The U.S. State Department released this statement on May 11, 2012. Most of the details about the original 1992 U.S.-Bahrain defense agreement are classified; according to a press conference after the statement, this renewal includes providing "additional items and services to the Bahrain Defense Force, the Coast Guard, and National Guard...for the purpose of helping Bahrain maintain its external defense capabilities."
The country's instability should not be viewed as a simple push for democratic reforms, and the outcome has implications for Iran's role in the region, says CFR's Ed Husain.
The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry presented this report in November 23, 2011, with final revisions made by December 10, 2011. The report investigates potential human rights abuses in Bahrain during the protests that took place in February 2011, part of the Arab Uprisings across the Middle East. In Bahrain, the report is known as the Bassiouni Commission, as it was led by Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, who investigated war crimes in Bosnia and Libya for the United Nations.
In this Markets and Democracy Brief, CFR's Mark Lagon argues for a more consistent approach to human rights promotion than the United States has often pursued in the past.
Though Bahrain's crown prince is in the United States to restore frayed relations, the government is pressing its campaign against the protest movement, despite its ending of martial law and a call for national dialogue, says Middle East correspondent Roy Gutman.
CFR Senior Fellow Steven Cook and Foundation for Defense Democracies Research Fellow Tony Badran discuss the increasing violence and political change sweeping the region with Foreign Affairs Editor Gideon Rose. Cook and Badran have authored articles in the recently released eBook New Arab Revolt, published by CFR and Foreign Affairs.
The International Crisis Group examines the Bahrainian protests and their impact on regional and global politics. The report concludes that Bahrain’s crackdown and Saudi Arabia’s 14 March military intervention could turn a mass movement for democratic reform into an armed conflict while regionalising a genuinely internal political struggle.
Opposition movements in Bahrain and Yemen are hobbled by societal and sectarian divisions that were finessed in Tunisia and Egypt, says Middle East expert Kristin Smith Diwan.
The Saudi intervention to help quell a Shia-dominated uprising in neighboring Bahrain is misguided and the kingdom should instead focus on guiding the way to political modernization, writes CFR's Ray Takeyh.
Tahiyya Lulu explains how, "Bahrain's regime has driven a wedge between Sunnis and Shias with its denial of civil rights and promotion of economic disparity".
Bahrain's security forces are loyal to the Sunni regime, which means the unrest isn't likely to lead to collapse, says expert F. Gregory Gause III. Still, the protests pose a dilemma for the United States, which has chided the government but views Bahrain as an ally.
Speakers: Richard N. Haass, David E. Jeremiah, Richard Kerr, Brent Scowcroft, and Paul D. Wolfowitz Presider: Rick Atkinson
Twenty years after Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, CFR hosts a panel of former administration officials for a discussion of their roles in, and lessons learned from, the Gulf War.
This bilateral commercial treaty between the United States and Bahrain was signed into law on January 11, 2006 and implemented on August 1, 2006. The USTR states, "A U.S. - Bahrain Free Trade Agreement is an important step in implementing the President's economic reforms in the Middle East and pursuing the goal of a Middle East Free Trade Area. ...The United States is seeking to eliminate tariffs and other duties on trade between Bahrain and the United States on the broadest possible basis, improve intellectual property rights protection, and eliminate barriers in Bahrain's services markets."
The 2002 Constitution of Bahrain was implemented by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on February 14, 2002. It grants elected and appointed parliament members equal legislative powers.
The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.
2011 Corporate Conference: Recaps and Highlights
To encourage the free flow of conversation, the 2011 Corporate Conference was entirely not-for-attribution; however, several conference speakers joined us for sideline interviews further exploring their areas of expertise.
Former Treasury secretary Robert E. Rubin and Nobel Laureate economist Michael Spence on the global economic outlook.
Foreign Affairs editor Gideon Rose and Edward Morse on energy geopolitics.
Special operations play a critical role in how the United States confronts irregular threats, but to have long-term strategic impact, the author argues, numerous shortfalls must be addressed.
The author analyzes the potentially serious consequences, both at home and abroad, of a lightly overseen drone program and makes recommendations for improving its governance.
An authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help. More
Through an in-depth analysis of modern Mexico, Shannon O'Neil provides a roadmap for the United States' greatest overlooked foreign policy challenge of our time—relations with its southern neighbor. More
