Home Page - Gulf in the Media
HomePoliticsEconomy                               Set Gulfinthemedia.com as home page
Politics
 Print  Send This Page
Save Listen to this Article
Rioters 'waging a losing battle'   

Gulf Daily News - 06 August, 2012

Rioters are waging a "losing" battle as the country slowly gears towards dialogue and reconciliation, says a leading security expert.

However, Bahrain should ensure the events of last year's unrest are not repeated by implementing new reforms and resolving its complex set of political problems.

It comes as the public has started to sideline political bickering, burning tyres, imprisonments, criticisms, negative police response and a wave of protests and seems to have moved on.

The "coast is clear and tensions have subsided", says Central European Journal of International and Security Studies (CEJISS) editor-in-chief and Prague-based Metropolitan University Department of International Relations and European Studies founder and head Dr Mitchell A Belfer.

In his latest report, Tongue-in-Cheek: Front Line Bahrain that was published by CEJISS, Dr Belfer says the country could be on the path of dialogue as efforts are underway to resolve the political situation.

"It seems that people have grown weary of the near-endless political bickering, the cat-and-mouse game of fireball tyres terrorising residents, 12cm high 'barricades, police responses, arrests, imprisonments, demonstrations and tidal waves of denunciations," he said in the tri-annual publication.

However, he warned that some might work towards hindering the process of reconciliation by spreading false accusations.

"Certainly, there will be those that attempt to shatter the prevailing calm with outrageous claims, counterclaims and actions," he stressed.

"But the feeling on the streets of Manama is that they are waging a losing battle and must also assume their responsibilities to dialogue and debate and not return the country to a state of fear."

Dr Belfer explained that Bahrain continues to face a complex set of problems, which the majority of the population believe should be resolved through political channels.

The report was published following his visit to Bahrain last month, where he met government representatives including Minister of State for Follow-Up Affairs Mohammed Al Mutawa to discuss the situation in the country and co-operation in research and studies.

He said the country was back on track following the unrest, but should ensure last year's events are not repeated.

"People have mostly agreed to get back to business; that is, the business of national dialogue and reconciliation," he explained.

"Instead of the false battlefield images and contrary to the fear-mongering of a few over-zealous sociopaths, I bear witness to a Bahrain fully on the road to national recovery with the events of the past year and a half chalked up as an important history lesson - a lesson that each and every responsible citizen is keen to learn from so that past mistakes are not repeated.

"This is not to say that the country has now entered a period of prolonged, unimpeded harmony, that acrimony has vanished and that outsiders have abandoned ship."

Dr Belfer also hoped the government would take advantage of the holy month of Ramadan coinciding with sending its citizens to the London Olympics as a step towards "national healing".

"With the double celebrations of peace, Ramadan and the Olympics in full swing, now is precisely the time for national healing in Bahrain and the next time 'war' is declared, let us all hope that no one turns up!" he said.

On March 3, the GDN reported that Dr Belfer slammed international media for their coverage of Bahrain and said that violent demonstrations hijacked real democratic reforms.
 
