In a recent speech on the Arab Spring, Clinton laid out US policies on a country-by-country basis, criticizing the military government in Egypt for not moving quickly enough to create democratic institutions and extending the hand of friendship to the Ennahda Islamist party that won the largest vote in Tunisia’s elections last month.
Clinton was highly critical of Bahrain, but used diplomatic language and not a harangue. She said Washington continues to hold “frank” conversations with Bahrain’s leadership. “Frank” is a term used in diplomacy to signal that the two parties do not agree,
Clinton said, “Mass arrests and brute force are at odds with the universal rights of Bahrain’s citizens and will not make legitimate calls for reform go away.”
She noted that Bahrain’s monarchy has made public promises to begin political dialogue and investigate allegations of excessive force. “We intend to hold the Bahraini government to these commitments and to encourage the opposition to respond constructively to secure lasting reform.”
Clinton has been criticizing Bahrain ever since it called in troops from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to help it put down protesters. The Islamic Republic, however, tells its people that the Americans are supporting the suppression of Shia rights in Bahrain.