Why Libya But Not Bahrain? Britain Explains

Britain is deeply concerned about the Bahraini monarch unleashing his along with Saudi and Emirates forces against civilian protesters. Britain is profoundly saddened that these forces have gunned down unarmed Bahraini protesters. Britain is so very disappointed that Bahraini security forces have arrested opposition leaders and are holding them, somewhere.

But, even as the cruise missiles fly into Libya and Western air forces prepare to open a can of Crusader whupass on Gaddafi's military forces, it just wouldn't be right for us to give those Gulf Arab despots a taste of the same lash.

British foreign secretary William Hague said Libya and Bahrain are like apples and lawn furniture:

“Any action that appeared to be 'the west' trying to impose itself on these countries would be counter-productive, as has been suggested,” the foreign secretary warned.

He later added that it was also “important not to view Bahrain and Libya as analogous” and that all the circumstances should “not be considered to be analogous.”


“In the case of Bahrain, the government have genuinely offered dialogue with opposition groups and offered a referendum on a new constitution. Colonel Gaddafi is not in the position of offering a referendum to his people on a constitution - he is at the other extreme,” he argued.

Oopsie, slippie.  If Gaddafi is "the other extreme" that would make Bahrain's royals the opposite extreme, no?   And as for the genuine dialogue bit, the king's men already have these guys under lock and key or else hiding from imminent arrest.  Is that an offer of dialogue, "genuine dialogue"?   And, of course, it just wouldn't do for the West to start meddling in Arab/Muslim affairs would it not when we've already got hundreds of thousands of Western troops in Bahrain, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Egypt.

No, it's best we leave these things up to the Arab countries even if it is the Arab countries that are persecuting, even slaughtering Bahraini protesters.   I'm sure they know best.