US Planned Military Support to Bahrain Raises Internal Condemnation

Local Editor

As the United States is preparing to fulfill a planned sale of $53 million in weaponry to the Bahraini regime, it was uncovered that the sale will include more than 44 armored Humvees and 300 missiles, 50 of which have bunker busting capabilities.

The notice of the sale was officially reported to Congress on September 14, triggering a 30 day period during which Congress can pass a resolution opposing the sale.

US Senator Ron Wyden and US Representative James have introduced resolutions in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to prevent the US government from completing the planned sale of weapons to the Bahraini regime, until meaningful steps are taken to improve human rights in the Middle Eastern country.

"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," Wyden said.
 

"The Islamic Awakening has encouraged the citizens of Bahrain to seek those same rights from their government and the US should not reward a regime that actively suppresses its people. This resolution will withhold the sale of arms to Bahrain until the ruling family shows a real commitment to human rights," he added.

"Supporting regimes that violate the basic rights of their people is not just morally wrong - it's also not in our national security interests. Now is not the time to sell weapons to Bahrain," Wyden stressed.

Source: ABNA, Edited by moqawama.org