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Analysis

Bahrain: Tensions Could Prompt Renewed Violence
A Bahraini Shiite Muslim boy attends an Ashura prayer service in West Manama on December 6, 2011. (Getty Images)
December 8, 2011
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| Middle East and North Africa
Summary
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Tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Bahrain are heightened following a finding that police used excessive force against Shiite protesters there earlier this year, causing the majority Shiite population to look more towards Iran for support. And while the U.S. Fifth Fleet’s presence in Bahrain makes it unlikely Iran would attempt any military action, the developments have nonetheless worked to increase Iran’s influence on the Saudi peninsula.The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), led by the Egyptian-American jurist Cherif Bassiouni, announced in late November that it had found systematic and extensive rights violations by police and military attempting to quell protests in February and March. These violations included the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters, arbitrary arrests and detentions, the absence of fair trials, the creation of a “culture of impunity” in the military and security forces, and the torture of detainees. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had tasked the BICI with investigating the treatment of protesters following an international outcry.
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