6/ 7 April 2016

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

In
Bahrain,
Kerry
treads carefully on
human rights
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP)
U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry dealt delicately
on Thursday with concerns
about persistent human
rights abuses in Bahrain,
stressing America's close
military ties to one of several
Persian Gulf countries with
which it wants to enhance
cooperation on fighting the
Islamic State and containing
Iran.
Making the first visit to
Bahrain by a top American
diplomat since its 2011
uprising, Kerry called the

kingdom a "critical security

partner" and praised its
Sunni rulers for pushing
human rights. He said
more needs to be done to
ensure the full political
participation of everyone in
Bahrain and promised U.S.
support toward elections in
2018.

Kerry, who was to meet with

all of America's allies in the
region later in the day, made
no specific mention of the
repression or discrimination
against Bahrain's Shiite
majority that human rights
groups say is routine. His
criticism was more forceful
toward the opposition
for boycotting previous
elections.

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Kerry says respect for

human rights essential
in Bahrain
U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry said on Thursday that
respect for human rights and
an inclusive political system
were essential for Bahrain, a
Sunni-ruled Gulf monarchy
with a restive Shi'ite Muslim
majority.
Rights
groups
accuse
Bahrain of failing to
implement reforms to give
its Shi'ites a bigger share
in government. They also
accuse
security
forces
of using torture against
opponents,
arresting
political
leaders
and
revoking the citizenship
of activists, charges that
Bahrain denies.

Kerry tells Bahrain

respect for human
rights 'essential'

"I appreciate the seriousness

with which he considers this
issue," he said.

In
Bahrain,
Kerry
walks tightrope on
human rights

US Secretary of State
John Kerry told Bahrain
Thursday that respect for
human rights is "essential",
as the Gulf kingdom faces
persistent accusations of
discrimination against its
Shiite majority.

"We all welcome steps by

sides to create conditions to
provide for greater political
involvement for the citizens
of this great country," he
added.

Secretary of State John Kerry

treads carefully on the issue
of human rights in Bahrain
-- a key Gulf ally in the fight
against ISIS -- but whose
government is accused of
routine human rights abuses
against political dissidents
and discrimination against
the
country's
Shiitemajority.

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Foreign Minister Sheikh

Khaled bin Ahmed alKhalifa
said
Bahrain
planned to free rights activist
Zainab al-Khawaja, who was
detained last month to serve
a prison sentence for tearing
up a picture of the king, and
took her infant son with her.

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the afternoon, Kerry met

privately with members of
Bahrain's opposition and
civil society.

Kerry said he and Sheikh

Khalid "had the chance to
discuss the ongoing effort
to address and to reduce
sectarian divisions here in
Bahrain and elsewhere."

"Here, as in all nations,

we believe that respect
for human rights and an
inclusive political system
are essential," Kerry told a
joint press conference in
Manama with his Bahraini
counterpart Sheikh Khalid
bin Ahmed al-Khalifa.

Here, as in all nations,

we believe that respect
for human rights and an
inclusive political system
are essential in order to
allow citizens to be able to
reach and live out their full
potential, Kerry told a news
conference.

Kerry met with Bahrain

Foreign Minister Khalid bin
Ahmed al Khalifa, and they
discussed conflicts in Syria
and Yemen and the need
to contain ISIS and Iran. In

The tiny Gulf nation is a

close U.S. military ally and
host to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
Kerry on Thursday called
the kingdom a "critical
security partner" in the
region.
Before his meeting with
the foreign minister, Kerry
toured the U.S. Navy base
that is home to the Fifth
Fleet, where servicemen
were engaged in a monthlong, 42-nation maritime
exercise covering waters
from Arabian Sea to the
Suez Canal. The exercise is
aimed at keeping sea-lanes
open for safe passage.

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conflict and for Hezbollah

in Lebanon.

U.S. gently presses

Bahrain on rights,
praises security ties
U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry gently pressed
Bahrain on human rights
on Thursday as he praised
security cooperation with
the Gulf monarchy, where
the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet is
based in part as a bulwark
against Iran.
Kerry made the comments
before he met ministers
from
the
six
Gulf
Cooperation
Council
(GCC) nations, all of which
resent what they regard as
Iranian interference in the
region, including its support
for President Bashar alAssad in Syria's civil war, for
the Houthis in the Yemen

Rights
groups
accuse
Bahrain of failing to
implement
reforms
to
give its majority Shi'ites a
bigger voice in government.
They also accuse security
forces of using torture
against opponents and
discriminating
against
Shi'ites, charges Bahrain
denies.
Sporadic violence targeting
Bahrain's security forces
has continued since prodemocracy,
Shi'ite-led
protests in 2011 were put
down by the Sunni-ruled
kingdom with help from
Gulf states, including Saudi
Arabia.

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Kerry
Arrives
in
Bahrain to Consult
With Arab Allies on
Regions Conflicts
Secretary of State John Kerry
arrived here Wednesday to
consult with Arab allies on
regional conflicts and to lay
the groundwork for a visit to
the region later this month
by President Barack Obama.
Mr. Kerry on Thursday will
huddle with officials from
the six countries making
up the Gulf Cooperation
CouncilBahrain,
Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait,
United Arab Emirates and
Oman. Top subjects will be
conflicts in Syria and Yemen
as well as the fight against
Islamic State, officials said.
The trip comes as renewed
fighting clouds prospects

for a continuing cease fire

in Syria. Mr. Kerry at the
meetings in Bahrain will
urge Arab counterparts to
use their influence with
Syrian opposition leaders
to see that they adhere to
a cease-fire deal struck in
February, a U.S. official said.
The meetings also will allow
the U.S. and Arab officials
to review progress toward a
set of commitments made at
Camp David last year, where
Mr. Obama convened a
summit of Gulf Arab leaders
to reassure them about
the 2015 Iran nuclear deal
and to offer additional U.S.
support to regional defense
efforts.

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