Jew World Order

Press TV has conducted an interview with the human rights and international lawyer, Paul Wolf to further discuss the issue.

The video also offers opinions of two additional guests: Dominic Kavakeb, with the Bahrain Justice and Development and also Osama al-Aradi, president of Bahraini Medical Association. The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: Paul Wolf, there are reports that Bahrain’s leadership in under heavy pressure from the United States and other allies to restart talks with the opposition.

On the other hand there is the opposite claim as well that in fact Saudi Arabia and other allies are urging the regime to intensify the crackdown rather than to initiate any kind of dialogue or reform. What do you think?

Wolf: Well, I would more tend to favor the latter interpretation because I see Saudi Arabia in particular, I believe, sent troops to Bahrain. I think the United States is looking out for its own interests. The big elephant in the room obviously is that Bahrain is a very important naval base for the United States.

So I think in terms of the US foreign policy that is going to be the objective and whether the Bahraini people have a democratic government or whether they have a monarchy or whether they have a government that on paper is a democratic government but operates as a very repressive government as if it were a monarchy. The United States would put up with that because we need to have a naval base there.

I think it is important to note that there is a very high level of hypocrisy right now, because we have the United States supporting armed rebels in Syria; at least supporting them through their statements, if not materially supporting them in the name of democracy; but we have a peaceful movement in Bahrain and the government is reacting very badly to these people and I believe it is not necessary, it makes it look like the Bahraini government is about to fall because they are taking such desperate measures.

So I really think that the United States should do more to take a public position to say: Look! We do need our navy base, we need to have good relations with you, we recognize that you are a sovereign country but we cannot go along with this and we have to have some kind of a coherent foreign policy to support democracy and the United States has to come out and publicly say that. For human rights watch to say that, I think it is a step because human rights watch is quite influential in Washington DC so let us see how it goes.

Press TV: Mr. Paul Wolf now in Washington let us refer to comments being made by the UK’s foreign office minister for Middle Eastern and North African affairs. He said recently, the issues that Bahrain faces are clearly Bahraini in nature and need to be solved by the Bahrainis; it is not for anyone from outside to interfere or to suggest any way.

The UK’s and the US’ positions bring up the question why is there talk of increased diplomatic, military pressure against the Syrian government but nothing at all again the Bahraini rulers?

I mean, does that mean that they do not believe people have been killed or tortured in Bahrain, does he prefer to condemn, in his words, police being attacked by the youth in Bahrain?

Wolf: Well, I do not think those are the issues at all, I think the issue is that the United States has a navy base in Bahrain and Syria has historically been an ally of Russia and the United States cannot just get over its historical opposition to Russia.

We are seemed to be prominently set up to be opposed to them, so I think essentially that is the problem with Bashar al-Assad.

I am really disturbed by this discussion of the Saudi annexation, I would call it, of Bahrain because it does not look to me that the Bahraini protesters are asking to be merged with Saudi Arabia.

This looks like maneuver by Saudi Arabia to take over failing government of Bahrain and take that territory for its own use, and that is not in the interest of the Bahraini people, I cannot see how that would be any better than what they have now.

So it is also not a regional plan, this is the Saudi Arabian plan and I think that the solution really…, it only takes a few comments from anyone the United States’ government and I think that Bahraini government would turn its position immediately.

So it is a simple thing to do, the United States does not really lose anything simply taking a position a little more distant from the Bahraini government and encouraging this kind of negotiations.

Press TV: How far do you think the United States’ government is going to go before it does that? I mean right now we are hearing reports of an eleven-year old being put to jail and now facing trial and at least three children being given 15 years in jail sentences.

I mean this has been openly criticized by human rights groups and they are saying that it is against international law of course you would know as a well professor, but how far can the United States go before it does come out with this position that you are speaking of?

Wolf: How long we supported Israel? I mean we need the base in Bahrain. I do not think that the human rights is a significant factor in these kind of calculations. I wish it were; I think that we can put pressure on our government here in the United States to do something about this, but I think there are very powerful interested who oppose to that. We have the navy base, we have oil and we need friends in that region. So it is very unfortunate.

I do not know what to do about it. It’s a situation that seems to repeat itself over and over and the Bahraini people are the victims of this and my opinion is that, that this is not going…, the human rights abuses which you mentioned are not going to be a significant factor in the calculations of the United States’ foreign policy.

MY/GHN