Bahrainis get set for nationwide rallies

Bahrain’s main opposition group al-Wafeq has called for a new massive nationwide protest despite warnings by the regime’s Interior Ministry against such moves.

The opposition bloc is currently in talks with the ruler of Bahrain in a bid to ease wide-spread tensions in the country.

However, the bloc has announced that it will press for a UN intervention if the dialogue fails. It has also expressed doubts that the so-called ‘national dialogue’ would lead to a resolution of many outstanding issues, such as the persisting suppression, arrest and torture of anti-government protesters as well as the continuing military trials of civilians by the al-Khalifa regime.

Only the leaders from two of the opposition groups, al-Wafeq and al-Waad, are participating in the negotiations as other opposition leaders remain in custody.

According to Bahrain Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization, there are currently over 1,000 political detainees, including medical staff, inside the country.

Meanwhile, al-Wafeq called for new protests on Friday across the country. Earlier, however, the Interior Ministry warned that it will quash any kind of protest gathering, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Anti-regime revolutionaries have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since mid-February, demanding an end to the rule of al-Khalifa dynasty which has instituted despotic governance, discriminations, and suppression of any dissent. The US-backed regime has met the popular protests with a brutal crackdown, killing dozens and arresting hundreds.

In March, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates deployed some 1,500 military forces to Bahrain to help the government crush the nationwide protests. Yet, the protests have only grown more popular.

A number of those killed by the regime have lost their lives under torture by the Saudi-backed forces of the Bahraini state.

The Persian Gulf kingdom was founded by the British monarchy and is currently being protected by the US, which is desperately trying to maintain a dominant role in the Middle East region, amid a growing wave of popular uprisings against the US and its sponsored dictators in the strategic and oil-rich region.

Bahrain also hosts the huge military installation of the US Fifth Fleet navy base off the Persian Gulf waters, which holds some 30 warships, including two aircraft carriers, used to patrol the strategic waterway as well as the Red sea, the Arabian Sea and the east coast of Africa. Ever since the UK fleet left the island nearly half a century ago, the American fleet has been used to resupply US warships. It also shares commander headquarters with US Central Command naval forces .