WL Central will be updating news on Bahrain, with new items added at the top. All times are ET in USA. You can contact me on twitter @carwinb or by email at carwinb@hushmail.com. Don't send media when links available. Most email is not encrypted and not anonymous. I cannot guarantee anyone's safety in transmission.
Current time and date in Manama, Bahrain:
Send Arabic #firstaid images by MMS/SMS/email or print as fliers usng http://bit.ly/gv3tS #Bahrain.
WEDNESDAY, March 30
TUESDAY, March 29
Global Voices reports that Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif has been arrested.
This is an image of his last tweet, which was deleted shortly before 11pm EST, and is no longer available.
The hash tag #FreeMahmood was started on twitter calling for his release.
At least 15 people have died since riot police and troops initiated a second round of offensives against anti-government protesters on March 15, Human Rights Watch said. They include Ahmed Farhan, age 24, and Mohammed Eklas, a 50 year-old Bangladeshi citizen, who died in Sitra on March 15. Photographs of Farhan's body show the back of his head blown open and an empty brain cavity, suggesting that he had been shot at close range. According to media reports, Eklas was run over by a vehicle while trying to help some women during the crackdown, but Human Rights Watch could not independently verify this account.(Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown
A third Sitra resident, Isa al-Radhi, 46, who had been missing since that day, was declared dead on March 19, when authorities called his family and told them to collect his body. (Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown )
The authorities admitted holding four missing persons in the Bahrain Defense Force hospital only after they had succumbed to their injuries. This raises serious concerns regarding the missing persons' treatment and whether authorities are holding other people without notifying their families, Human Rights Watch said. (Source: Human Rights Watch: Bahrain: Investigate Deaths Linked to Crackdown )
SATURDAY, March 26
[UPDATES FROM YESTERDAY]
Reports that more than 100 people are injured, and they they are receiving first aid in their homes. Hospitals considered unsafe.
Demonstrator arrested. We cannot confirm the place, nor do we know the fate of the man in this video.(Uploaded March 25)
Link to Video on Facebook of a Saudi soldier saying he has come to Bahrain to kill Shia (Primary Source: Kuwait TV)
Translation: "This is our homeland there in no place for Christians, Jews, the Magi (referring to Shia). We are Sunnis and do not accept Jews in our homeland." The word "Magi" is an insult to the Shia community. The implication is that Shia protestors are infiltrated by foreign countries without mentioning any by name."
Abdul Aziz Ayad, killed by government forces has traces of electric shock on his body. He is from AlHajer Budya and was buried yesterday, March 25
FRIDAY, March 25
Washington PR firms Qorvis Communications (@quorvis) and @cooperchristoph's Potomac Square Group contracted to spin crimes against humanity for Bahrain regime.
"Potomac Square Group – a new firm headed by ex-Wall Street Journal journalist Chris Cooper – was appointed in February to provide strategic PR counsel to the Embassy of Bahrain in the US" (Source: streetmedia.wordpress.com)
"The Bahraini government, which has cracked down on growing political protests, has tapped a former Wall Street Journal national news reporter to help improve the Middle Eastern country's communications with Washington. Christopher Cooper's public relations firm, Potomac Square Group, disclosed last week that it was hired in February by Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the special envoy from Bahrain to the United States. Cooper was hired Feb. 17, after Bahraini troops opened fire on protesters in the Pearl Square in the country's capital of Manama. Al Zayani told CNN at the time that his country's leadership was committed to dialogue with opposition groups, but he added, 'We had to take action, and the action was taken by the law.'" (Source: Huffington Post)
"The contract between Potomac Square Group and Bahrain was signed on February 17." (Source: sunlightfoundation.com)
"Qorvis Communications, one of Washington's biggest PR firms, inked a deal with the island kingdom last year. The firm offered the kingdom's most recent spin on the protest crackdown in a press release highlighting statements made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while omitting her statement that the government was "on the wrong track." (Source: sunlightfoundation.com)
The suppression of a peaceful demonstration today in Buri(Uploaded March 25)
Suppression of protests in today Sitra (Uploaded March 25)
Protest in Beni Jamra today(Uploaded March 25)
Riot police roam the alleys of Aker today (Uploaded March 25)
Sec forces vandalize cars in Sitra today (Uploaded March 25)
Unconfirmed reports on today, March 25, of the death of Aziz Aya, 33, who worked as a soldier in the Bahrain Defense Force. He was from the village of Al Hajer/Budya. The government has not released details as to the causes of death. One unconfirmed report from our sources in the ground say he was kidnapped by special forces and tortured with electric shocks until death.
