According to Bahraini Information Minister Samira Rajab, the unrest-torn island nation is planning to announce a formal union with Saudi Arabia on Monday, uniting the nations’ economic, security and foreign relations interests.
Rajab insisted that Bahrain would retain its UN membership in spite of the union, and while insisting that the nation would also keep its “sovereignty,” the announcement appears by all accounts to be a de facto vassalization, keeping the al-Khalifa dynasty in power in Bahrain name only.
Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Army Chief have already endorsed the move, and Foreign Minister al-Khalifa downplayed the effect of the deal, saying Bahrain was virtually “joined at the hip” with the Saudis as it was.
Bahraini officials see the “union” as a way to justify further crackdowns against the island’s Shi’ite majority. The Saudi military invaded Bahrain last year to crush Shi’ite protests demanding free elections.
The announcement will be made at a Gulf Cooperation Consortium (GCC) meeting, and Bahraini officials have floated rumors that a third, unnamed nation would be joining the union.
Al-Khalifa is losing ground to protestors seeking equality. Hence, they have made a deal to use Saudi’s military force to put down the demonstrators by any means.
Whether Bahrain can legally retain its UN membership and also keep its sovereignty in spite of the union, is a mooted question.
I guess Iran, Iraq, and Syria can also join a union to counter the Saudi Bahraini union. What’s good for the goose is all in the juice.
The USans should be paying closer attention to that. The USG has already started importing Russian troops into the US in anticipation of the NATO disaster and for the same purpose.
If Orwell had lived in our time, he might have written "If you want a picture of the future, imagine a US-supplied boot stomping on a brown-skinned face — forever."
I thought Obama announced same-sex marriage not same-religion union.
A marriage made in hell.
I hope all Arab country unite under one flad to stop the expansion of the Iranians in the Middle East. According to the Prophecy Sunni Muslims will ally with the west and will fight the Shi'its who are massacring Sunnis in Iraq, Syria and Iran. Sunnis will win then the west will betray Sunnis then the Armageddon will start which at the end the winner will be Sunnis. Of cours out of 100 Sunni men one will be left. This will be the time when Jesus (PBUH) descend from heaven to earth.
Are you an idiot, which Prophecy are you talking about? Israel's or the Evangelicals of the USA. All the Arab world, the Muslim world and indeed the entire world will be a better place without these despotic regimes in the Gulf, propped and protected by the USA.
By the way, are you a Jehadi Al-CIAda guy? Most of the sunnis want to be left alone from your elk. Go fight the devil and die somewhere else and do not involve others. Sunnis and Shia can and will live together after they get red of people like you.
May be an idiot, but most probably one of the chosen ones. I’m afraid to use the “J” word lest they may call me anti-semantics (I know, for a moment I thought I was in an English class).
LOL! Someone forgot to take his little pills this morning.
No kidding he must have taken the blue one
He forgot to take his soma.
"Iranian expansion." Would you please be so kind as to tell me when was the last time Iran/Persia initiated a war of aggression against one of its neighbors?
And it'll keep the Americans happy. What with their "see no evil" when it suits them argument.
Union? Is that the new word for occupation?
Guess NO ONE in the areas is allowed to be free unless they receive the blessings of the US and Saudi-Israelia (nice democratic company we keep there, in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE)
We're as phony and transparent as Hollywood.
Look, I have to tell you there is a big distinction between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on one hand and the rest of the gulf Arab states. The rest are small monarchies with very tolerant and more or less cohesive societies. The problem is that they are too small to have their own independent foreign policy. Kuwait, prior to the invasion, was strong enough to have their own foreign policy, I believe that is a major reason it had to be invaded.
It makes sense. Bush I after all gave Saddam Hussein all the indications that he wouldn't move a finger to help Kuwaiit, but it was just a trap, I think.
I found out some of the Egyptian revolutionaries, the ones getting attacked, prescribe the most anti-revolutionary union to (this blew my mind), not the US/Isaeli, but an Irano/Israel one. But Hezzbolah think they are in the Crusades fighting an evil European conquest campaign instead of the internationally agreed fact they are terrorists who flock to kill Westerns, Israel just being the closest branch.
Isn't it amazing. For all the strutting, preening and posturing about the US "commitment to democracy and human rights", the exact same regime behaviors that bring "shock and awe" raining down for "regime change" where the governments don't cooperate with the US military or global corporations, are not only given a free pass but continuous rearmament by the US when it's a state willing to house US bases or make favorable oil deals with US companies. Do they really think the degraded duplicity isn't obvious to anyone who pays the slightest attention? Or are they confident enough in the idea that they don't have to care?