Topic: Bahrain

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Q&A: What's with the war talk surrounding Iran?

Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have escalated in recent weeks as the US and Europe ramp up sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Correspondent reflections: The 10 news events that shaped 2011

In this special section, we look at the year’s biggest stories, and seven staff correspondents reflect on events in hot spots from Latin America to the Libyan front.
Getting the Strait of Hormuz straight: an FAQ

Iran has caused a stir with its threat this week to close down the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions were imposed on Iranian oil exports. Here’s why this small body of water generates so much world attention.
In Pictures: Iran's anti-Americanism
Palestinian statehood: why Arabs have turned on Obama

President Obama, who made Israeli-Palestinian peace a priority from the outset of his administration, is now the US leader with incongruously bad relations with the Arab world. Here are three key causes of the deterioration in ties – and three steps that the can be taken to mend US relations with Arabs and Muslims.

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US, 18 other nations, wrap up Eager Lion military exercise in Jordan

The sprawling Eager Lion military exercise was tied by some news outlets to the war in Syria. Though that was incorrect, the US is looking to deepen its military engagement with the region.
By not lifting sanctions, West and Obama are helping Iran enrich uranium

The West just blew its latest chance to rein in Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Though Iran expressed willingness to compromise on key demands, by refusing to ease sanctions, the P5+1 nations offered no meaningful reciprocity, derailing the possibility of a deal with Tehran.
Iran nuclear talks a 'complete failure,' says Iranian diplomat

Both sides spoke of 'some common ground' that will drive the next round of Iran nuclear talks set for mid-June in Moscow. Yet a chasm of mismatched expectations widened in Baghdad.
Myanmar, 'Arab awakening' top US list of progress on human rights

State Department's annual report on human rights around the world also notes the important role that technology, the Internet, and social media play in advancing individual freedoms.
Bahrain doctor: If US loses the faith of people like me, it loses the Mideast

Washington’s tepid response to Bahrain's crackdown on nonviolent protesters has forced me to question what America really stands for. Obama must tell the ruling family to stop attacking protesters and to drop sham charges against medics like me and hundreds of others.
Backchannels
Reform and rumblings in Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom has weathered the past year of regional political upheaval surprisingly well. But the resignation of the prime minister is a reminder of unmet demands for change.
Backchannels
After Formula One scrutiny, Bahrain hires a fan of Saddam Hussein to improve its image

Well, nothing else is working.
Focus
Bahrain F1 race: How a Sunni backlash kept an uprising at bay

The Formula One race in Bahrain today has put the spotlight back on an uprising here that has faltered due to sectarian distrust.
Backchannels
Teargas on democracy protesters? Bahrain Grand Prix sponsors say 'no problem'

It appears the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled for this weekend will go on, despite the use of tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters there. Advertisers don't appear worried about any backlash.
The danger that Saudi Arabia will turn Syria into an Islamist hotbed

A tentative UN-brokered ceasefire does not settle Western concerns over Saudi intervention in Syria. While the US and its allies are wary of seeing Syria become a sectarian battleground, the power brokers in Riyadh seem to have been hurtling toward it – with a form of state-sponsored jihad.
Pressure mounts on Bahrain as hunger striker reaches 62nd day (+video)

Bahrain has been trumpeting its return to normalcy ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix that begins April 20. But now there is increasing pressure to cancel the car race.
Hitched to Qatar's rising star, Al Jazeera takes a bumpy ride skyward

Al Jazeera's relationship with Qatar's emir, who founded the channel in 1996, has drawn more criticism as Qatar takes an increasingly prominent role in the region.
Real triumph of Arab League summit: That it happened at all

The Arab League took little action to address Syria crisis, deferring to UN. But the summit, held in a renovated marble palace with gold-encrusted dates for dessert, still marked a triumph for host Iraq.
Arab leaders stay away from Baghdad summit

The turnout in Iraq by regional leaders wasn't very high for Thursday's meeting. But those who did show up appealed to the Syrian government to stop the violence.
Arab leaders call on Syria to end violent crackdown

Even before Arab heads of state began their Thursday summit in the Iraqi capital, Syria sharply rejected any measures they take. A Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Jihad Makdessi, said Damascus would 'not deal with any initiative' that might come out of the 22-member Arab League.
Tiny Qatar's outsized role

This week, Iraq takes over the Arab League presidency from Qatar, which has ruffled feathers with its surge in leadership. A Russian official famously told Qatar, 'Go back to your size.'
Africa Rising: First it was China, now the Gulf discovers the African market

A decade ago, many African economies seemed locked in stagnation. Now they are booming, and Gulf investors are moving in to take advantage of the growth.
Cover Story
What would happen if Iran had the bomb? (+video)

Even as Tehran signals an interest in nuclear talks, many experts have already envisioned what the world would look like if the country got nuclear weapons. It wouldn't be as dire as many fear, but it would unleash new uncertainties - and perhaps a regional arms race.
Unrest in US ally Bahrain takes a more violent turn

Shiite protesters in Bahrain have begun using Molotov cocktails, while Sunni hard-liners also are urging more extreme measures.
Syrians feel caught in an external power struggle, less willing to confront their own

Syrians feel caught in a proxy power struggle among the US, Gulf states, China, and Russia – who all seem more concerned with their interests and less with democracy for all. This external fight is preventing Syrians from making vital decisions about their own internal challenges.
USS Abraham Lincoln returns to Persian Gulf shadowed by Iranian boats

USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday with Iranian gunboats, an Iranian drone, and helicopter following. Iran had threatened to close the strait after Western sanctions were tightened last month.
Global News Blog
Americans arrested, deported by Bahrain for supporting democracy protests

The Americans Radhika Sainath and Huwaida Arraf were arrested and deported by Bahrain for showing solidarity with democracy protesters in the kingdom.
After Egypt, Tunisia, Libya overthrows, Arab upheaval begins to settle

Egypt quietly moves into another phase of voting, while the monarchs in Morocco and Jordan have stabilized their rule through reforms.
Twitter censorship? Posts now yanked country by country.

Twitter messages can now be censored on a per-country basis, allowing posts that are problematic in one country to still appear in others. But some worry this means Twitter has turned its back on free speech.
Self-immolation as protest tactic rises in Tibet, Middle East

Political suicides by fire rise among many Tibetans and Arabs as their situations grow desperate. But such a tactic often fails to ignite protest, and itself raises questions.