Bahrain

General information
 

Internal situation

Bahrain is governed by the Al Khalifa family, and has been since the 19th century.

Bahrain has recently amended its internal policy towards dissent - where for years it had a reputation for repression, including the arrest and mistreatment of dissenters and expulsion of the democratic opposition.

Of 1994, the Human Rights Watch website outlines: "Bahrain's intifada, or uprising ... after efforts to petition the government peacefully on issues of political reform and discriminatory social policies seemed to reach a dead end. The opposition refused to accept a newly formed appointed Shura (Consultation) Council as an acceptable substitute for the elected assembly. Street clashes between demonstrators and security forces led to thousands of arrests. Shi`a neighbourhoods and villages were put under extended periods of siege. Those considered key leaders of the protests by the government were in some cases held for more than five years without trial, and in several cases forcibly deported. "

In 1999 Sheikh Hamad Bin `Issa Al Khalifa succeeded his father and announced the phased release of 320 untried detainees and 41 convicted prisoners, and the pardon of 12 individuals living in exile. Following a referendum in February 2001, the Emir abolished the repressive State Security Law and State Security Court. These actions were followed by granting pardons, general release of all political prisoners, religious leaders, and other detainees, a declaration of general amnesty and pledges to end detentions. Furthermore, Bahraini exiles were welcomed back to the country.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both report favourably on these changes. Most recently, there has been some concern that Bahrain may be reverting to form.

The British connection with Bahrain security not just revolves around weaponry. In early 2000, Human Rights Watch: "...welcomed reports that British authorities are investigating torture allegations against a UK national who for many years was head of Bahrain's Security Intelligence Service." They commented on the "...routine use of torture during Ian Henderson's tenure as head of Bahrain's security services." Henderson was originally recruited by high-level British officials in 1966 to run Bahrain's security services at a time when the Persian Gulf emirate was under British sovereignty. He served in that capacity until he retired in February 1998. He continues to serve as a senior advisor to Bahrain's ministry of the interior.

UK arms sales

The total value of Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) issued in 2001 was £4.5m. Of these 21 SIELs involved items on the Military List.

This is a 50% increase compared to year 2000.

The list includes: body armour; components for assault rifles, submachine guns; general purpose machine guns; semi-automatic pistols; small arms ammunition; toxic chemical precursors.

In July 2002 Bahrain announced that it had selected BAe Systems' Hawk trainer aircraft for the training requirements of the Air Force. The package includes test and ground equipment, technical assistance and training. Negotiations on this deal continue.

Also, in October 2001 Bahrain ordered 100 new Saab Bofors Dynamics RBS 70 surface-to-air missiles, to add to 70 ordered in 1979.

US arms sales

The U.S. is the dominant arms supplier to Bahrain - according to the U.S. government this amounted to $300 million from 1994 to 1997 and $600 million between1998 and 2001.

The main concerns about U.S. arms supplies to Bahrain have been around the absence of democracy in Bahrain. Although recently there has been an opening up of political activity, the ruling Sunni's mistreatment of the Shi'a population continues. Bahrain has been used as a test case to introduce new Western weapons technology into the region. It is also of continuing domestic concern that arms imports interfere with standards of living.

The list of US supplies to Bahrain includes:

• ten F-16s in 2000 with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles; and 30 ATACMS, multiple-rocket launchers, supplied in 2001.
• One AN/TPS-59(V)3 3-dimensional land based radar, one Air Defense Communication Platform
• 17 x AH-1F Cobra Helicopters
• 30 x Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles

The United States also delivered or authorized delivery of $693,000 worth of small arms between 1996 and 1999, weapons which could easily find their way into the hands of abusive security forces. Transfers to Bahrain include cartridges, ammunition raw materials and manufacturing equipment, pistols and revolvers, sub-calibre weapons, non-military rifles, and shotguns.

