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Bahrain hit by doctors' desertion

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Counter-revolution – the next deadly chapter

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I saw these brave doctors trying to save lives – these charges are a pack of lies

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Why no outcry over these torturing tyrants?

More tyranny in Bahrain

Last month, Bahrain's monarch invited a foreign army into his country and used them to violently suppress his country's pro-democracy movement. Since then, the Bahraini regime has embarked on a reign of terror, raiding Shi'ite homes in the night, disappearing democracy and human rights activists, and apparently murdering them in prison. Now they've taken things a step further, targeting doctors whose sole "crime" is to treat the wounded:

At least 32 doctors, including surgeons, physicians, paediatricians and obstetricians, have been arrested and detained by Bahrain's police in the last month in a campaign of intimidation that runs directly counter to the Geneva Convention guaranteeing medical care to people wounded in conflict. Doctors around the world have expressed their shock and outrage.

One doctor, an intensive care specialist, was held after she was photographed weeping over a dead protester. Another was arrested in the theatre room while operating on a patient.

Many of the doctors, aged from 33 to 65, have been "disappeared" – held incommunicado or at undisclosed locations. Their families do not know where they are. Nurses, paramedics and ambulance staff have also been detained.

Doctors have a professional duty to treat anyone in need, regardless of their political or religious views. These people are being persecuted for doing their jobs and acting in a humane and decent fashion. But in Bahrain, that apparently is now a crime.

Meanwhile, the US government still supports the Bahraini regime. By doing so, they are supporting torture, murder, and widespread human rights abuses. Its time that support ended for good.

The US and Bahrain

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has condemned the king of Bahrain's murder of his own people, and demanded they "show restraint". That's good, but the US can and should do more. The photo in that Guardian article is clear: those are American tanks occupying Pearl Square. The soldiers who murdered those civilians were armed with American guns, firing American ammunition. If the US doesn't want its allies to murder civilians, maybe it should stop selling them the weapons to do it?

Tyranny in Bahrain

Yesterday, Bahrain's monarch invited a foreign army into his country to suppress pro-democracy protests. Today, he declared martial law and sent them into action. The cost? Two dead and 200 injured:

At least two people have been killed and as many as 200 injured in clashes between anti-government demonstrators and security forces in Bahrain.

A doctor told the BBC he was treating many people with head and gunshot wounds, and that soldiers and police were using ambulances to attack people.

As in Libya, we are seeing a government murdering its own people to stay in power. Such governments deserve to fall.

Tyrants stand together

For the past month, the people of Bahrain have been protesting in the streets, demanding democracy, equality, and an end to torture and corruption. The government has responded by beating and shooting them. But now, it looks set to up the ante, inviting the Saudi military in to put down the protests by force:

Saudi forces are preparing to intervene in neighbouring Bahrain, after a day of clashes between police and protesters who mounted the most serious challenge to the island's royal family since demonstrations began a month ago.

The Crown Prince of Bahrain is expected to formally invite security forces from Saudi Arabia into his country today, as part of a request for support from other members of the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.

As for the Saudis, the last thing they want is their own people getting Ideas, so they're quite happy to lend a hand with the repression. Its like a mutual support network for tyrants, all working together against their common enemy: the people.

These tyrants are all of course US allies, and they'll be murdering those protestors with US tanks and US guns. But I'm not holding my breath for the US to denounce this move. When push comes to shove, the US puts stability above democracy and human rights. And then they wonder why people hate them...

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