Alwaght- The United Kingdom has opened a new naval base in Bahrain, amid a brutal crackdown on opposition in the tiny Persian Gulf sheikhdom.
The base, south of Bahrain's capital Manama, will house around 300 British troops and support personnel as Persian Gulf states press their ruthless campaign against peaceful protestors opposed to dictatorship.
"Our presence in Bahrain will play a vital role in keeping Britain safe as well as underpinning security in the Persian Gulf," UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson said on Thursday.
The repressive Bahraini regime has also allowed the US Navy's Fifth Fleet to operate in the kingdom despite opposition by majority of its citizens.
Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.
They are demanding that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.
The Western-backed Al Khalifa regime has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.
Many people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries while thousands have been arrested in the regime’s crackdown. Many political detainees are suffering torture and inhuman treatment in the regime's notorious detention centers.
