Sunday, July 31, 2011

For the cause of repression in Bahrain

"In March, as a government crackdown on pro-democracy protestors intensified in Bahrain, curious advertisements started appearing in Pakistani media.  "Urgent requirement - manpower for Bahrain National Guard," said one.  In the following two months, on the back of visits to Islamabad by senior Saudi and Bahraini officials, sources say at least 2,500 former servicemen were recruited by Bahrainis and brought to Manama, increasing the size of their national guard and riot police by as much as 50 per cent."  The categories included: former army drill instructors, anti-riot instructors, retired military police, and former army cooks.  "For service in Bahrain National Guard, the following categories of people with previous army and police experience are urgently needed," said another, with "previous experience" and "urgent need" underscored." (thanks Ali)