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The King of Bahrain declared Tuesday a three month martial law style order to tackle the pro-democracy uprising that the tiny Gulf nation has been experiencing for a month. King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa also gave Bahrain’s military chief the authority to combat the protesters.
 AP Photo/Hasan Jamali It is being reported that on Monday, a parliamentary bloc urged King Hamad to enforce the state of emergency. The bloc also asked the King to set a curfew and ban all illegitimate acts which may instigate violence, terrorize people, create sectarian strife, endanger social peace and security.
The martial law will be enforced by the army, police forces, units of the National Guard and “any other force” if necessary, Bahraini state TV said.
The “any other force” might be referring to the 1,000 Saudi troops that entered the country yesterday. One soldier was shot and killed by a protester in Manama, according to a Saudi security official. If true, that means the demonstrators have taken on new tactics, whereas their slogan was “peace” and never before used weapons.
Bahrain’s opposition party, Wefaq, strongly condemned the martial law imposement.
“There is nothing you can do. The army is in control of society now,” said Jasim Hussein, a Wefaq politician.
“We condemn this and call on the international community to live up to its responsibilities.”
Sources: AP, Xinhua, Reuters
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa dismissed four members of his cabinet Saturday while an opposition leader returned to Bahrain to join the thousands still protesting for the removal of the royal family.
 KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images/FILE The King removed the ministers of housing, health, and cabinet affairs. He even expanded the portfolio of the oil and gas minister to include electricity and water, and he appointed a new minister of labor. However, these new ministers have held other government positions before.
King Hamad also announced all government housing loans would be reduced by 25%
This is a similar act done King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia earlier this week. The Bahraini King personally welcomed his Saudi counterpart home after months abroad for back surgery. Upon his return, King Abdullah gave out benefits to Saudi citizens to quench any uprising that is sweeping across the Arab world.
King Hamad also pardoned Hassan Mashaima, an oppositional leader who was in exile in Great Britain for a year. Mashaima was charged by the government for illegal organization, engaging in and financing terrorism and spreading false and misleading information. He stayed in the U.K. until he was pardoned Friday.
“The time has come for true unity and our priority today is for the opposition to sit down with the protesters at Pearl Square and clearly set our demands,” Mashaima told reporters at his home.
 AP Photo/Hasan Jamali As for the King’s urging for dialogue on Tuesday, telling the Bahraini people “to engage in this new process” and “move away from polarization”, Mashaima doubts his words.
“They are always lying — they are promising to do something and they don’t do it,” he said about the monarchy.
“We talked about dialogue for a long time. Nobody listened, nobody heard us,” he said. “They are just listening now because of the pressure. If the pressure will finish, they will not listen again.”
Mashaima is the leader of the Haq movement, which is more hard lined than the Wefaq political party. The Haq party is against the Sunni monarchy.
Meanwhile, Pearl Square in Manama has become a makeshift camp for protesters to do their daily rallies.
On Saturday thousands began their demonstration at the Square and went on to march along a major highway chanting “leave Hamad, leave Hamad,” blocking traffic.
They then went to the the walled compound where the foreign ministry is located, chanting “Down, down Hamad!”
Then the crowd proceeded up the street, which is flanked by towering buildings housing banks, to the cries of “the people want to topple the regime!”
Sources: AFP, CNN
The King of Saudi Arabia returned to the desert kingdom Wednesday after a three month absence. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was recuperating in Morocco for about a month following back surgery in New York. He was welcomed with open arms by male members of the Saudi royal family. He also ordered handouts to citizens in attempt to prevent any uprising currently being seen across the Arab world.
 REUTERS/Saudi Press Agency/Handout The octogenarian King descended from the plane on a lift before taking to a wheelchair at a Riyadh airport. Numerous male dancers doing a traditional Bedouin sword dance performed as part of the welcome-home ceremony.
Saudi Princes, such as Crown Prince Sultan, himself in poor health, hugged and kissed monarch.
Also in attendance was King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of Bahrain. It is interesting to see him out of his Gulf country, which has seen demonstrations by its majority Shiite population, demanding for governmental reform and even removal of the monarchy.
King Hamad has close ties with his Saudi counterpart, and Saudi Arabia was concerned that what is occurring in Bahrain would spread to its country because of its Shiite minority on the east coast.
 REUTERS/Saudi Press Agency/Handout But King Abdullah is back in Saudi Arabia to prevent such an uprising from happening. He ordered a $37 billion handout to help lower- and middle-income people in his country which included rises to offset inflation, unemployment benefits and affordable family housing.
