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| Fatima al-Balooshi |
Al Jazeera reported that Bahrain has formally requested the UN to delay sending a torture inspector to Manama until July. The visit was originally scheduled from March 8 to 17. This is not the first time Bahrain has interfered with planned visits from independent observers and restrictions on visits by rights groups continue. Bahrain's minister for social development, Fatima al-Balooshi said that Bahrain has learned lessons from the last year of anti-government protests. On behalf of the regime, she admits that "Mistakes were made. Serious wrongs were committed [but that she] believes [they] are on the right track." Surely if al-Balooshi is confident that Bahrain is taking steps in the right direction, then why the request to delay the UN torture inspector's visit? Bahrain's request for the UN to delay their visit makes certainly makes it seem that Bahrain has something to hide.
Egypt Daily News reported that Saudi Arabia's recent efforts to strengthen efforts with Iraq are part of the Kingdom's anti-Asad stance. The article argues that efforts from Saudi, such as sending their first ambassador to Baghdad since before the 1990 Gulf War are fuelled by a desire to undermine Tehran by currying favour with Iraq's Shias. Whilst I agree that Saudi must surely want to steal some of Iran's influence in Iraq, I do not see how this directly impacts Asad's regime in Syria. Arguably, if Syria were not in the midst of a bloody internal conflict, Riyadh would be courting Damascus with the same efforts they are throwing at Baghdad. It will take Riyadh years and years to overtake Tehran in terms of level of influence over the Shia population of countries such as Iraq and Syria. In fact, I doubt Saudi will probably ever achieve this goal. As such, I can't see an obvious link between sending a Saudi Ambassador to Iraq and Saudi's anti-Asad stance. If the Egypt daily news would like to propose a more robust argument, I'd be willing to hear it!
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