(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Five US senators have requested US President Barack Obama's administration to block a USD 53-million weapons sale to Bahrain amid an ongoing regime crackdown on anti-government protesters in the Persian Gulf state.
The sale of arms weapons to Bahrain “would weaken US credibility” in the world as the Al-Khalifa regime is violently suppressing peaceful protests in the Persian Gulf country, the Democratic lawmakers said in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday.
The senators - Bob Casey, Ben Cardin, Ron Wyden, Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez - also condemned the Bahraini regime for the violation of human rights and its opposition to political reforms.
The lawmakers asked US officials to stop the sale of weapons to Bahrain "until meaningful steps are taken to improve human rights" there.
Earlier last week, Wyden and Rep. Jim McGovern introduced a resolution to block the arms sales to the Al Khalifa regime, a key Persian Gulf ally of the United States.
"Selling weapons to a regime that is violently suppressing peaceful civil dissent and violating human rights is antithetical to our foreign policy goals and the principle of basic rights," said Wyden in a statement.
"The US should not reward a regime that actively suppresses its people. This resolution will withhold the sale of arms to Bahrain until the ruling family shows a real commitment to human rights," he added.
The arms include more than 44 armored Humvees and 300 missiles, 50 of which have bunker-busting capability.
Since mid-February, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the US-backed Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.
On March 14, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived in Bahrain to assist the rulers of the sheikdom in their suppression of anti-government protests.
According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds have been systematically arrested in the Persian Gulf island country.
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The sale of arms weapons to Bahrain “would weaken US credibility” in the world as the Al-Khalifa regime is violently suppressing peaceful protests in the Persian Gulf country, the Democratic lawmakers said in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday.
The senators - Bob Casey, Ben Cardin, Ron Wyden, Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez - also condemned the Bahraini regime for the violation of human rights and its opposition to political reforms.
The lawmakers asked US officials to stop the sale of weapons to Bahrain "until meaningful steps are taken to improve human rights" there.
Earlier last week, Wyden and Rep. Jim McGovern introduced a resolution to block the arms sales to the Al Khalifa regime, a key Persian Gulf ally of the United States.
"Selling weapons to a regime that is violently suppressing peaceful civil dissent and violating human rights is antithetical to our foreign policy goals and the principle of basic rights," said Wyden in a statement.
"The US should not reward a regime that actively suppresses its people. This resolution will withhold the sale of arms to Bahrain until the ruling family shows a real commitment to human rights," he added.
The arms include more than 44 armored Humvees and 300 missiles, 50 of which have bunker-busting capability.
Since mid-February, thousands of anti-government protesters have been staging regular demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the US-backed Al Khalifa family to relinquish power.
On March 14, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates arrived in Bahrain to assist the rulers of the sheikdom in their suppression of anti-government protests.
According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds have been systematically arrested in the Persian Gulf island country.
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