American assistant secretary of State Anne Patterson visit's to Bahrain was condemned by the Secretary General of Bahrain Democratic Assembly Fazel Abbas. While AL Khalifa has suppressed, jailed, tortured, and slaughtered many Bahraini people since 2011, Anne Patterson, in her two-day visit to Manama, called Qatar "partner and friend of the United States ". She went on saying that "we remain committed to this country’s security and success."
Bahrain is one of the Arab world’s dictatorships: freedom of speech, of assembly and of religious practice is limited to non-existent if it does not abide by the ruling family’s precepts. Moreover, religious education in school denies the validity of Shiite teachings. Too many Shiites have been discharged from their jobs and many are expelled from Bahrain. Nevertheless, the United States calls Bahrain a friend and an ally.
In a hypocritical manner, Patterson talks of reform and reconciliation through National Dialogue in Bahrain but America support Al Khalifa behind the scene since they know their interests are better served by a puppet regime rather than by a democratic anti-American government. Bahraini regime, despite its people's anti-Western sentiments have been always obedient to their orders in exchange for their support to save its crown. For example, unlike most Arab nations, Al Khalifa allowed the Pentagon to fly combat missions from its territory during the 1991 American-led counter-attack on Iraq after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Bush administration's 2003 invasions of Iraq and the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. In addition, Bahrain also is the home port for American fifth fleet that directs operations in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. The 20-some ships of the U.S. Navy’s fifth Fleet. More than 4,000 American US service personnel live and move about freely there -acre base, and thousands of the fleet’s 15,000 sailors land in Bahrain on and off throughout the year.
Bahrain’s strategic value to the United States is the result of geography: Bahrain is a naval complement to Qatar’s peninsular thumb sticking up the midsection of the Persian Gulf, across from Iran, providing quick access to the gulf’s sea lanes and protecting the disgorging oil pipelines of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and, further south, the United Arab Emirates and Oman
Because of the United States' close relations--and dependence--on Bahrain, successive administrations in the White House have mostly looked away from Bahrain’s poor human rights record and chronic oppression of the majority Shiite population by the minority Sunni ruling Al Khalifa family. Therefore, American officials have closed their eyes to wide range human rights abuse in Bahrain and regime's violent response to pro-democracy demonstrators--majority of Shiites seeking for their legal rights--because they believe Bahraini dictator could better serve their vast, expensive, and strategic interests in Bahrain.
American double standards and exceptionalism have made Bahraini people, including Bahrain Democratic Assembly, frustrated and disappointed with west, knowing that western self-serving policy not only will never help them to obtain their legal rights but also will provide support for Al Khalifa to suppress Bahraini revolution. Therefor, Fazel Abbas was right to blast America for sending a delegation talking to the Bahraini regime since America is giving Al Khalifa green light to suppress Bahrain's popular revolution. Many Bahraini revolutionaries believe Bahrain national dialogue indeed is a war of attrition aims at making them exhausted and eventually defeated a plot which is backed by the west and some Al Khakifas regional allies.
