sleeping protestors in Pearl Square. The military has banned protests agianst Bahrain's absolute monarchy. This situation presents the US with an interesting dilemma. Bahrain hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, and the US has been building an alliance with Bahrain in an attempt to build a regional security network.Making the violence even more complex in Bahrain is the fact that the monarchy is ruled by a Sunni minority which has long provoked resentment from a Shiite majority. The situation is further complicated by the extreme reaction of the military. One man who was taken to a hospital had 200 shotgun pellets removd from his body. There have been reports of children being shot and protestors being killed while they sleep. Are the people of Bahrain protesting because of a deep desire for freedom or are they just too eager to join the recent trend of protesting? Time will tell how deep their desire is and what America's response, if any, will be.