Iran ready to halt 20% uranium enrichment, but West must reciprocate: Lavrov
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Iran is prepared to halt its 20 percent uranium enrichment program, urging Western nations to end their sanctions against Tehran....
Qatar to be region's top Eid destination
Source : The Peninsula  
Date : 2013-06-19
Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) has expanded the scope of this year's Eid festivities with more activities and venues, aimed at positioning Qatar as the next Eid destination in the region....
Iran making steady progress in expanding nuclear capacity: IAEA chief
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program and international sanctions do not seem to be slowing it down, the UN nuclear agency chief, Yukiya Amano, told Reuters...
Obama sees Iran's election of moderate as hopeful sign
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
President Barack Obama said on Monday that Iran’s election of a moderate as its next president is a sign that Iranians want to move in a different direction, Reuters reported....
Ashton says will keep urging Iran to cooperate on nuclear program
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton pledged on Monday during a trip to Baghdad to press Iran for greater cooperation over its nuclear program after Tehran elected a new president,...
Imposing no-fly zone over Syria violates international law: MP
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Senior Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Saleh Jokar says an effort by certain Western governments to impose a no-fly zone over Syria would be a blatant violation of international law....
Over a million to get Iftar meals from families
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Over a million people are expected to benefit from the Iftar meals prepared by families across the UAE during the holy month of Ramadan....
DMCA begins issuing marine driver's license in Dubai
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has started implementing Resolution No. 2 of 2013 for Marine Craft Driving License as part of the efforts to regulate local maritime sector....
Zakat Fund gives out Dh43.8m in aid
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
The value of assistance provided by the Zakat Fund to those eligible, from the beginning of the year until the end of May, reached Dh43.8 million for approximately 5,000 beneficiaries....
Shaikh Zayed Book Award continues to drive interest for nominations
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
An assembly of Arab novelists, literary figures and academics have already expressed their interest to participate in Shaikh Zayed Book Award's latest instalment, as the Award continues to drive interest...
Diabetes campaign at The Souq
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
The HealthPlus and Aldar Properties have launched a joint diabetes awareness campaign at The Souq (the rebuilt Old Souq) for visitors and nearby residents....
Iran's foreign policy principles unchangeable: official
Source : Tehran Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi has said that the Islamic Republic’s principles of foreign policy are unchangeable....
Society helps 1,100 embrace Islam
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Over 20,000 residents of 200 nationalities have converted to Islam at the Islamic Information Centre of the Dubai government-run Dar Al Ber Society since its inception in 1993....
Etisalat launches security solution
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Etisalat, one of the leading telecom operators in the Middle East and Africa, on Tuesday launched a security solution to prevent cyber attacks through Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) management....
Saudi contractors delay 400 projects in Makkah
Source : Arab News  
Date : 2013-06-19
Around 400 infrastructure and service projects in Makkah are delayed, said an official at the Makkah Mayoralty. Several road construction projects, flood projects, works in public parks and gardens and...
Egypt distances itself from shura member's remarks
Source : Khaleej Times  
Date : 2013-06-19
Egypt is proud of its deep-rooted fraternal ties with the UAE and its people, a Foreign Ministry official of that country has said....
JIP corruption: 3 officials jailed, fined
Source : Arab News  
Date : 2013-06-19
Three Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) officials were sentenced to jail terms and fines for falsely recording that malfunctioning containers at the port were in good working order. They had done...
ESB abuse is 'extortion'
Source : Arab News  
Date : 2013-06-19
With the July 3 amnesty deadline approaching, many sponsors are forcing workers to give up their end-of-service benefits in exchange for release letters....
'No MERS case in Jeddah'
Source : Arab News  
Date : 2013-06-19
A Jeddah health official rejected a report that a two-year-old boy in the city has fallen prey to the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS)....
Cut in Haj pilgrim numbers
Source : Oman Daily Observer  
Date : 2013-06-19
Oman Arabic, sister daily of the Observer, has learnt that the number of Omani pilgrims this year is expected to be cut in line with a decision by the Saudi...
Total 607 Results in 31 Pages
  8 
For more news, views and reports about this topic, please subscribe
to GRC website: www.grc.ae
Thu Jun 20, 2013| 11-شعبان-1434هـ
Saudi Arabia keen to expand Bangladesh ties: Madani
Suicide bomber hugs Iraq leader, kills him
Bahrain jails 6 for 10 years
Iran: 'Jihad' calls fuel radicalism
Egyptian PM rejects anti-UAE remarks
Riyadh and Paris to expand cooperation
'Any solution must get rid of Assad'
Abu Dhabi records 7.7% growth on high oil prices
Al Baraka to host symposium on Islamic economics in Jeddah
Hamas says ties with Iran have been affected
    Newspaper Editorials
G8 and Syria
US companies may turn to courts on US LNG sales push
More>>  
    Opinions
US cohabitation with Hezbollah terror
What happened to the Arab superpowers?
More>>  
    GCC Press Agencies
Day's main stories from the GCC Press Agencies
    Reports
Syria and WMD: Deepening Uncertainty
Iraq Ten Years On
More>>  
    Bank Reports
GCC Cement Sector Quarterly – 1Q13
GCC Real Estate Quarterly – 1Q13
More>>  
    GRC Analysis
Building a Strong Saudi-Japan Relationship
Poor Gulf: Inequality and the Lack of Statistics
Whither GCC-US Relations?
    GRC Commentary
On Relations between Rulers and Citizens: The Need for a New Social/Political Contract in the GCC States
Key Issue Facing the Saudi Ruling House.
    GRC Book Review
Beyond Regionalism? Regional Cooperation, Regionalism and Regionalization in the Middle East
India, GCC and the Global Energy Regime: Exploring Interdependence and Outlook for Collaboration.
    GRC Press Release
Gulf Research Center press releases to the media
    GRC Publications
The Uneasy Balance: Potential and Challenges of the West's Relations with the Gulf States
Asia-Gulf Economic Relations in the 21st Century: The Local to Global Transformation
Assessment of the Security Situation in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and the Arab Gulf States
    GRC Newsletters/Bulletins

Enter your email to get the Newsletter
Go
      
Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Terms & Conditions | About Us |
Weather | Qibla Directions | Hijri Date Conversion Tool
Full Page :total time:3  |   24-- 27 Middle Page :0  --   | Right : 27 - 27--en--sess-enreq-en-coming