Bahrainis gathered in Manama last week. (photo: gregg.carlstrom)
You can't tell the crises apart without a scorecard. So Bahrain has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit. But as we saw yesterday, Saudi troops have been dispatched to help put down a largely sectarian uprising, with an oppressed Shiite majority seeking greater rights and participation from the ruling Sunni minority. And now, the nation has declared martial law.
The streets of Bahrain's capital, Manama, have again erupted in violence as the kingdom's besieged monarch declared martial law and ordered troops – including Saudi forces – to take all measures to quell a festering rebellion.
The clashes had been anticipated since more than 1,000 troops from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states arrived in Bahrain on Sunday, after being invited by the ruling dynasty to help restore order.
Demonstrators and security forces faced off from mid-morning in the Sitra area on the outskirts of Manama. Bystanders reported the sound of gunfire and the scent of teargas by early afternoon, followed by the familiar cacophony of ambulance sirens as they sped casualties towards the city's two main hospitals.
By late afternoon, there were numerous reports of clashes inside Shia villages throughout Manama that had led to dozens of injuries..
rest at http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/03/15/state-of-emergency-declared-in-bahrain/
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