(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The decision to resume weapons deliveries was announced following a visit to the US by Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who met with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington on Wednesday.
The meeting came one day after the ruling Al Khalifa regime threatened to intensify the crackdown on anti-government protesters.
wE have conducted an interview with Kamel Wazni, political analyst, to hear his opinion on this issue.
The following is a rough transcription of the interview.
Q: Mr. Wazni, are you surprised that the US is to continue arms sales to Bahrain? The very US manufactured arms that have been time and again used against peaceful demonstrators who are asking for equality and democratic rights?
Wazni: Well I am not really surprised by the American move. The Americans have been all hearted with the Bahraini government and gave the blessing to initiate the beginning of the crackdown against the civilian in Bahrain.
America is actually joining the process of torturing and killing the Bahraini in their movement to have a democratic state. America, that country that talks about democracy here is embracing torture and criminal activity that is committed by the Bahraini royal family.
It is absurd for Mrs. Clinton to stand with the Bahraini officials and to say we cannot stand by you, stand by you against what? Against the process of killing and torturing in Bahrain, against the crackdown, against the violation of international laws?
The human rights have been violated even children have been arrested and put in jails. Several rights activists have been on hunger strike and with the Americans stating they want to continue supplying arms to a country that represents dictatorship in the Middle East.
Obviously the interest of economic interest and the geographic of geopolitical position of Bahrain does serve the Americans because the Fifth Fleet is stationed there and that is what the Americans are concerned about.
They do not care about the lives of the Bahraini people. They care about their military and security interest in Bahrain and this is a true violation of the human dignity and every norm of normal acceptance civil rights movement in the world.
Q: Obvious blatant hypocrisy on behalf of the US but also this has all the makings of a complete shut-out to the democratic aspirations of the Bahraini people, but blind eye for how long?
Wazni: I think we should not be surprised by the American act. They support all these dictatorships in the Persian Gulf because their economic interest and security interest lies with these countries.
We have to remember America cares about their oil and the money of the oil of the region and they have no concern whatsoever for the lives of the people in the region.
The Americans, actually they twist reality and twist facts to be modeled into their systems and today the Americans blatantly actually are going against everything they said when they talk about democracy and the rule of law.
Here we have very clear facts on the ground. People going about finding their voice in a country which discrimination and hatred been prevailed by the royal family. They are supported by the Americans.
This is the double standard that we always talked about that exhibited by the Americans and I think Hillary Clinton should be ashamed and we are ashamed of her act because this is the ultimate hypocrisy by the American administration and by Mrs. Clinton herself because should be looking after the interest of the Bahraini people and not with the criminals actually that have been killing their own people [in] cold blood.
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