| The British government announced plans last week to build a new permanent naval base in Bahrain. The Bahrain monarchy is well known for its appalling human rights record, most notably its crushing of the pro-democracy movement in 2011 with the help of another British ally, Saudi Arabia. Once again in the name of security and democracy the British state has struck a deal with one of the most reactionary and authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. This week Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced that hundreds more troops, including combat-ready soldiers, will be deployed in Iraq. This comes after the commons vote in September when David Cameron promised MPs that "Her Majesty’s Government [would] not deploy UK troops in ground combat operations" to convince MPs to vote in favour of a bombing campaign in Iraq. A small number of MPs have signed an Early Day Motion to oppose the Bahraini deal, noting how it will exacerbate tensions in the region. Please help us build the campaign to stop a new British base in Bahrain by signing our petition: We the undersigned oppose the plans by the British government to open a new military base in Bahrain, the first British base “east of the Suez” since 1971. Rather than increasing military deployment in the Middle East we should be ending our disastrous interventions in the region. Bahrain is a repressive, undemocratic regime that brutally crushed the movement for democracy in 2011. Britain should not be showing complicity with the actions of the Bahraini monarchy. In the new year Stop the War is supporting a parliamentary briefing on Iraq, Bahrain and the Middle East. This will take place at the Houses of Parliament at 6.30-8pm 19th January. Click here to sign the petition against a Naval Base in Bahrain http://act.stopwar.org.uk/petition/1 |