Bahraini crown prince meets with US secretary of state Clinton

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has met with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington amid Manama’s continued repression of anti-regime protests in the sheikdom.On Wednesday, Clinton warmly welcomed the crown prince to the State Department for talks on a “full range of regional and bilateral issues,” State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland announced in a press release issued on the department’s website after the meeting."Clinton affirmed the long-standing commitment of the United States to a strong partnership with both the people and the government of Bahrain," Nuland also said.The meeting came a day after the ruling Al Khalifah regime threatened to intensify its ongoing crackdown on anti-government protesters in the tiny Persian Gulf island.The US has so far fallen short of condemning the brutality of the Saudi-backed regime forces against peaceful Bahraini protesters.According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds others arrested so far during the government clampdown on the February 2011-present anti-regime demonstrations.The Bahraini public hold King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa responsible for deaths of protesters during the popular uprising. /129