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MANAMA (Reuters) – Anti-government protesters in Bahrain swarmed back into a symbolic square on Saturday, putting riot police to flight in a striking victory for their cause.
Crowds had approached Pearl Square in Manama from different directions, creating a standoff with riot police who had moved in earlier to replace troops withdrawn on royal orders.
Suddenly police raced to their buses, which drove away mounting kerbs in their haste to escape.
The protesters, cheering and waving national flags, ran to the center of the traffic circle, reoccupying it even before all the police had left. The crowd waved fleeing policemen through.
"We don't fear death any more, let the army come and kill us to show the world what kind of savages they are," said Umm Mohammed, a teacher wearing a black abaya cloak.
Troops in tanks and armored vehicles earlier withdrew from the square, which they had taken over on Thursday after riot police staged a night-time attack on sleeping protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231.
The crowds in Pearl Square soon swelled into the tens of thousands, celebrating a triumph for the mostly Shi'ite protesters who took to the streets on Monday, inspired by popular revolts that toppled leaders in Egypt and Tunisia.
The authorities had been determined to prevent protesters from turning Pearl Square into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak.
Bahrain's 70 percent Shi'ite majority has long felt discriminated against in the Gulf Arab island that is ruled by a Sunni Muslim dynasty and is a close U.S. and Saudi ally.
Shi'ites feel cut out of decision-making and complain of unfair treatment in access to state jobs and housing.
HOSPITAL OVERFLOWING
Sixty to 80 people were taken to Salmaniya hospital after being affected by teargas or hit by rubber bullets, a doctor said. He said the hospital was full and did not have enough oxygen to deal with the rush of casualties.
More than 60 people were already in the hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands.
Bahrain's crown prince called for a national day of mourning "for the sons we have lost," the state news agency reported.
Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, called for calm, asking citizens to unite and cooperate with all political forces in the country.
"I stress, once more, that our duty is to preserve security and stability, to ensure that there is no discord and that the situation does not worsen," he said in a statement.
He had earlier announced that troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would keep order.
But people power proved too strong in Pearl Square.
Some people kissed the ground in joy or started praying.
"We took this square in a peaceful manner. The Khalifa henchmen, they killed my friends here," said one protester.
On Friday, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa offered a national dialogue with all parties to try to end the turmoil in which six people have been killed and hundreds wounded.
Hundreds of women dressed in abayas screamed "Down, down Khalifa" repeatedly outside Salmaniya hospital on Saturday.
WORD FROM OBAMA
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to the king on Friday, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint and respect the rights of its people.
The crown prince's orders to withdraw the military from the streets were issued a few hours later.
"That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shi'ite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Reuters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient."
Wefaq had earlier rejected the king's dialogue offer, saying troops must be withdrawn first, among other conditions.
Another Wefaq lawmaker said the troop pullout was not enough by itself. "There's no difference if people are killed by the military or by the security forces," said Ibrahim Mattar.
"We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully."
Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military.
"Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defense ministers."
He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.
Bahrain, a minor oil producer, has long been a military ally of the West. A naval base near Manama that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
A Fleet spokesman said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokeswoman for the U.S. naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned.
The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances.
(Additional reporting by Cynthia Johnston; Writing by Alistair Lyon)
GG, hopefully Iran and Saudi Arabia are next.
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I don't think so. The "use of force" theorem is practical in those places.
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I don't think so. The "use of force" theorem is practical in those places.
"We don't fear death any more, let the army come and kill us to show the world what kind of savages they are," said Umm Mohammed, a teacher wearing a black abaya cloak.
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i highly highly doubt saudi arabia would get something like this happening to them.... 1) the USA won't be conducting any secret ops to push a revolution. 2) the saudi kings will just kill everyone who tried (unlike Bahrain they're equipped to do it; and it looks like the king of Bahrain isn't going anywhere either)
as for Iran there's nothing wrong there... go check it out :P
"the USA won't be conducting any secret ops to push a revolution"
give me a fucking break already.
these revolutions are NOT in americas fucking interest.. do you understand this simple fucking concept?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The7even
"the USA won't be conducting any secret ops to push a revolution"
give me a fucking break already.
these revolutions are NOT in americas fucking interest.. do you understand this simple fucking concept?
really tunisia and libya and iran revolting isn't in the US' interest?
