9th/ 10th October 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Bahrain jails 18 Shiites for police station attack
A Bahraini court on Thursday sentenced 18 Shiites to between ve and seven years in prison after they were convicted of attacking a police station, a judicial source said. Fifteen defendants were jailed for seven years and three for ve years after being of attacking the police station in a Shiite village near Manama last November. They had been charged with "aggression" against police, "possession of petrol bombs" and taking part in an unauthorised protest "aiming at undermining public security". Read More

F1 Board Member: Races Help 'Tainted' Countries

Staging a Formula One race or other major sporting event is a quick way for a country with a "tainted brand" to improve its image, according to a leading executive of the motorsport series. F1 has been criticized by rights groups for persisting with the Bahrain Grand Prix

amid allegations of crackdowns and widespread arrests of government opponents. Bahrain's premier international event was cancelled in 2011 as the Arab Spring uprising engulfed the Gulf kingdom. F1 board member Martin Sorrell said on Thursday that "running a sporting event does have political implications." Read More

Middle Easts SunniShiite Divide Spills Onto The Soccer Pitch Analysis
Sectarian divisions fuelling conict across the Middle East have spilt on to the soccer pitch with Iraqs decision to boycott the Gulf Cup and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) warning the Iraqi government not to interfere in the game. It is hard to separate the divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that governments in Bahrain

and Syria have used to counter popular uprisings and that Saudi Arabia employs to stem the regions tidal wave of discontent and counter Iran in a struggle for regional hegemony from the soccer spat that has erupted in recent days. Relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia have been strained ever since Iraqs Shiite majority gained power after the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Husseins minority Sunni rule. Saudi Arabia accuses Iraq of maintaining close ties to Iran and supporting the embattled government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Read More