President Obama Has Miles To Go In Bahrain

Updated 16 February 2012

The Morung Express :: Nagaland News | Current News | Latest News | Breaking News - Bahrain: A Forgotten Arab Spring: "Bahrain continues to undergo an uprising against the extremely authoritarian monarchy that enduringly, and unenlightenedly continues to rule that country. It is an Arab Spring, that we probably shouldn’t forget about or negate"

'via Blog this'

Somehow I forgot to post the following from some months back:

Today's Speech an Impressive Step Toward Rebuilding U.S. Relations with the Middle East | Human Rights First : "Human Rights First's Brian Dooley welcomed the specific references to Bahrain in the President's speech. "Having just returned from Bahrain, home of the United States' Fifth Fleet, I can tell you that the situation for human rights defenders there is dire. The President's remarks on the attacks on Shia mosques were encouragingly specific '" the United States needs to continue to be just as specific in criticizing the Bahraini government on other human rights violations, including mass detentions and torture."

President Obama appears to be moving in precisely the direction he has consistently signaled - becoming fully identified with the global democratic revolution which is at bottom an expression of the universal desire of individuals for a better life, more choice and freedom from abuse.

In Bahrain, the challenges remain huge. The mass detentions and torture need to be addressed as specifically as the attacks on the Shia mosques were. This is not a job for the president alone.