[UPDATES]
Unconfirmed reports of plain clothes thugs attacking ppl.
There was an attack last week at Bahrain University, more than 80 people are reported to have been injured. People are afraid to go out, because there are reports that snipers are everywhere according to sources on the ground.
Image attributed to one injured male at Salmaniya Hospitall in the attack on Bahrain University. He is reported to have died.
Amnesty International Petition, 'Ensuring accountability for excessive force and protection for protesters'. Sign here.
Body of the Isa Al Radi from Sitra, Mar 20 1011, who was beaten to death. (Uploaded March 21)
Abdulrasool was missing for 4 days. His family received his dead body on March 21, 2001. He was reported to have been beaten to death, coming home from work.
"Abdulrasool al-Hajiri, who worked sterilizing medical equipment at Salmaniya Medical Center in this island Kingdom's capital, Manama, came home to the small Bahraini village of Buri on Saturday, dropped off his bag and went out to get a part of his mobile phone fixed. He was never seen alive again. His body was found the next morning, bloody and beaten, on a street in a town four kilometers away. (Source: Time, Reported March 23)
Daughter of Abdulrasool al-Hajiri
Reports of Bahrain Army open fire on protesters. (Uploaded March 18)
Reports of Bahrain thugs attacking female doctors from Salmaniya Hospital. (Uploaded March 14)
Bahrain police trying to run over protesters near Pearl Roundabout (Uploaded March 14)
Man injured from police fire in Shahrkan. Reports that he could not go to the hospital for treatment, for fear of being arrested. (Uploaded March 14)
[END UPDATES]
For more WL Coverage of March 1 to March 21 or February of Bahrain.
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Crimes against Humanity done by Bahrain-Saudi forces.
UN where are you?
It is first time in the modern history that a regime call foreign armies to suppress peaceful protesters & kill civilians infornt of cameras & infront of the eyes of free world.
Bahrain nation does not have any weapons facing armies armed with modern U.S weapons. The in charge persons in the Al-Khalifa royal family about the massacres must face international courts.
We want constitutional western style monarchy. We are discussing now if it is possible to make Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be the honorary queen of Bahrain like Canada & Newzealand for example. This will make Bahrain democracy safe and will prevent interventions from neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia & Iran.
Bahrain nation lives one of biggest crimes against humanity done by Saudi - Bahraini army. What happen in Bahrain is much much more than what happened in Libyia. In Bahrain peaceful protesters holding nothing facing modern tanks & helicopters of Saidi-Bahraini armies.
Bahrain nation shocked about the reply of US Foreign Minister Ms Clinton when she said it is the right for Bahrain regime to call another army to support the security in Bahrain!!!! And she did not even mention the massacres that happened in Bahrain by Saudi-Bahraini armies.
U.S weapons such as Apaches helicopters, automatic gun machines used against civilians but unfortunately US department did not condemned using these weapons against peaceful protesters who hold nothing.
Bahraini regime & Saudi regime consider this as green light and nothing can stop them now. They are killing people in very cold blood & nobody can even ask them.
We are young people believe in democracy & human rights and needs a real support from the free world.
We are able to change Bahrain regime peacefully if the free world governments such as United States of America stand with us. From hour deep heat we ask US president Obama, US congress members, US senators & government to stand with Bahrain nation.
Facts in letter to BBC
Events are moving fast here, so please excuse my less-than-optimum edit.
I do hope you guys are actually open to hearing alternative views and that
you might find something to take onboard.
We often hear the BBC congratulating themselves on being a superior conduit
of impartial news, however, we resident Brits in particular, plus many
Bahrainis, are beginning to doubt it. All my multicultural friends here are
of the same opinion: current BBC coverage of Bahrain is appalling. One
friend says you doesn’t know Sunni from Sushi – whatever, it seems something is wrong or strange with your blatantly one-sided reports, whilst peacefulprotests are hijacked and you miss this point (amongst others). I hope you hear me through.
Quick points:-
* You’re concentrating on one side of the situation, losing balance.Many of us here now believe you can’t distinguish lies from exaggerations from facts – no due diligence in the rush to go live – you’re reporting hearsay and distorting facts.
