The US government has decided to resume weapons sales to the Bahrain regime despite an ongoing violent crackdown on a Shiite majority uprising against the ruling Sunni minority.
According to RT, the US will begin sending the regime:
“…six harbor security patrol vessels, air defense communications equipment systems for Bahrain’s ground-based radars, AMRAAM air-to-air missile systems, Seahawk helicopters, Avenger air-defense systems, refurbishment items for Cobra helicopters, night-vision equipment and upgraded F-16 fighter jet engines.”
This is in addition to 44 Humvees shipped last October which were used against the regime opponents.
The hypocrisy is hard to ignore contrasting US policy toward the Bahranian regime with that toward Syria, where the US is supplying equipment — including hi-tech communication devices used in targeting government forces (wonder if last week’s spectacular bombings in Damascus were the result of improved communication and coordination abilities provided by US equipment?) — to the rebels while demanding regime change.
The difference? The Bahrainian regime is on board, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with US regime change plans for Syria and ultimately Iran, so regime abuses of its population can be awkwardly but essentially ignored.
7:16 am on May 12, 2012
