RSS Feed
February 16th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Press TV has conducted an interview with Hussein Ibish, political commentator, to further discuss the issue.
The following is a transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Welcome to the program. One year in the making, how much progress do you see in Bahrain with the revolution?
Ibish: Honestly, I don’t know if I accept the word “revolution” but in-so-far as creating a better future for all Bahrainis and accommodation, reconciliation within Bahraini society, I would say there’s been very little, if any, progress.
I would say, actually, things are tenser, worse and more [fraught] than they’ve been since the uprising was initially crushed in late February, early March. This anniversary has been, of course, very emotional and very tense.
The violence that created it with about 120 protesters wounded by security forces and calls for more demonstrations by the shadowy groups called the February 14th Youth Coalition, only [make] potentially more clashes between the opposition and the government.
On the other hand, there are some positive signs. Certainly, you know, the Al-Masaq mainstream, opposition political organization has been in serious conversations with people involved in their regime about potentially resuming dialogue.
And so, there are people within the regime and within the opposition who are interested in looking for a solution and I think that’s very important because, honestly, a complete regime change is not likely to happen. At the same time, the regime cannot continue with its policy of simple repression.
Both the opposition and the government need to find something other than business as usual. If they continue to surround confrontation, the situation would get worse for both of them.
Press TV: How do you evaluate the activities of human rights organizations in Bahrain and the fact that the UN has done very little, actually nothing in the case despite the recent call by the UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon?
Ibish: Yeah, that’s right. Well, I think we do have to respect what Ban Ki-Moon has done by calling on the government to respect its obligations.
And I think one has to give some credit to the government…for not going very far in implementing [it] at all. But they did go further, I think, than any of the Arab governments facing any uprising in acknowledging abuses more than, certainly, any of the other states have engaged in them.
On the other hand, the only people that are being pursued and prosecuted are non-Bahraini minor police officers…it doesn’t amount to anything.
What’s interesting is that here in the United States there’s some backlash here. On the congressional newspaper, The Hill on Monday, there was a very blistering article by Robert Herman and Sarah Trister of Freedom House saying that the United States has to do more to speak out against the repression of the opposition in Bahrain. And that’s very important.
I agree with you, that human rights organizations haven’t done that much. But there’s not much they can do. You could say the same thing for example about human rights violations all over the world. They’ve released reports. Human Rights Watch has been very good in its reports on Bahrain and others. But what can they do? -In a sense, it’s up to governments.
There is growing pressure in the United States and certainly it’s been difficult for the Obama administration to go forward with the weapons sales to the Bahraini regime even though it’s trying to get closer to the [P]GCC states for strategic reasons because of that [pressure].
I want to come back for a second to the fact that there is some ray of hope here, that the fact that Abdul Jalil Khalil and other figures have actually been meeting with people like Sheikh Ali ibn Ahmad and others in the al-Khalifa family to try to resume dialogue. There is no other way forward.
I mean, I honestly think that if the government believes it can keep repressing the majority and the opposition in Bahrain, they’re wrong.
But I also do think that if the opposition thinks that regime change is easily available or something that can be achieved by street protests or in some foreseeable future, they’re also mistaken.
So, a dialogue is essential and it’s very troubling that there’s more and more confrontation.
But at the same time, I think it’s very important of the outside world to strengthen the hands of those within the opposition with their very serious, important case about abuses and about the kind of authoritarian rule of the government, and within the government who want to make an agreement and want to have a dialogue. That’s the only way forward, I think.
GMA/JR
Views: 0
Posted in 
Tags: 
