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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 2/18/13

Bahrain: Will Dialogue Bring Peace?

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So, while many praised the King, others did not. Many did not fully understand why the King was taking these unconventional actions, and were suspicious of His Majesty's motives and strategy. They worried that he was simply stalling, buying time and hoping his opposition would fade away.

 

More than a year later, most observers in the international community believe they have their answer. What fundamental reforms recommended by the BICI were actually implemented? Virtually none say Bahrain-watchers.

 

Next to nothing! The tiny, oil-rich, and strategically located nation continues to put out near-daily cotton-candy press releases and, according to the major think-tanks focused on Bahrain, at the same time continues to be wracked by simmering violence and social divisions, and the government appears unwilling to enact substantial political reforms.

 

However, through the government press apparatus and high-powered PR consultants, it appears more than ready to continue launching a tsunami of what I regard as largely insignificant developments as "news" -- though the chances of finding actual news in these documents are somewhere between slim and none.

 

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published the following descriptions of the current situation:

 

The three main Bahraini political forces--the Shia opposition, Sunni Islamists, and the ruling Sunni Al Khalifa family--are paralyzed by internal fissures with more militant idealists overtaking pragmatists.

 

For the U.S., which docks its Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, this impasse looms as a crucial test of America's ability to balance the need for political reform with long-standing strategic interests and military partnerships.

 

The US has been unsuccessful in persuading various players to embrace a robust dialogue to come up with practical and equitable solutions to the island's deep-seated problems. The CarnegieFoundation sees this failure as a sign of increased anti-Americanism in Bahrain and the waning influence American wields in the area.

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William Fisher has managed economic development programs in the Middle East and elsewhere for the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development. He served in the international affairs area in the Kennedy Administration and now (more...)
 
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