Here is a full commentary on US arms sales to Bahrain, with its regional implications, from the Federation of American Scientists' arms monitoring website (www.fas.org/asmp):

Bahrain has received 17 Cobra attack helicopters, M60 tanks, twenty-seven AMRAAMS, 100 Intercept Aerial Guided Missiles, and six warfare pods.

Furthermore, the 5th Fleet continues to be based in Bahrain. The base is viewed as a valuable asset in the dual containment strategy against Iran and Iraq. According to Charles Freeman, a former Assistance Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Bahrain's hosting of the 5th Fleet "would argue for special consideration" when it comes to arms sales to Bahrain ("Deal Opens Gulf Region to AMRAAM," Defense News, April 13-19, 1998).

In recent years, Bahrain seems to have been used as a test case for selling cutting edge military technology to the region. When the United States approved Lockheed Martin's proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain in 1997, there was one caveat: the jets couldn't come equipped with AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM). First used in the Gulf War, these next-generation missiles have beyond-visual- range capability (they can be used to attack targets that the pilot can't see) and are the most effective weapon for air-to-air combat in the U.S. arsenal. For a few years, the United States had refrained from selling AMRAAM to Middle East, supposedly because it did not want these sophisticated weapons to proliferate and thereby accelerate regional arms races. But France's 1998 announcement it would sell beyond-visual-range missiles to Qatar led to a flood of American AMRAAM sales to the region, initially to the United Arab Emirates and then to Bahrain. In March 1999, the DOD approved a $110 million sale of 26 AIM-120B AMRAAMs to Bahrain. This small, economically struggling country, according to the Pentagon press release "will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces," and these missiles which just the year before were closely guarded supposedly "will not affect the basic military balance in the region." Once this initial barrier was broken, AMRAAM sales quickly followed to Egypt, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The next step in Bahrain's odd role as high-tech weapons pioneer came after the emirate demanded the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to load onto its Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) (purchased from the U.S. in 1996). Prior to this request, ATACMS had not been sold to the Middle East. ATACMS, used against Iraqi troops in the Persian Gulf War, is a 'deep strike' surface-to-surface semi-guided ballistic missile designed to harm "personnel and soft targets." Causing effects similar to those produced by landmines, ATACMS bomblets spew shrapnel over a large area, posing an indiscriminate hazard to civilians. The U.S. used to oppose ATACMS sales as a violation of the Missile Technology Control Regime because of their potential long range. Robert Pelletreau, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, warned that "If you open [sales of ATACMS] to Bahrain, you open to the whole region" ("Sale of ATACMS To Bahrain Poses Quandary for U.S.," Defense News, April 26, 1999).

The US also has plans to stockpile landmines in Bahrain, presumably as part of its own Gulf war strategy, or as part of a co-security arrangement with Bahrain. As the organization Landmine Monitor's website announces:

Landmine Monitor has discovered that the U.S. Air Force plans to stockpile antipersonnel mines in Bahrain. Bahrain has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty, nor is it a party to the CCW. At the UN General Assembly in October 1998, the Bahrain representative stated that Bahrain supported a landmine ban and endorsed the Ottawa Convention. Officials have not spoken on the issue in the UN in 1999 or 2000, nor have they given any indication why they have not acceded to the treaty. On 1 December 1999 Bahrain joined 138 other nations in voting in favor of UNGA resolution 54/54B supporting the Mine Ban Treaty.

Bahrain is not believed to have produced or exported landmines. There is no information on whether it has a stockpile of AP mines.

However, the U.S. may be stockpiling antipersonnel mines at a location near Manama in the near future. According to U.S. Air Force plans for its war reserve ammunition stockpiles in the Persian Gulf region, U.S. Gator antipersonnel mines, as well as Claymore mines, may be introduced and stockpiled in Bahrain. U.S. Air Force documents indicate that ammunition storage facilities in Bahrain will eventually contain 142 CBU-89 Gator mine systems (each containing twenty-two antipersonnel mines) and 141 M18/M18A1 Claymore mines.