Persian Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain
The big question for the Middle East now is, will other countries follow the path of radical reform of Tunisia and Egypt, and, if so, which ones? Demonstrations of varying sizes have occurred in Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and even Iraq. To gauge the chances of which might be next requires a close look at the grievances and fortitude of the opposition, and at the vigor of the government in power.
For several days the Persian Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain has been in the spotlight. Its future is of special interest since it has been the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet since 1991. The United States has put hundreds of millions of dollars into Bahrain to build facilities for the fleet and has trained and equipped Bahrain's security forces. Those forces have killed two protesters and so far have not been able to bring under control the thousands in Pearl Square in the capital, Manama.
For several days the Persian Gulf island kingdom of Bahrain has been in the spotlight. Its future is of special interest since it has been the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet since 1991. The United States has put hundreds of millions of dollars into Bahrain to build facilities for the fleet and has trained and equipped Bahrain's security forces. Those forces have killed two protesters and so far have not been able to bring under control the thousands in Pearl Square in the capital, Manama.