granted Egypt and Bahrain aren't hence why you don't see the USA using strong language or a show of support for the rioters (whereas they voice their support in the other countries mentioned) in fact they look nervous and uneasy because Egypt and Bahrain are revolting
Bahrain and Egypt is simply an unwanted byproduct of the revolutions/riots that occurred in the "enemy" states listed above and I'm sure the US especially was caught surprised by the revolutions in Egypt and Bahrain
Call me a cynic all you want but you can't have 0 doubt that the US intelligence wasn't involved in sparking or pushing these revolutions
I'm not saying the peoples in Tunisia, Libya aren't being oppressed I think its the fact that they are that they received support and nudges secretly from within by the US to start a revolution
Nor am I saying they shouldn't be revolting, I actually wish they would especially Saudi Arabians
But it's not like this is something new after all (US pushing, sparking, driving, revolutions in undesirable nations) they've done it in the past and its documented.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m!chael
P.S. Even if the US did push the revolution in Libya, that's a good thing. Can I hear a Hooray for the USA.
rofl
I agree. All im saying is you have to be realistic here what are the chances that a place like Saudi Arabia would face a revolution the people aren't able to do it on their own... and there's no way in hell the USA would be pushing/sparking/aiding a revolution in Saudi Arabia for obvious reasons
do you see how they're dealing with the Bahrain issue? they told the Monarch to side with the people and abolish the govt (but not the monarchy) because they want the king to remain in power so that the country doesn't take a b-line into the unknown (yet in the "enemy" states they're speaking out against the leadership)
I agree. All im saying is you have to be realistic here what are the chances that a place like Saudi Arabia would face a revolution the people aren't able to do it on their own... and there's no way in hell the USA would be pushing/sparking/aiding a revolution in Saudi Arabia for obvious reasons
do you see how they're dealing with the Bahrain issue? they told the Monarch to side with the people and abolish the govt (but not the monarchy) because they want the king to remain in power so that the country doesn't take a b-line into the unknown (yet in the "enemy" states they're speaking out against the leadership)
I like the fact that you're open minded, and you're right, the USA does do all these things. United States is no angel, far from it.. but when it comes down to it, it's the best we've got.
However, you're out thinking all of this.
They do not have that much to gain from these revolutions.
The USA benefits MUCH more with these dictators in power than vice versa.. so please, try and see this from my POV, you sound like some paki kid I know on FB who'se a hard line muslim extremist and blames the US for strange weather patterns.
Don't be that guy.
Yes, we know the US does shady shit, no doubt, however, this uprising in the Middle East is not of their doing. Lets give these young people credit.
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huge hike in price? what would be the cause? un reliable production/supply?
supply would be less than demand if the USA were to lose Saudi Arabia as an exporter of oil. so when demand is greater than supply we get higher prices not only on consumer side but also manufacture side as well..
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The7even
I like the fact that you're open minded, and you're right, the USA does do all these things. United States is no angel, far from it.. but when it comes down to it, it's the best we've got.
However, you're out thinking all of this.
They do not have that much to gain from these revolutions.
The USA benefits MUCH more with these dictators in power than vice versa.. so please, try and see this from my POV, you sound like some paki kid I know on FB who'se a hard line muslim extremist and blames the US for strange weather patterns.
Don't be that guy.
Yes, we know the US does shady shit, no doubt, however, this uprising in the Middle East is not of their doing. Lets give these young people credit.
you don't like the idea that the revolutionaries may not have done it on their own, by their own volition, im fine with that but you have to realize that there has almost been no successful revolution that didn't receive aid in some form by an outside party (be it the USA or China etc)
what you have to understand is this doesn't take away from the revolutionaries at all because when it comes down to it without them nothing would happen regardless of who is aiding or prodding
and i think maybe that's what you thought i was saying something in terms of "they're just puppets of the usa who's in there stirring shit up LAME" but that's not what im saying at all (i was originally remarking on the prospects of Saudi Arabians being able to start a revolution on their own no point in re-iterating as ive done so in the above post)
you don't like the idea that the revolutionaries may not have done it on their own, by their own volition, im fine with that but you have to realize that there has almost been no successful revolution that didn't receive aid in some form by an outside party (be it the USA or China etc)
what you have to understand is this doesn't take away from the revolutionaries at all because when it comes down to it without them nothing would happen regardless of who is aiding or prodding
and i think maybe that's what you thought i was saying something in terms of "they're just puppets of the usa who's in there stirring shit up LAME" but that's not what im saying at all (i was originally remarking on the prospects of Saudi Arabians being able to start a revolution on their own no point in re-iterating as ive done so in the above post)
I know what youre saying and I can understand why but I still think you're wrong.
This is NOT in the U.S's interest... AT ALL.. that's what youre failing to see and understand. The USA liked its stability in Egypt and Lybia and Tunisia, and Bahrain...
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The only ocean creature you can call yourself is the giant squid. He's the destroyer of ships, and the eater of seamen. At least you share one of those traits. -Hypa
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