Bahrain, militarizing the state

محروم.كوم · #1 09-20-2011, 02:20 AM

Bahrain, home to U.S. Fifth Fleet, is a group of islands with an area of 750 square kilometres and a population of no more than 1.3 million 55% of them are expats.

Bahrain was subjected to the British protection for more than 150 years by the exclusive conventions concluded with Britain in the years 1820, 1847, 1856, 1861, 1880, 1892, resulting in a series of obligations on the Shaikhdom. In return Britain promised to protect Bahrain against external aggression, maintain the autonomy of its entity, political and economic interests, protect the interests of its citizens in the abscess, and oversee its foreign affairs.

Those treaties took effect till 14th of August 1971 when they were ended allowing Bahrain to announce its semi-political independence, when the British military presence was replaced by the U.S.!
In 1968 Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) was founded by an Amiri Decree by Emir Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, where his eldest son Crown Prince Hamad, who had just graduated from The Mons Officer Cadet School, was ready to head the armed forces.

Since then, the Commander in Chief Hamad bin Isa has ensured keeping BDF loyal to the Ruling Family and pursued to keep that military force formed from close tribes and families in addition to mercenaries, where the supreme positions were monopolized by members of the Ruling Family. This intended discrimination prevented the wide majority from being recruited only because they are “Shiites”!
BDF has more than 12,000 personnel, a large number among them are naturalized Bahrainis who were not born in Bahrain.

By law, military personnel are prohibited from joining political parties or campaigns. However, they have to obey orders that direct them to vote to candidates supported by the government. It’s not a choice for them to vote freely or oppose orders.

In general, the military structure is similar to the tribal hierarchy, where orders are issued from the Supreme Commander. This structure guarantees a level of loyalty and obedience that serves the tribal mentality of dealing with people as subjects rather than citizens!
Although Bahrain has a small area, there are lots of military bases, zones, and barracks. Vast areas and most islands are classified as military zones and prohibited areas where nobody is allowed to reach.
Currently, there are 10 Military and Security bodies which are:
1.Royal Bahraini Army
2.Royal Bahraini Air Force
3.Royal Bahraini Navy
4.Royal Guard
5.National Guard
6.National Security Agency
7.Special Security Force Command
8.Public Security Forces
9.Coast Guard
10.Police Community Services

Civilian positions were also affected by military influence. The three main public hospitals are under the control of the army. Five ministers on the current cabinet have a military background; one of them is the Minister of Education:
1.Majid AlNaimi, Minister of Education
2.Basim AlHamar, Minister of Housing
3.Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister of Military Affairs

4.Rashid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior
5.Abdulaziz AlFadhel, Minister of Shura Council and Representative Council Affairs

Besides the King himself, two of his sons have graduated from Military Colleges, Nasser, who heads the Royal Guard and Khalid. The BDF also sends personnel to the United States for military training, where members of the Royal family are mostly sent to Sandhurst in the United Kingdom.
The government allocated around $1.6 billion annually for defense and security for the current two years 2011-2012, about 20% of current expenditures. This number is more than the allocated budget for education and health which did not exceed 18%.

Even more, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and National Guard are excluded from being audited by the Financial Control Office regarding expenses related to national security and classified as “SECRET”!

Besides that, Bahrain gets technical assistance and training support of the U.S., where they both signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement in October 1991 granting the U.S. forces access to Bahraini facilities and ensuring the right to pre-position material for future crises.1 BHD= 2.65 USD
With the help of the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council, Bahrain has made significant efforts to upgrade its defence systems and modernize its armed forces over the last 20 years.

Two days before 14th February 2011, the scheduled date for demonstrations in Bahrain, BDF Commander-in-Chief Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was promoted to the position of Marshal.
When the peaceful demonstrations and protest filled the Lulu Roundabout, King Hamad headed to BDF headquarter wearing a military uniform to symbolize an approval for intended armed actions, which they referred to as “Cleansing Operations”!

In 15th of March 2011, King Hamad issued a Royal Decree declaring a State of National Safety (Emergency Law) for three months and handed over the rule of the country to the army commander, who is a member of the ruling family, Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. As a result, Bahrain army forces together with the Gulf Peninsula Shield Forces dispersed the peaceful sit-ins by force.

Military check points were erected all over the country. Many people reported that they were beaten or tortured by army or under their supervision, where the soldiers acted like they won a war against the citizens. Soldiers and the police started stealing people’s money and properties considering the stolen goods as “spoils”!
Hundreds were arrested under the supervision of the army and were presented to the Military Court which began trying civilians for harsh charges. The trials targeted doctors, nurses, teachers, athletes, journalists, religious figures, and politicians. Despite the release of many accused of political activities, their trials are still ongoing.

Those scenes expose a transition from a Police State to a Military State in the small Kingdom of Bahrain. All such precautions are intended to protect power and wealth that the Ruling Family dominates.

September 14, 2011

Source: كود:
http://14feb-youth.com/?p=424 __DEFINE_LIKE_SHARE__

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