US turns blind eye to invasion of Bahrain

White House spokesman Jay Carney

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/169986.html

The US refuses to term as an invasion the several Persian Gulf states' deployment of troops to Bahrain to quell the popular uprising against the island's monarchical rule.

"This is not an invasion of a country," White House spokesman, Jay Carney asserted, AFP reported on Monday.

The US spokesman also recently defended Washington's late response to the bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters and revolutionary forces in Libya.

"There has never been a situation where the international community, with leadership by the United States, has acted as quickly as it has to respond to this kind of situation," Carney said, dismissing suggestions that Washington had failed to respond with sufficient urgency.

The kingdom's fellow members of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar -- have dispatched armed forces to the Persian Gulf island to assist Manama in its crackdown of countrywide protests at the Sunni-led monarchy's suppression of the Shia majority.

Demanding King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's ouster and constitutional reforms, the demonstrators have been peacefully camping in the capital's Pearl Square since February 14th.

The square, which is the epicenter for the rallies, has become known to many as 'the Martyrs Roundabout' in memory of those killed during Manama-ordered suppression of the popular uprising.

On Sunday, demonstrators pushed to expand their rallies from the square to Bahrain Financial Harbor, the country's main business hub.

Hundreds of people were reportedly wounded in the security forces' stepped-up violence on the anti-government movements with live footage showing the forces shooting a protester at close range.

More than 1,000 people have reportedly been hospitalized mostly from exposure to the tear gas.

The United States Defense Department claimed it had received prior notification of the recent incursion by foreign troops.

The US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, however, made an unannounced visit to the Bahraini capital, Manama, on Friday.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Director General for the Persian Gulf and Middle East Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said, “It is surprising to see that immediately after the recent trip of the US defense secretary we see the intensified use of violence against the people of Bahrain.”