Saudi analyst Turad al-Amri welcomed what he called “a nice gesture” from the King, but other Saudis were not so impressed. “We want rights, not gifts,” said Fahad Aldhafeeri in one typical message on Twitter.
On Facebook, which has helped organize the demonstrations in the Mideast and North Africa, disgruntled Saudis are setting up a “Day of Rage”, scheduled for March 11th. They will call for an elected ruler, greater freedom for women and the release of political prisoners.
There are reports that King Abdullah will organize a new cabinet in order to install reforms.
“They are under pressure. They have to do something. We know Saudi Arabia is surrounded by revolutions of various types, and not just in poor countries, but in some such as Libya which are rich,” said Mai Yamani, at London’s Chatham House think tank.
“Basically what the King is doing is good, but it’s an old message of using oil money to buy the silence, subservience and submission of the people,” she said. “The new generation of revolution is surrounding them from everywhere.”
Ahmad al-Omran, who runs the popular Saudi Jeans blog, had this to say about the King’s handouts and reforms: “People don’t revolt because they are hungry. People revolt because they want their dignity, because they want to govern themselves. Money won’t solve our issues. We need true political and social reform. We need freedom, justice and dignity.”
Source: Reuters
As thousands of Bahrainis mourned the death of five protesters after security forces crackdown on the anti-government rallies, many began to call for an end to the monarchy. Before, the protests were for political reform, but now they have turned to removing King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa and his family from power.
 AFP/Joseph Eid “The regime has broken something inside of me. … All of these people gathered today have had something broken in them,” said Ahmed Makki Abu Taki at the funeral for his 23-year-old brother, Mahmoud. “We used to demand for the prime minister to step down, but now our demand is for the ruling family to get out.”
“The government has shaken something inside us all and we have lost all trust in it,” Mohamed Ali, 40, a civil servant, said as he choked back tears. “Our demands were peaceful and simple at first. We wanted the prime minister to step down. Now the demands are harsher and have reached the pinnacle of the pyramid. We want the whole government to fall.”
 AP Photo/Hassan Ammar These were such words being cried out at a Shiite mosque. Across Manama, however, at a Sunni mosque, there were rallies in favor of the al-Khalifa family, who are Sunni Muslims and have ruled Bahrain for two hundred years. Flags were being waved and portraits of King Hamad were being being held up.
“We must protect our country,” said Adnan al-Qattan, the cleric leading prayers. “We are living in dangerous times.”
Some Sunnis are concerned that if Shiites succeeded in their demands, influences from Iran would penetrate this tiny Gulf nation.
On Thursday, Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa made the first comment on the violent crackdowns, saying it was necessary because the demonstrators were “polarizing the country” and pushing it to the “brink of the sectarian abyss.” He went on the call the deaths, “regrettable”.
Bahrain is 70 percent Shiite and 30 percent Sunni. In the 1990s, the Shiites held similar demonstrations, demanding more rights.
Source: AP
As anti-government protests continue in North Africa and the Middle East, the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain has been no exception.
 AP Photo/Bahrain News Agency/FILE On Tuesday, two Shiite protesters clashed with police in Manama and died. Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa went on television to express his condolescences.
“In light of the incidents that took place yesterday and today… There have been sadly two deaths. I express my deep condolences to their families,” he said.
The King then added: “Everyone should know that I have assigned Deputy Prime Minister Jawad Al-Orayedh to form a special committee to find out the reasons that led to such regrettable events.”
Hamad went on to insist Bahrainis about their freedoms.
“We have viable constitutional institutions and laws endorsed by the elected parliament, on organisation of peaceful protests,” he said.
 AP Photo/Hasan Jamali “Freedom of expression is an inalienable right guaranteed by the National Action Charter and the Constitution.”
“Ten years ago, on February 14, we opened all the doors of freedom and responsibility, as a token of love and dignity for our loyal people,” the King said.
“We will continue to work together, God willing, for brighter days to come.”
Despite the constitutional efforts in 2001, Bahrain’s Shiites felt it didn’t give them a say in the country’s affairs and improve their access to government jobs.
“We’re not looking for a religious state. We’re looking for a civilian democracy … in which people are the source of power, and to do that we need a new constitution,” Wefaq, the main Shiite opposition group’s general secretary, Sheikh Ali Salman, told a news conference.
In Bahrain, Shiites make up 70 percent of the population, while the 30 percent of Sunnis get the more political power.
The government is appointed by the King while two-thirds of the ministers come from his al-Khalifa family. Parliament is based on elections, but has limited powers because an upper house is also made up of al-Khalifa kin. Wefaq has only 18 seats in Parliament.
