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In Bahrain, Kerry treads carefully on human rights US open to ‘new arrangement’ on Iran’s missile tests
(about 5 hours later)
MANAMA, Bahrain — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dealt delicately on Thursday with concerns about persistent human rights abuses in Bahrain, stressing America’s close military ties to one of several Persian Gulf countries with which it wants to enhance cooperation on fighting the Islamic State and containing Iran. MANAMA, Bahrain — The United States suggested Thursday it was open to a “new arrangement” with Iran for peacefully resolving disputes such as Tehran’s recent ballistic missile tests, while America’s Sunni allies in the Persian Gulf said Iran must stop sending forces to Syria and weapons to Yemen if it wants to normalize ties with its neighbors.
Making the first visit to Bahrain by a top American diplomat since its 2011 uprising, Kerry called the kingdom a “critical security partner” and praised its Sunni rulers for pushing human rights. He said more needs to be done to ensure the full political participation of everyone in Bahrain and promised U.S. support toward elections in 2018. Setting the stage for President Barack Obama’s summit with regional leaders in Saudi Arabia later this month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with the foreign ministers of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to advance a series of proposals aimed at easing Arabs’ concerns about last year’s Iran nuclear deal and the warming of ties between the U.S. and Iran. These include providing new counterterrorism, conventional military, missile defense and cybersecurity capabilities.
Kerry, who was to meet with all of America’s allies in the region later in the day, made no specific mention of the repression or discrimination against Bahrain’s Shiite majority that human rights groups say is routine. His criticism was more forceful toward the opposition for boycotting previous elections. Kerry raised several other ideas, including a possible partnership between the GCC and NATO to help stabilize the conflict-ravaged Arabian Peninsula. He pledged $139 million in new U.S. humanitarian assistance for Yemen to be doled out over the coming year, but his most interesting suggestion concerned the Iranian ballistic missile activities the U.S. had denounced as violations of a United Nations ban.
“That polarizes things rather than helps them,” he said. A moment after declaring America was united with Persian Gulf countries against the Iranian missile tests, Kerry said the U.S. and its partners were telling Iran that they were “prepared to work on a new arrangement to find a peaceful solution to these issues.” He said Iran first had to “make it clear to everybody that they are prepared to cease these kinds of activities that raise questions about credibility and questions about intentions.” Kerry didn’t elaborate further.
Ahead of the trip, Human Rights First urged Kerry to publicly chastise the government for imprisoning activists and peaceful dissidents. Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain cited the case of several bloggers and political figures serving terms or awaiting trials. Groups also wanted Kerry to meet directly with opposition leaders, which he did briefly later in the day. The foreign ministers also addressed the fight against the Islamic State and the region’s two deadly civil wars in Syria and Yemen.
Appearing alongside Kerry, Bahrain’s top diplomat said one such individual — Zainab al-Khawaja — would soon be released to go home on humanitarian grounds, after she chose to go to jail with her 1-year-old child. But for Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, the threat posed by Iran was clearly the most pressing concern.
“But the case will continue,” Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa told reporters. On human rights, he said, his country has “done what we are supposed to do.” “If Iran wants to have normal relations,” al-Jubeir said through an interpreter, “it has to change its policies.” He said that includes no more weapons smuggling to countries at peace or war on the Arabian Peninsula, and no more interference in others’ internal affairs.
Al-Khajawa faces up to three years in prison on multiple charges, including tearing up pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Her father is a leading activist who is serving a life sentence connected to his role in 2011 anti-government protests that were put down by Saudi and Emirati troops. Smaller demonstrations continue to this day. “If Iran continues its aggressive policy,” al-Jubeir added, “it will be difficult to deal with Iran.”
Kerry’s larger meeting Thursday with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council is designed to lay the foundation for President Barack Obama’s summit with the group in Riyadh. The Islamic State group and Iran will feature prominently at the April 21 meeting. After touring the U.S. Navy base on the island that hosts the 5th Fleet and supports U.S. maritime activities throughout the Middle East, Kerry highlighted the role of Western interdictions of Iranian weapons shipments. Four have been stopped in the last six months, with the U.S., Britain and France seizing anti-tank munitions, sniper rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
On the security front, Kerry got a tour of the U.S. Navy base on the island that hosts the 5th Fleet and supports U.S. maritime activities throughout the Middle East. Service members there were engaged in the second day of a 42-nation maritime exercise covering waters from the Suez Canal to the Arabian Sea. The exercise, designed to keep sea lanes open for safe passage, runs until April 26. All were believed intended for Yemen’s Shiite rebels battling Saudi Arabia, helping reinforce fears among the Sunni kingdoms that Iran is threatening their stability.
In their bilateral meeting, al Khalifa reminded Kerry of the region’s role in supplying a fifth of the world’s oil and protecting vital shipping routes. Kerry then spoke of recent U.S. interdictions of weapons flows before reporters were ushered from the room. While Kerry vowed to “push back” against such Iranian provocations, he also emphasized the Islamic republic’s capacity to contribute to peace. He cited Iran’s assistance in securing a truce in Syria between the Iranian-backed government and rebels supported by Western and Arab countries. And he called on Tehran to act similarly in Yemen.
Western vessels have stopped four significant Iranian arms shipments off the Arabian Peninsula in the last six months, seizing antitank munitions, sniper rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The setting of the meeting in Bahrain underscored Arab concerns. The Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority country is particularly sensitive to Tehran’s actions and rhetoric, given its geography just across the Gulf, its demographics and the occasional statements of Iranian officials calling for the country’s annexation. Iran is a Shiite power.
All were believed intended for Yemen’s Shiite rebels, and have helped reinforce fears among Sunni kingdoms that Iran is threatening their stability. At a news conference with Kerry earlier in the day, Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said Iran must work as hard on restoring relations in the region as it did on securing the nuclear accord. He decried Iran’s “hegemonic interventions,” yet promised that his country would take two steps toward rapprochement for every step by the Iranians.
Kerry lumped Iranian actions in Yemen with its support for Hezbollah militants and the series of missile tests it has conducted since last year’s nuclear agreement was reached. But he stressed that Iran also is playing a positive role in Syria, for example, by helping secure a truce between its ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, and rebels supported by Western and Arab countries. Making the first visit to Bahrain by a top American diplomat since its 2011 uprising, Kerry tiptoed over the sensitive matter of the kingdom’s human rights record.
But Bahrain is particularly sensitive to Iran, given its demographics and occasional statements by Iranian officials calling for the country’s annexation. While human rights group criticize the government for imprisoning activists and peaceful dissidents, and routine discrimination against the island’s Shiite population, Kerry made no specific mention of such activity. Instead, he condemned the opposition for boycotting previous elections, saying “that polarizes things rather than helps them.”
Whereas Kerry urged Tehran to mend ties with its neighbors, Al Khalifa said the Shiite power must work as hard on restoring relations in the region as it did to secure last year’s nuclear accord. He decried Iran’s “hegemonic interventions,” yet promised that his country would take two steps toward rapprochement for every step by the Iranians. Human rights groups had pushed for Kerry to publicly chastise the government.
Al Khalifa, for his part, said one woman activist, who faces up to three years in prison for acts that include tearing up a picture of the king, would be released on humanitarian grounds because she went to jail with her 1-year-old child. But he said the case against the woman, Zainab al-Khawaja, would continue.
Separately Thursday, a Bahraini doctor, Saeed Al Samahiji, was sentenced to a year in prison for charges including incitement of hate and insulting neighboring Saudi Arabia, according to his lawyer.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.