Local Editor
The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) took part in a massive Saudi-led military exercise on Monday dubbed Gulf Shield-1.
The drill, which took place in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province and reportedly involved over 20 other states, unfolded in the presence of the Bahraini and Saudi monarchs Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
Saudi Arabia currently has over 1,000 troops stationed in Bahrain under the aegis of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its Peninsula Shield Force, which was used to crush popular protests against the Manama regime in March 2011.
The suppression of the demonstrations would eventually become one of the bloodiest chapters in Bahrain’s history with over 100 killed.
Seven years on, Bahrain’s ruling Al-Khalifa clan continues to rely on foreign military and economic support to remain in power.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
