Lobbying 2015: US turns page on Bahrain's crackdown
US military aid to the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain is flowing again after its strong anti-Islamic State stance and pricey PR push.
The Barack Obama administration is resuming its military cooperation with Bahrain despite lingering human rights concerns.
The State Department in June lifted its hold on small arms and other weapons that could be used against protesters. The freeze was put in place following Bahrain’s 2011 crackdown on demonstrations; its removal is a tacit reward for Bahrain’s participation in the fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
“Bahrain is an important and long-standing ally on regional security issues, working closely with us on the counter-[IS] campaign and providing logistical and operational support for countering terrorism and maintaining freedom of navigation,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a June 29 statement announcing the decision.
The move follows an intense lobbying campaign by the tiny Gulf kingdom. Bahrain also stands to benefit from increased US defense guarantees to Gulf Cooperation Council countries in exchange for tamping down their objections to the nuclear deal with Iran.
