AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Press TV
Wednesday

12 October 2011

8:30:00 PM
271636

US urged to block Bahrain arms sale

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.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Democratic lawmakers said in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday 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 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.

Wyden in a statement said "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."

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