ID :
185047
Sat, 05/28/2011 - 15:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185047
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Britain Admits to Training Saudi Forces for Suppressing Bahrain Protests
TEHRAN (FNA)- The British government admitted that the Saudi troops sent to Bahrain to crush the popular uprisings in the tiny Persian Gulf island have had British military training.
The British Ministry of Defense admitted that members of the Saudi Arabian National Guard dispatched to Bahrain may have received military trainings from the British Armed Forces in Saudi Arabia.
The revelation is likely to renew allegations that the Coalition is sending hypocritical messages on democracy in the Middle-East.
Despite British criticism of the Bahrainis' actions, British Prime Minister David Cameron last week welcomed the Crown Prince of Bahrain to Downing Street, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
Britain keeps a large and secretive military training team in Saudi Arabia. British military personnel advise and teach the kingdom's forces in areas, including crowd control and suppression.
In a written parliamentary answer, British Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey said the Government could not rule out the possibility that British-trained Saudis took part in the Bahraini operation.
"The Ministry of Defense has extensive and wide-ranging bilateral engagement with Saudi Arabia in support of the Government's wider foreign policy goals. The Ministry of Defense's engagement with Saudi Arabia includes training provided to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, delivered through the British mission," he said.
"It is possible that some members of the Saudi Arabian National Guard which were deployed in Bahrain may have undertaken some training provided by the British military mission."
Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's over-40-year rule.
Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states were dispatched to the tiny kingdom on March 13 to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.
Observers also believe that the recent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Jordan are the result of the United States' double-standards in the Middle-East and its biased policies against the different nations.
After the United States and certain other western countries adopted a double-standard approach towards the popular protests against the dictatorial regimes in the region, people in the Middle-East say that the western approach to the ongoing revolutions in these countries has unveiled the true nature of the West's stance on democracy.
The British Ministry of Defense admitted that members of the Saudi Arabian National Guard dispatched to Bahrain may have received military trainings from the British Armed Forces in Saudi Arabia.
The revelation is likely to renew allegations that the Coalition is sending hypocritical messages on democracy in the Middle-East.
Despite British criticism of the Bahrainis' actions, British Prime Minister David Cameron last week welcomed the Crown Prince of Bahrain to Downing Street, drawing criticism from human rights groups.
Britain keeps a large and secretive military training team in Saudi Arabia. British military personnel advise and teach the kingdom's forces in areas, including crowd control and suppression.
In a written parliamentary answer, British Armed Forces Minister Nick Harvey said the Government could not rule out the possibility that British-trained Saudis took part in the Bahraini operation.
"The Ministry of Defense has extensive and wide-ranging bilateral engagement with Saudi Arabia in support of the Government's wider foreign policy goals. The Ministry of Defense's engagement with Saudi Arabia includes training provided to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, delivered through the British mission," he said.
"It is possible that some members of the Saudi Arabian National Guard which were deployed in Bahrain may have undertaken some training provided by the British military mission."
Anti-government protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's over-40-year rule.
Violence against the defenseless people escalated after a Saudi-led conglomerate of police, security and military forces from the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) member states were dispatched to the tiny kingdom on March 13 to help Manama crack down on peaceful protestors.
Observers also believe that the recent uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Jordan are the result of the United States' double-standards in the Middle-East and its biased policies against the different nations.
After the United States and certain other western countries adopted a double-standard approach towards the popular protests against the dictatorial regimes in the region, people in the Middle-East say that the western approach to the ongoing revolutions in these countries has unveiled the true nature of the West's stance on democracy.
