Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Bahrain, after years of warnings, has expelled a leading U.S. diplomat for links with the Iranian-backed Shi’ite opposition. The Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom declared U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tomasz Malinowski persona non grata. The Foreign Ministry said Malinowski was ordered to leave Bahrain immediately for meeting with the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Bahrain has more than doubled its defense budget. The Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom increased its defense budget by 110 percent since 2004. In 2013, Manama’s military spending, fueled by the threat from neighboring Iran, rose by 26 percent from the previous year. “Military spending in the Middle East increased […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Bahrain, faced with repeated Shi’ite bombings, has reported a security upgrade. Officials said the Gulf Cooperation Council kingdom introduced measures and equipment to enhance security. The officials said Bahrain’s security forces were confronting a growing threat of improvised explosive devices. “The materials used to manufacture homemade bombs are easily […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Egypt has participated in its first Gulf Cooperation Council exercise. Officials said Egypt has contributed personnel and equipment for the so-called Basic Connectivity Exercise. The exercise began on April 27 in Bahrain. “The exercise takes place within the framework of training plans for the Royal Air Force of Bahrain, […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — The Gulf Cooperation Council has been urged to followvNATO in strategic planning and cooperation. A leading GCC official urged the six Gulf Arab members to study the NATOvmodel in an effort to enhance capabilities and interoperability. The official said the GCC has not exploited the opportunity to cooperate with […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — In an unusual move, the State Department has criticized the conduct of the U.S. ambassador to Bahrain. The State Department’s inspector-general has concluded that ambassador Thomas Krajeski failed to improve U.S. relations with Bahrain. In a 43-page report, the inspector-general criticized his conduct and leadership of the embassy in Manama. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has been examining the prospect of establishing a rapid-response force in Bahrain. Military sources said the Joint Chiefs of Staff was drafting recommendations for a combat force that could be rapidly deployed throughout the Middle East and South Asia. The sources said the force would be formed […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — The Gulf Cooperation Council has maintained thousands of troops in Bahrain to help quell the Iranian-backed Shi’ite revolt. Officials said thousands of troops from GCC states have been operating in Bahrain for nearly three years. They said the troops come from the GCC’s Peninsula Shield Force, most of them […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI — Bahrain plans to enhance military cooperation with Pakistan. Officials said the two Asian Muslim states discussed military cooperation during the visit to Islamabad by Bahraini National Guard commander Gen. Mohammed Bin Issa Al Khalifa. The officials said Mohammed, who met Pakistan Chief of Staff Gen. Rashid Mahmoud on Dec. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ABU DHABI ― Bahrain has captured a ship full of weapons meant for Shi’ite insurgents in the Gulf Arab kingdom. Officials said the Bahraini Coast Guard intercepted a boat that contained Iranian and Syrian weapons and munitions. They said the the nine-meter boat, sailed by two Bahrainis, was tracked over 118 nautical […]