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U.S. Navy on the defensive over a killing in Bahrain
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
ABU DHABI — The U.S. Navy is denying allegations that American sailors were involved in the killing of a Bahraini national.
The rumors have increased tensions in Bahrain, the host of the Fifth
Fleet for more than 30 years. The Muslim-led kingdom, confronted by an increasingly restive
Shi'ite majority, has seen protests for the withdrawal of the
U.S. military presence, which numbers more than 3,000.
Navy sailors were blamed for the March 29 shooting death of a Bahraini
national. The casualty was a 27-year-old security guard at a Manama hotel
frequented by U.S. officers.
"Our investigations and our cooperation with the Bahraini authorities
indicate that no U.S. Marine was involved in the terrible tragedy," Lt.
Cmdr. Charlie Brown, spokesman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, said on March 31.
"I believe that people believed that whoever fired the shot was an
American Marine because the facility is frequented mainly by Westerners, but
this speculation is totally irresponsible," Brown said. "No U.S. staff is
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