Army patrols and tanks locked down the capital of this tiny Gulf kingdom after riot police swinging clubs and firing tear gas smashed into demonstrators, many of them sleeping, in a pre-dawn assault Thursday that uprooted their protest camp demanding political change. Medical officials said four people were killed.
Hours after the attack on Manama's main Pearl Square, the military announced on state TV that it had "key parts" of the capital under its control and that gatherings were banned.
As I've written, this is one place in the Arab world where I believe foreign policy realism must guide our policies in the short run. Our fleet needs our base there too much to risk it in a revolt that would give Iran an opening to seize control of the island.
Hopefully, we remain quiet while the crackdown goes on; and we've told the government to get it over with fast. Remember, President Obama did believe that ignoring the Iran protests in 2009 was part of foreign policy realism to cut a deal with the mullahs. He was wrong, but the hope was at least a reasonable choice in theory. President Obama took the hits for that policy only because the Iranian government took quite a lot of time to finally grind down the protesters.
Perhaps we can also persuade the wealthier Gulf Arab states to send money to Bahrain so they can make short-term improvements to the lot of the Shia majority.
And we have to encourage the monarchy of Bahrain to continue to make reforms to improve the lot of the Shia majority in the longer run and make them less likely to want to revolt. The Shia majority need to want to defend their government because they like it.
I don't like being a foreign policy realist on this issue. The people, I'm sure, genuinely want freedom and a better life. But Iran would hijack that goal, I firmly believe. And our fleet needs the facilities too much to risk that. But let's hope Bahrain gets this unpleasant business over fast.
UPDATE: Instapundit passes on a firsthand report--unconfirmed--that Saudi mechanized forces have crossed the causeway into Bahrain.
