(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The latest crackdown comes amid a 10-day sit-in protest held in Moqsha, near Manama, by anti-regime protesters who aim to press ahead with their demands. The protests are planned to continue until February 14, the day marking the start of the popular revolution in the kingdom in 2011. We have conducted an interview with Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, to share his opinion on this issue. The following is a transcript of the interview: Q: First of all tell us about the latest wave of violence that we have been hearing in reports against protesters? Rajab: As we see the level of protest is increasing as we approach the 14th of February and protest we can see in everywhere and we are expecting to see much more in the coming few days. As you know the security forces are not tolerant to any protests, attack against protests in every part of Bahrain. The new thing is that we see more protests happening in Manama more than before and tomorrow we have another protest in the afternoon at Manama. We expect to see the security forces attacking it and we have another protest in Bodaya Avenue. There are lots of protests happening. There are people including myself who will be walking there in about the coming days and we expect to be attacked also. The situation is tense. People are very much committed, standing for their goal, standing for the demand that they came out 14th of February. Government with the support of the Saudis, with the financial and the military support of the Saudi does not seem that they are willing to talk with any opposition. So situation remains as very tense situation. Q: Well Mr. Rajab, speaking of how Saudi Arabia is involved in this, as we know sending troops militarily months ago and now the recent reports telling us, photos showing US military troops training Bahraini forces in the suppression of the protests. What is the general view now among the Bahraini people on how the United States and Saudi Arabia are affecting their revolutionary movement? Rajab: Well first of all the position of United States government is supporting our government. That is very long and not something new. And we always say that will not help the long strategic interest of United States, building, maintaining relations with dictators will not help their strategic interest and this is the message we take to United States officials and friends that we have and we have to take something in consideration also. We have a lot of Congress members now supporting Bahraini revolution against what is American government doing on selling arms to Bahrain at the time when the Bahraini government killing the people. I told you where are the reasons for stopping the arm deal that supposed to be done in the past few months and again now it seems Obama administration, they want to go ahead but still we have a friend in the American Congress, still we have a friend in United States among the civil society. There are a lot of American organizations and Congress, our senator members who disagree with the administration policy by supporting the regime in Bahrain. In fact reality about the training, I have seen the videos, I have seen the pictures you are talking about but I am still in my own investigation and I am calling the American embassy to find out for more clarification in regard to those pictures and videos and once I have it, I will come out with you with an answer. Q: Right and Mr. Rajab just before we leave you if you could also briefly tell us, earlier you said the prospect of talks maybe between the opposition and the Bahraini rulers, is that going to be possible? Is that going to be practical what lies ahead for this revolutionary movement? Is it going to be negotiations? Is it going to be a lot more pressure than that on the Bahraini rulers? Rajab: I think more people getting killed in the streets as the talks get more difficult and difficult. Now we have four or three people died in one week time because of the tear gas and government does not seems that learning from their mistakes. So the gap is getting wider and wider between the people in Bahrain and the regime. I do not see [any] indication. I do not see no signal that shows that there will be a very close dialogue between the two parties. I think international pressure needs to be made. I think Bahraini people need more protection from the international community. A Human Rights committee needs to come from the United Nations to investigate on all the crimes and all the violation happening in this country. This is what we are looking to see, otherwise Bahrain government will not respect its obligation towards international convention as we see a complete silence from the international community to what is going on in Bahrain which Bahrain government sees that as a green signal, as a go ahead signal with more and more violations and crimes. So we need the international community to speak. We need the international and the world to speak. We need United Nations to speak. We need them to treat all revolutions equal manner not different between country to country. United States which criticized Russia dealing with one country or selling arms to some countries with revolutions and they are selling arms to Bahrain at the time when they are killing their own people. This is hypocrisy. This is double standard. This has to stop. Americans have to respect the people of Bahrain, the European have to respect the people of Bahrain and their right to live in justice and their right to live in democracy. We are fighting for democracy. We are fighting for human rights. That needs to be taken into consideration. That needs to be supported not ignored by the international community.
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