Bahrain Analysis: Can the Kingdom Learn from Northern Ireland? (Diboll)

Funeral for two teenagers killed by British Army, 1972Northern Ireland suffered a simmering low-intensity civil war that lasted 40 years claiming thousands of lives through the murderous activities of both ethno-sectarian terrorist groups and the British and Northern Irish security forces. This conflict crippled and traumatized tens of thousands, and caused billions of pounds worth of economic damage to the UK, the Irish Republic, and above all Northern Ireland, from which the province will probably never fully recover. Before anything like a lasting settlement could be reached the conflict spread to the mainland UK, with devastating bomb attacks in London, Manchester and elsewhere over a 20 year period, with further killings in several European countries.

None of this has happened yet in Bahrain, but close resemblances to the early days of “The Troubles” and the current situation in Bahrain, combined with the general volatility of the MENA region, demand that those concerned with Bahrain look closely at Northern Ireland in order to learn lessons from that conflict which might prevents Bahrain and her neighbours from experiencing violence on a Northern Irish level, or worse.

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Bahrain Feature: Rubber Bullets --- Another "Non-Lethal" Weapon For The Police

American Scott Olsen, an Iraq war veteran, was shot in the head by rubber bullets, fracturing his skull, for filming police at the Occupy Oakland protest

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The Bahraini Minister of Interior called yesterday for new legislation which ensured a harsh sentence of up to fifteen years for anybody who attacks a police officer or who incites violence against the police.

The announcement by Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalif also outlined the training and new equipment for police, after the declaration of "reforms" introduced by John Yates and John Timoney, the former US and British police chiefs brought in to advise Bahrain's forces. The training involves a one-year "rehabilitation" programmes, whilst the equipment involves a complete kitting-out of protective clothing and gear, communications systems, and weapons.

That list of weapons includes "guns that fire rubber bullets".

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Northern Ireland: Why the Rise in Violence and Bombings?

In recent weeks, there has been a rise in violence, include a spate of bombings, in Northern Ireland. On Monday night, the Real IRA claimed responsibility for a car bomb outside a commercial centre in Derry.

The news has even caught the attention of The New York Times, and former US President Bill Clinton commented on the situation during his appearance last week at our partner in Dublin, the Clinton Institute for American Studies, noting that "every process leaves a trail of disappointees", especially amidst current economic difficulties, but adding that there is no evidence that politicians or the majority of the population want to abandon the path to reconciliation and stability.

Our partners at Outpost, a leading blog on Irish-American relations, have been providing cutting-edge coverage. Their latest comment, coming after the Derry bomb:

Apart from the continued condemnations [of the violence] that are a political necessity, more needs to be done. It is....time for constructive political engagement. The reversion to typical soundbites of condemnation and the need for entrenchment of peace and social stability have to be backed up [by action]. They can no longer be a disguise or vacuum for a lack of political dialogue.