'Saudi invades Bahrain, unveils itself'

US-backed Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states have invaded Bahrain following Manama's request for military help to quash anti-government protests.

The Kingdom of Bahrain is receiving illegal military help from its neighbors Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates in an attempt to stop peaceful protests against the despotic dynastic rule, says political analyst in Middle East affairs Ali al-Ahmed.

The following is a transcript of a Press TV interview with al-Ahmed from Washington as he recounts the chain of events unfolding in the Middle East and the likelihood for a Saudi uprising, as well.

Press TV: First, let's go to Washington and ask Ali al-Ahmed his reading of the situation in Bahrain -- especially now that those Saudi troops have stepped in.

Al-Ahmed: The Saudi troops' invasion of Bahrain is exactly the same as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. At the time, it was the Afghani government that invited the Soviet army into Afghanistan in the 1980's. So we are talking about a similar situation here. And the United States should remember, and those people in the White House should remember that the United States considered the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as an invasion. The Saudi army going into Bahrain is an invasion because it's aimed at attacking, or containing the population of Bahrain, the majority of the population.

So, let us be clear in the beginning that the Saudi invasion of Bahrain is an invasion under international law, and that invasion should be resisted violently and peacefully, both. Under the international law, fighting with these troops is legal and considered legitimate.

Of course, what the Saudis have done -- this is not the first time they have intervened in their neighbors' affairs. They have done that in Egypt, Tunisia, as we saw, and now they are doing that in Yemen and Bahrain. So, that is going to weaken the Saudi monarchy and shorten the lives of the monarchy because now it is very clear that the Saudi government helped its falling monarchy in Bahrain. But, it's “too little-too late.” The tide has already moved. And we are talking about a matter of two weeks, at the maximum, when we will see al-Khalifa and their supporters out of Bahrain.

Press TV: Under what you were explaining, I draw that it will not help give time to the al-Khalifa family nor to the Saudi Kingdom, itself. But, with the circumstances we have right now, should we really call it like the opposition calls it right now in Bahrain -- an invasion of the country by the Saudi troops or perhaps help of a larger neighbor to a smaller neighbor to be able to hold its grip on power?

Al-Ahmed: The charter of the GCC does not allow for this. The charter of the GCC allows for member countries to help each other when it comes to foreign threats, or external threats. It does not allow the members or the government that request that help -- especially military help, against the citizens of that country. So, now we are talking about two different issues. This is an internal situation. I remind everyone that it happened in Afghanistan and it was called an invasion.

One of the recent examples of one country sending troops into another country is Liberia and Sierra Leon. The Liberian former president, Charles Tailor, is now in The Hague being tried for crimes against humanity because he sent his troops to support the government in Sierra Leon against its people and committed crimes. So, the Saudi King, his defense minister, the United Arab Emirates, and (the) Kuwait emirs are all now on the receiving end of an international indictment for crimes against humanity.

Press TV: You know, the interesting thing about this thing is that it is coming right after the trip of secretary Gates to Bahrain. What do you think was going on there during his trip, now that we see the developments in Bahrain unfolding?

Al-Ahmed: The United States is supporting the king of Bahrain, and that was said by Hillary Clinton just 10 days ago. And they're [also] supporting the Yemeni president against his people. There is no question about it.

Gates' statement about reforms is just a smokescreen because the United States is in a position to ask any monarchy to implement real reforms. They had over 30 years of that opportunity and they never exercised it. In fact, the United States has been working against the people of Bahrain. I'll give you an example; the United States has blocked the entry of leading human rights and democracy activists from Bahrain, Mr. [Gase], Mr. Abdul [Waja-khawaja], and Muhammad Saeid, Mr. Hussein [Mushameh] -- all leading human rights activists -- from entering the United States. These people did not call for violence and they don't have any relationship to bother them. The United States blocked them from entering the United States to have a dialogue with members of Congress. This is the United States talking about dialogue and that the Bahrainis should have dialogue with their government, but the United States prevents the Bahrainis from having dialogue with members of Congress. So, the United States is on the wrong side of history and this is very typical.

Obama is another Carter. I said this before in another interview. They say the right things, but they do the wrong things. Carter said the Shah is a great leader six months before he fell down. And this is exactly the same thing. Obama is repeating Carter's policy of supporting these dictators while singing a different song. But this is all not bad news because it was under Carter where the Iranian revolution occurred. And now it is under Obama where the Egyptian and Tunisian revolution, and I think even Obama is going to do worse than Carter when Yemen, Bahrain and other countries will have their revolution succeed. In Bahrain, the game is over. There is no day for al-Khalifa to turn Bahrain. And the Saudi support, the American support, is going to be insufficient. In fact, the United States has now lost its fifth fleet in Bahrain because their position chose to go with the losing side. And at the end of the day, after al-Khalifa collapses, the Americans must leave Bahrain because they supported a dictator that was shooting the people, the young people of Bahrain. The Bahraini people will not allow the US government to stay in Bahrain.

Press TV: One other thing is the impact it's going to have -- both on the people's spirits in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Of course, you discussed what impact it's going to have politically on the two regimes. We also have the issue of the uprisings in both countries, and the feeling and mood of the people to see their larger neighbor is sending in troops to hamper their efforts to reach democracy. What do you think is their mood that exists among ordinary people in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia?

Al-Ahmed: People in the region are all calling for freedom and for the fact that they rule themselves. This might not be, in the eyes of the White House, in favor of the United States' interests. In fact, the people of the region will have the freedom to choose their government, the independence of their nation, and the people in that region want to be respected, want to realize that they are worthy of freedom and democracy. We are worthy of ruling ourselves. So, this message is becoming more real every day. And as people realize it is their right to rule themselves, the more the United States is losing ground in the Middle East because the United States has so far supported the dictators until the last day.

So, you see now we can call it the awakening of the people. I don't want to use the religious term of an “Islamic awakening,” but the people in the region are awakening to a day that their freedom is in their hand and they will take their government back -- away from the dictators. This also affects Saudi Arabia, itself. The more that Saudi Arabia will be defeated in Bahrain will enhance the power of the people in Saudi Arabia to take back their government from the monarchy.

GMA/TG/HRF

Source:presstv.ir