Bahraini Legislators Respond to Letter from US Congress
A group of Bahraini legislators issued a response to a letter sent earlier this month by 20 Members of the United States Congress that expressed concern at the delayed visit of U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture ...
U.S. Navy Officer Presents New Strategy for Bahrain
Commander Richard McDaniel, USN, Federal Executive Fellow at Brookings' Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, published a report entitled "No 'Plan B:' U.S. Stretegic Access in the Middle East and the Question of Bahrain," on how the U.S. ...
June 25, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Featured, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, US foreign policy, Youth
U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Meets Crown Media Adviser
Bahraini Adviser to the King for Media Affairs Nabil bin Yaqoob Al Hamer received U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Thomas Krajeski yesterday at Gudaibiya Palace, where "they discussed strong historic relations" between Bahrain and the United States, "and their progress in various fields." ...
HRW Reports on Civil Society Restrictions in Bahrain
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a new report titled "Interfere, Restrict, Control: Restraints on Freedom of Association in Bahrain." The report details the repressive laws and policies that restrain civic and political groups and trade unions in Bahrain. The report ...
June 20, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, United Nations, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: Dynamic Gulf Conference-”A New Ruling Bargain- Reform and Gulf Elite Dynamics”
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) co-hosted a conference titled "Dynamic Gulf: Forces of Change in a Strategic Region." The second panel, “A New Ruling Bargain? Reform and Gulf Elite Dynamics,” was moderated by Prof. Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the George Washington University, and featured panelists Andrew Hammond, former Reuters correspondent for Saudi Arabia, Ali Al Shihabi, ...
June 14, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Economics, Egypt, Freedom, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Kuwait, Muslim Brotherhood, Oman, Political Islam, Political transition, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen
POMED Notes: Dynamic Gulf Conference–”New Trends in Activism: Youth, Women, and Islamists”
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) co-hosted a conference titled "Dynamic Gulf: Forces of Change in a Strategic Region." The first panel, "New Trends in Activism: Youth, Women, and Islamists", was moderated by Stephen McInerney, Executive Director of POMED, and featured as panelists Kristin Smith Diwan, Assistant Professor of Comparative and Regional Studies at the American University School of International Service; Jane ...
June 14, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Event Notes, Gulf, Gulf Cooperation Council, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Kuwait, Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, Reform, Saudi Arabia, UAE, US foreign policy, Women, Youth
June 13, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Congress, Courts and Judiciary, Featured, Islamist movements, Legislation, Protests, US foreign policy, US politics, Youth
Obama Attends Meeting With Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain
President Obama dropped by a meeting between Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken and Bahraini Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa on Wednesday. According to a statement released by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden, President Obama reaffirmed U.S. ...
Video of the Day: Bahraini Activist Maryam al-Khawaja at TEDxSOAS
Prominent Bahraini human rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja recently delivered a TEDx talk at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.
May 30, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Conflict, Featured, Protests, Syria, US foreign policy
Home of Top Shia Cleric Raided in Bahrain
Bahraini authorities raided the home of a prominent Shia cleric, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim on Friday. Opposition group al-Wefaq said Qassim was not home at the time of the raid but there were women and children present. A leading human rights activist ...
May 17, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Saudi Arabia, Sectarianism, US foreign policy
Blogger Escapes from Bahrain, Government Responds
Bahraini blogger and free-speech advocate Ali Abdulemam recently escaped from the Kingdom of Bahrain after more than two years in hiding. A team of people and outside supporters, including artist Tyler Ramsey and human rights groups Amnesty International and the American ...
May 14, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Featured, Human Rights, Protests, Reform
Bahrain’s Parliament Criticizes US Ambassador for Internal Interference
Bahraini lawmakers are urging their government to stop the U.S. ambassador from "interfering in domestic affairs," and attending "repeated meetings with those who inspire sedition." The government has agreed to the proposal and said they would take diplomatic measures, but ...
May 7, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Featured, Freedom, Parliament, Protests, Reform, Secularism, US foreign policy
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Report
In April, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued its annual report covering February 2012 through January 2013. From the MENA region, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia were listed as "Countries of Particular Concern" and Bahrain and Turkey were ...
May 1, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey
May 1, 2013
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Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Courts and Judiciary, Featured, Kuwait, Parliament, US foreign policy
Secretary Kerry Meets with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa Monday morning to discuss Bahrain's reform process and regional issues including Syria and the peace process. State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said ...
April 30, 2013
Category: Bahrain, Diplomacy, Featured, Human Rights, Parliament, Reform, US foreign policy
State Department Human Rights Country Report: Bahrain
The annual State Department country report on human rights practices in Bahrain detailed heavy-handed repression in 2012 and reports that the government maintains a system of extra-judicial detention facilities where torture routinely occurs. The most serious human rights problems ...
April 23, 2013
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Category: Bahrain, Civil Liberties, Civil Society, Courts and Judiciary, Featured, Freedom, Human Rights, US foreign policy
Weekly Wire Headlines – April 22, 2013
House, Senate Hold FY14 Budget Hearings Iraq Holds First Provincial Elections since U.S. Withdrawal Bahrain Hosts F1 Race amid Protests State Dept. Releases 2012 Human Rights Reports UAE Crown Prince Visits DC Amid Concerns from Rights Groups