In early 2011, the government of Bahrain violently cracked down on pro-democracy protesters as uprisings spread across the Middle East. The protests were brutally suppressed, and hundreds of people were arrested. Many were tortured, some to death. The crackdown sparked some pushback in Washington, which has key assets invested in Bahrain, including the 5th Fleet base.
The king of Bahrain eventually commissioned a report to investigate his government’s violent crackdown. It was an encouraging move, suggesting the ruling family might actually be prepared to take responsibility for the abuses of its police and military. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) was formally presented in November 2011.
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