E.g. no tanks were used in Pearl clearance – only a van-sized APC at crawling speed. Helicopters over Pearl were filming, no air-raid, no “onslaught”.Please be accurate and distinguish between the vast majority who behaved well and the troublemakers.
As with most public disorder where Molotovs and random shots occur,such troublemakers can expect to be treated differently as would happen in
the UK and Europe too.* Are you ignoring the large minority of Sunni Muslims, who have rights too, or conveniently lumping them with the Royal Family and writing them off as a minority, using distorted figures? Besides offensive,that’s not even democratic.
* You seemed to ignore attacks against Asian expats and their mistreatment, abuse and rejection by the staff at Salmaniya Hospital (a
strange hospital these days) – or perhaps this is OK with the BBC? We
notice Caroline Hawley is eagerly pumped with one-sided assertions and uncorroborated hearsay… please see below.
* You lump all Shia together and depict the problems here as a
Sunni-Shia split.This is not what most Shia at Pearl were saying to visitors who wanted to hear their view: sectarianism is expressly not what they wanted to raise.
Incidentally, trucks with small groups shouting “Down Down Hamad”(like the hospital crowd) and mindless repetition of Cairo’s “as-sha’ab yureed Isqaat en-nathaam” elicited silence from the crowds there, not support. Don’t confuse who’s asking for what, or we’ll have British Broadcasting Confusion…
* I discussed democratic systems and constitutional monarchy with educated, eloquent and civilised Shia pro-democracy protestors at Pearl
on several occasions – who told me they had no wish to be confused with (to
quote them accurately) the religious BS. Many Shia wore badges saying “No
Sunni, No Shia, I’m Bahraini”. Did Caroline Hawley see any of this? Most
Bahrainis do not want anarchy or a chaotic transition. Yet the BBC’s
selection of interviewees who express their intent on further disruptive
action and anarchy is appalling, especially since it should be obvious that
responsible leaders should get to the negotiation table asap.
* Shia themselves are split – this is a major reason why talks didn’t start after one month since security was withdrawn.
Do your reporters know how many opposition societies were involved and how many were ready for talks but were held back by others with a different agenda? – that agenda is not constructive, but politics is dirty.
* If only democracy, and not duplicity, were in the minds of all concerned, massive strides could already have been made, considering
what the Crown Prince has offered - but referred to only in passing by the
BBC. Cancelling or continually postponing talks aligns with other objectives… are your reporters up to this??
* For one month, without guns held at anyone’s head, no bilateral negotiation started. Forgive us for suspecting a crisis was wanted by some parties, not talks – goalposts were continually moved. It was certainly not in the King’s interest to go for crisis – don’t demonise the wrong people, BBC, check out why there’s been such delay. Surely better journalism means digging deeper?
* Ask why kids were sent to face armed troops in February (would you approach them ranting and raving?), whilst their organisers encouraged them and photographers took pictures without giving first-aid - an example not just of sedition but also of ruthless manipulation.
* Do your reporters know or care about Bahrani Arab vs. Iranian origin? Otherwise, they’ll definitely be “missing a trick”. Important in any debate on democracy and allegiance to this country.Clinton and Hague know some Shia are Iranian backed, and how this influences regional security and could destabilise Bahrain in particular.
* Besides politics, the BBC does not focus on the obvious paralysis in a small country that blocking Pearl roundabout and lately many side roads and highways had created – is it OK by you that the whole country suffers collective punishment whilst certain parties can’t (don’t) get their act together? Caroline’s poetic “symbolic heart of the …battle for democratic change” caused massive disruption of normal daily life and economic activity. Pearl diversions first caused gridlock, then we had multiple roadblocks across our biggest highway using truckloads of sand,concrete blocks and roadwork barriers. Imagine this in London – but we don’t have hundreds of alternative routes to help out… and bear in mind, Pearl had been blocked for one month.
* Caroline Hawley’s emphasis whilst describing a government statement of having “cleansed” the Hospital and roundabout was highly unhelpful and possibly inciteful. She’s lucky they used English, even if not to PC standard. Better to drop expectations of perfectly nuanced translations in an Arab country and progress beyond cheap-shot journalism.