Source: Gulf Daily News, Reuters, Foreign Policy
Thursday morning saw Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa al Khalifa welcome Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik, for a state visit to the tiny Gulf Kingdom in hopes of tightening bilateral links.
 Hanne Juul/Billed Bladet During the welcoming ceremony outside the royal palace in Manama, the band playing the national anthems were shaky with the Danish anthem, but were able to play it in such a way that the regent couple could recognize it.
Afterward, the King, the Queen and the Prince went indoors for some coffee. The Bahraini King and the Danish Queen then held talks. It was then King Hamad praised Denmark’s ties with Bahrain.
“Your Majesty’s landmark visit reflects the importance of building strong relations, based on mutual respect and historic ties,” he told her.
Medals were then exchanged. His Majesty bestowed the King Hamad First Class Medal for Development in recognition of Queen Margrethe’s efforts to promote bilateral relations. A Bahrain First Class Medal was conferred on Prince Henrik.
Queen Margrethe then gave the Grand Cross of Dannebrog to King Hamad.
Margrethe and Henrik were then introduced to members of Bahraini parliament.
Following that, the royals lunched with King Hamad in a dining room decorated floor to ceiling with gold.
In the afternoon, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik received a tour of two museums which were designed by Danish architects.
Source: Billed Bladet, Gulf Daily News
The tiny Gulf nation of Bahrain entered a seven day period of mourning Friday, with the death of King Hamad’s brother, Sheikh Rashid bin Issa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The Sheikh was the third brother of the King. He held no political position in Bahrain, and was chairman of the equestrian and horse racing club.
The funeral will take place Saturday and condolences will be accepted for the weekend.
Sheikh Rashid will be buried in Riffa, south of Manama.
Flags will be flown at half-mast for the seven day mourning period and all national events are postponed.
Source: Gulf News
 AP Photo/Andy Rain, Pool British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, to 10 Downing Street Thursday, where the two leaders discussed furthering economic bilateral ties.
The King and the PM also talked about their two countries long history together, starting with the 1971 Treaty of Friendship, in which its 40th anniversary will be celebrated next year.
Cameron mentioned to the monarch that he hopes his coalition government will reestablish ties with the Gulf states, Bahrain in particular.
Furthermore foreign policies were talked about, especially Afghanistan and the Mideast Peace Process. Both agreed that the process of establishing a separate country for the Palestinians needs to move ahead again. Cameron and King Hamad also agreed on implementing in full the recent UN Security Council Resolution on Iran’s nuclear program.
At the end of the meeting, Cameron and King Hamad said in a joint statement that it was a “warm and productive meeting.”
Source: Number10.gov.uk
The leaders of six Gulf nations gathered in Riyadh for the 12th annual Gulf Cooperation Council. Royals from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates came to Dirriyah Palace to discuss among Iran, Iraq, Yemen and the Mideast peace process.
 Xinhua/Saudi Photo Agency All those in attendance agreed to back the U.S.-backed Mideast peace process, which broke down last year. They also called for a revival of the peace talks and for Israel to stop settlements in Palestinian territories.
In addition, the Gulf leaders sided with Kuwait in an alleged Iranian spy group discovered in that country. The secretary-general of the GCC, Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, said “The security of the Gulf region is a red line. The security of the Gulf cannot be divided.”
“But our Kuwaiti friends want to handle it themselves for the moment,” he added.
As for Iraq, the GCC members called for all neighboring countries and the international community to help the troubled nation to get back on its feet.
The GCC was hosted by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. Crown Prince Sultan and Prince Naif were present. The monarchs of Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait were there, while the UAE was represented by its Vice President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai. Oman was the other country at the summit, but its deputy prime minister was there instead of its Sultan.
Sources: Arab News, Saudi Gazette, AFP
 Reuters/Youssef Allan Yesterday, Jordan’s King Abdullah II arrived in Manama, Bahrain to be a spectator in the Bahrain International Air Show. The country was the first of the King’s brief trips to two gulf states, Oman being the other.
At the Air Show, Abdullah was one of several world leaders and diplomats watching the Bahraini military planes, but only he was allowed to sit alongside of King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa. About 40 companies from around the world took part in the show.
Later, the two men discussed bilateral issues and common interests.
Today, King Abdullah traveled to Oman for a three day visit. He was greeted in Muscat by Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed, whom he also discussed bilateral ties with.
Accompanying the King is his son and heir, Crown Prince Hussein.
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