Protests mark Bush Bahrain visit

Source: alalam.ir, 12-01-2008
MANAMA-Hundreds of demonstrators have marched through the Bahraini capital Manama to protest against an imminent visit to the country by the US President George W. Bush.
Burning American and "Israeli" flags, the protestors called on Bush to abandon his visit to the region.
Bush is scheduled to arrive in Bahrain Saturday night on the third leg of a Middle East tour looking to drum up Arab support to confront Iran and push forward the Mideast peace process.
He will also be visiting the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Besides the red carpet treatment he will be receiving from his Bahraini government allies, however, the US president could also face further angry protests when he arrives in the capital Manama.
Already, around 200 villagers organized a demonstration in the village of Diraz, northwest of Manama, waving banners that read "Down, down with "Israel" and the America, Bush is not welcome''.
Protesters burned US and "Israeli" flags after spreading the latter on the ground and stepping on it with their shoes.
A second protest consisting of some 80 people took place in front of the UN headquarters in Manama and was organized by several liberal and Islamic youth organizations and human rights activists.
"Stop killing us. We don't accept your policies in our region,'' the demonstrators shouted during their hour-long protest.
"The visit is intended to isolate Iran and Syria to prepare for the next war and continue support for the Zionists in Palestine,'' read a copy of their statement, which accused the US of attempting to dominate the whole region.
Another statement, by one of the participating youth groups said that the US is using the so-called Iranian threat to push the Persian Gulf states "to buy the most expensive weapons''.
Both protests had been approved by authorities.
Political groups in Manama promised further demonstrations for Saturday in front of the US embassy itself.
The march was in defiance of a ban imposed by the Bahraini authorities but the police kept out of sight and there was no violence.
On Friday Bush arrived in Kuwait after completing a three-day visit to the occupied territories and the West Bank.
The US president is now trying to drum up support from Arab states for Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in his internal fight with Palestinian resistance fighters and give him the regional support necessary to sustain any final peace deal with the "Israeli" occupying regime.