Bahrain declared martial law on Tuesday, a day after Saudi forces arrived in the Sunni-ruled kingdom to help restore calm following weeks of protests by the island's Shi'ite Muslim majority.
A thousand Saudi mechanized troops are there, it seems; and the UAE says it will send 500 police.
With this kind of support, the Sunni minority can put down the protesters. I imagine only our behind the scenes pressure will limit the extent of violence if the Shia protesters don't back down and accept lesser reforms that we are pushing Bahrain to make.
But the Saudis consider Bahrain the first line of defense against Shia unrest inside their easter oil province. So I imagine they'll do what it takes to win.
