4th February 2013

BAHRAIN MEDIA ROUNDUP

Bahrain's 2-year-old uprising at crossroads
Young men wearing masks lurk in the darkened alcoves of the old market in Bahrain's capital. "To victory," they whisper as they hand out pamphlets calling for greater rebellion after two years of nonstop unrest in the Gulf kingdom. In another part of the city, leaders of established Shiite opposition groups study their next moves. One option is to open talks with the Sunni monarchy as a possible soft landing from the Arab Spring's longestrunning uprising against a sitting power. The two faces of Bahrain's tumult have never been clearer as the struggles in the strategic island home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet mark their second year next week. The old guard Shiite political factions appear worn down by the ceaseless tensions and seem increasingly open to some kind of face-saving compromise with Bahrain's Sunni leadership. Read More of political formations that will be represented at the dialogue on February 10. Invitations to the talks are being sent out, the ministry said. The talks between the various political groups in the country are seen as a bid to help overcome deep divergences and end a deadlock that gripped the nation for more than 20 months. Read More to bring the opposition on board.

Rights Groups File OECD Complaint Against Surveillance Firms

A group of human rights organizations has led complaints with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development against two European surveillancetechnology companies, seeking investigations into whether the rms are complicit in the abuse of dissidents in the Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain.

The complaints led Feb. 1 seek probes of whether U.K.- based Gamma Group and Munich-based Trovicor GmbH violated guidelines for business conduct set out by the Paris-based OECD, according to Privacy International, one of ve groups behind the effort. Gammas FinSpy intrusion tool can secretly take over computers and phones, while Trovicor sells and maintains computer systems that process intercepted phone and computer communications for government agencies. Read More A total of 14 members from various political forces will take part in the longawaited dialogue to discuss political issues that they failed to reach consensus in 2011, the minister said at a press conference. The dialogue will be held on Sunday with the participation of six members from the Coalition and eight from the Alliance groups representing their political societies, he added. Read More

Bahrain government initiates national dialogue

A much-anticipated national dialogue in Bahrain is scheduled to start on Sunday, the justice minister said. The date was announced after Shaikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa on Monday separately met two groups

Bahrain political forces to join 2nd round of national dialogue

Bahraini political groups have agreed to partake in the second round of national dialogue which will start on Feb. 10, Bahrains Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa said Monday.

Bahrain to resume national dialogue Feb 10

Bahrain's justice ministry announced on Monday that national talks aimed at ending the kingdom's political stalemate will resume on February 10, after an earlier round failed

Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa said the dialogue will reconvene on Sunday after he met representatives of six opposition groups, as well as eight associations on good terms with the government, BNA state news agency reported. Read More