Brian Dooley
Monday, June 27, 2016 - 06:23
In early 2011, the government of Bahrain violently cracked down on pro-democracy protesters as uprisings spread across the Middle East. The protests were brutally suppressed, and hundreds of people were arrested. Many were tortured, some to death. Five years on, Washington’s “softly softly” policy of muted public criticism and encouragement to reform behind closed doors has failed.
Thursday, June 16, 2016 - 06:42
A year ago the State Department even thought it was a good idea to lift holds on arms sales to Bahrain’s military, citing “meaningful progress on human rights.” Such a hopelessly naive analysis does nothing to deter the dictatorship, which earlier this month increased the jail sentence for peaceful opposition leader Shiekh Ali Salman from four to nine years.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - 06:44
Human Rights First today urged the State Department to submit its congressionally-mandated report assessing the extent to which the Bahraini government has implemented the recommendations of the 2011 Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report.
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 06:08
Four years represents many things: an Olympic cycle, the gap between U.S. presidential elections, a typical American college degree, the space between leap years. A four-year span is also, it seems, how long a repressive security force can expect to wait before the U.S. government loses its nerve and lifts its objections to resupplying it with arms.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - 06:19
Kenya is under immediate terrorism threat, yet its leaders block civil organizations, target Muslims and extort bribes.
Friday, April 10, 2015 - 06:50
Last week’s depressing White House announcement that President Barack Obama has lifted the hold on military aid to Egypt again exposed the U.S. government’s myopia in trying to stabilize an increasingly volatile region.