Bahraini demonstrators have staged an anti-regime protest rally near the capital despite the ongoing heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protesters in the Persian Gulf kingdom. On Tuesday, protesters took to the streets in the village of Sanabis, west of Manama, and chanted slogans against the ruling Al Khalifa royal family, AFP reported. Bahraini forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters. Bahrainis are expected to stage a nationwide strike on March 14, the second anniversary of a Saudi-led military intervention in their country. Troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country in 2011 to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on the peaceful protesters. Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.
In an interview with Press TV, Osama al-Aradi who is with the Bahraini Medical Association in Detroit, shares his thoughts regarding the issue. The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.
Press TV: Why do you think the West is silent on the continued crackdown in Bahrain?
al-Aradi: As you know, Bahrain is a major ally to the West and to the United States in particular and as you know, there is the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the United States does not want really to move to somewhere else and they know that the Al Khalifa pays them millions of dollars to keep that base in Bahrain and to keep a foot on the island. So this is a major area of interest that they do not want.
I think they definitely are afraid of democracy. If an elected government comes out, their interests may have gone. I think this is a major issue why the West is really showing major silence and it could be much bigger than this too. Do not forget the new Middle East that they are planning for… I know that even it may come to the interest and to the stability of Israel to that extent.
But we know very well that the Saudi forces entered into Bahrain and they say that this is because of the agreement among [Persian] Gulf countries to protect their borders. But come on! The Aljazeera Shield has really entered into Bahrain which we considered as occupation because even if we go to the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council, the [P]GCC rules and laws, this is non-existent that the Island Shield or the Aljazeera Shield come into another country to kill the people and to oppress the people of that country and that has happened.
Aljazeera directly shot innocent civilian people. You know it very well and this will never be forgotten that the 40-year-old Bahiya Abdelrasool Alaradi who was driving her car and she was shot in her head by a direct bullet from this army. And [Abdulredha Mohamed Hasan Buhumaid] is another person and they did that.
They oppress people and that is all they did. … in Bahrain are refusing that the existence of such occupying forces are in Bahrain. This is the disruption of the integrity of our country and this is definitely not something that the people of Bahrain really would like.
Press TV: Despite what has been said, why do you think Riyadh and Manama have failed to put down these protests and demonstrations?
al-Aradi: I do not think they will ever be able to oppress the people and to stop the people from protesting. Bahraini people are determined to the cause, the cause as it is known and will never stop whatever it is.
They have provided tens and hundreds of people of martyrs. They are still being oppressed; they are still being jailed and they will never stop till all their demands are met and there will not be any return backwards to point zero. They will move forward and I am sure all opposition parties are moving forward for their demands and elected government, democracy and freedom.
MSK/JR