* All political systems have imperfections, even UK democracy – just now being timidly revisited. China took nearly a billion out of poverty in 30 years without democracy. Meanwhile, if you tried to present the “horrors” of Shia daily life under the current system, you’d be hard pressed to put a programme together. Bahrain is NOT like Egypt, Libya,Tunisia or Syria. Bahrain is a relatively progressive Arab state already on the road to a democratic future. Since Tunisia, do you action-hungry media expect instant results?!
* Please put aside unhelpful shallow pub talk of a Sunni-Shia sectarian divide. Try exposing the divide between real Bahrainis and thosecalling for an Islamic Republic. Discuss what that would entail in terms of Civil Rights and how its values could ever be called democratic. That would be really helpful and instructive for many.
Dear smart SaudiYou wrote
Dear smart Saudi
You wrote and wrote explained the motives behind as per your own words dirty protestors !!!
From the name you are saudi ... I am a Bahraini and I was one of the protestors and I am highly educated with a master degree not a teenager following the crowds , you are talking about the situation as if your are living it which is not the truth.
Let me reply to some of the things you highlighted
the solid fact in Bahrain is that Shia is the major content of the society and Sunni is minority that was and remain the fact.
I have no problem with having a Sunni royal family at all ( because we are Bahrainis not like Saudis) we have diffent mentality. We live and you will find in the same family a Sunni and shia under one roof.
- external agenda .. I was hearing this since I was a baby with no proof ( if you are saying Shia are loyal to Iran then applying tha same principle Sunnis are loyal to eygpt or Saudi and not to their countries ) !!??
- gangsters .. Every single Bahraini knows for fact who are these gangsters and when this kind of behavior started in bahrain ( everybody know exactly which countries carries white weapons )
- attacking expats !! This card was used in 1996 ... Just for the records I have working for the last 15 years and I told every single expat I know to be careful ( if my government not considering me they will not spare them for sure )
- from the first crackdown till the last is exactly a month .. We respond to the crown offer but he refuse to listen
Bahrain for Bahrain's is like this
- you wait 20 years to have a house
- you study and have high degrees to work as a cashier
- when they give us the right to vote a person vote in one area equal 27 votes in another
- 60% of bahrain is private lands
- our prince when declared himself a king said it will be like UK - my simple understanding that it means that we the people elect the government which runs the country
- this exactly what we requested !!??
- are seriously telling me that a prime minister remain in his chair for more than 40 year and the citizen welfare is decreasing while he is being richer and richer is a fair equation
A simple business decision if you changed managers and staff in your company every year and yet you are making a loss then its time to remove the chairman
Before I close I want to say a BIG THANKS to the MEDICAL staff in Bahrain
And a big SHAIM ON U to the army
Your justifications and rebuttals..
might be more credible if the global media had access to Bahrain. As such access is blocked, I must find that the tweets of protestors are probably much more honest than Your government supporting posts.
We know that there are greedy people who would want to seize power in Bahrain to control the vast oil wealth. I doubt the protestors risking their lives in the street are thinking that way.
Find the TRUTH .. WHO DID WHAT
The residents of Bahrain, residents meaning the citizens and expats who take Bahrain as a dear home have been terrorized by the actions of a group of protesters who are acting as outlaws. This message is directed to the United Nations, United States of America, European Union, Human Rights societies. The residents have had a war raged against them by the media; no voices from the parties who haven’t protested have been heard. It is due to this war with the media. Opinions on the government of Bahrain and its achievements in the last 10 years of the Rule of HRH Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa have been tarnished. The residents of Bahrain have had enough; On Twitter people who love the government have had accusations passed down to them, accused of attacking and defacing universities, and accused of killing the protesters which are in fact baseless. Yes, there were cases of self-defense which are legitimate. We the people of Bahrain see that if security forces do not intervene that Iran ultimately will.
Paul Repstock
The young man in the hospital bed appears to have been shot with a shotgun, and is probably blind.
The next slide shows a pellet containment from a 12 ga. shotgun extracted from a wound, so it was fired at point blank range.
Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for your comments.
"You can tell...
...a man by the company he keeps."
It seems obvious that the United States is reluctant to measure all countries by the yardstick they used for Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and Libya.
I would never suggest that they should be "Policeman for the world". But, inconsistent standards are discrediting what foreign policy credibility they had.
The West should have realized long ago that arming and supporting dictators as not sustainable. I suppose that few people really care about ME democracy, all they really see is the price of gasoline.