ponci
20.04.2021 8:58:54
As the anniversary of the 2011 troubles approaches, Bahrain's political battles are seemingly being fought out in the palaces as much as the streets.
See full version: Royal Rivalry: Bahrain; s Ruling Family and the Island; s Political Crisis
As the anniversary of the 2011 troubles approaches, Bahrain's political battles are seemingly being fought out in the palaces as much as the streets.
The revived talks between the palace and opposition reportedly cover five main issues: electoral districts; parliamentary approval of governments appointed by the king; the powers and composition of the appointed upper house of parliament; increased independence for the judiciary; and police and security matters. Such weighty subjects will be difficult to advance quickly. Meanwhile, Sunni supporters of the royal family are upset at what they see as concessions to the Shiite opposition. Overshadowing the whole process is the approaching anniversary of the 2011 troubles. The clandestine group "February 14," which rejects political compromise, is reportedly planning street action around that date.
How this rivalry will play out today is difficult to predict. The king will probably justify his reputation for vacillation, taking the advice of the last person to whom he speaks on any given issue. Although the crown prince has sought to curb corruption and engage the opposition, he still appears to lack supporters in the royal family, seemingly confirming the impression made on Gates in 2011. For his part, the prime minister is now more the godfather of the hardliners than their tactical political leader, but he is renowned for his political abilities -- his "people skills" far exceed those of the king. Even so, the most important hardliner at the moment is probably Field Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, commander-in-chief of the armed forces (he is in his fifties; his exact age is unknown). Other royal hardliners play a central role as well, including the ministers of justice, the royal court, and interior. [links]
Nasser bin Hamad’s promotion as national security advisor should raise his profile in strategic matters. This is an arena into which he has only recently emerged as the preferred emissary for his father on sensitive missions such as outreach to influential Jewish communities in support of Bahrain’s religious tolerance agenda. His royal trajectory certainly contrasts with the heir apparent, Salman bin Hamad, both in his comfort with military rather than technocratic milieus, as well as his reception in Shia communities where the crown prince has often been the primary royal intermediary while Nasser bin Hamad has built a reputation as a hard-liner. On security issues, then, this places him more in line with the third wing of influential Bahraini royals, the Khawalid.
This advantage was short lived, overturned by a much larger disruption: the 2011 protests that brought hundreds of thousands of Bahrainis to the streets. The crown prince’s association with political reforms and his inability to deliver a political compromise weakened his political position. In contrast, the prime minister survived the demands for his resignation and proved the value of his long-standing connections with Saudi Arabia, which sent elements of its national guard, as part of a larger Gulf Peninsula Shield Force, to defend the monarchy.
Salman bin Hamad became heir apparent when his father assumed the throne in 1999. His ability to influence policy was initially blocked by his great uncle, the prime minister, who ran the government and maintained extensive connections in society, especially within the business community. Khalifa bin Salman’s brand of retail politics conflicted sharply with the more technocratic mien of the young crown prince who was eager to implement economic and political reforms under his father’s leadership. This contest was tipped in the crown prince’s favor in 2008 when his father endorsed the elevation of the Economic Development Board, a quasi-governmental body established by the crown prince and entrusted with strategic economic planning, over the heads of the government ministries led by the prime minister.
Bahrain also claims another distinction: The head of its government and uncle to the king, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, is the longest-serving prime minister in the world. This disconnect between de jure and de facto power has long played out within the governance of the country as the crown prince and prime minister have competed for control over government policy. Recent news emerging from the kingdom suggests that this particular competition may be reaching its endgame. Yet the emergence of other royal rivals to the crown prince from within the security services and his own immediate family promise to keep things interesting.
On October 17, King Hamad elevated another one of his sons, appointing Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa national security advisor. This marks yet another step up for a young man who has been on the rise and much in the news: from his active presence on social media to active war fronts in Yemen. here
While the sons of Hamad appear to have the upper hand in the longstanding rivalry with the prime minister, both camps have ceded substantial governmental territory and influence to a third faction within the ruling family. The Khawalid – descendants of Khaled, the brother of the turn of the century emir, Isa bin Ali al-Khalifa – have become important power brokers within the security apparatus and royal court. Led by Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force Khalifa bin Ahmed and his brother, Khaled bin Ahmed, who serves as royal court minister, the Khawalid have consistently championed a position suspicious of Shia empowerment within the kingdom. Their influence has grown in the wake of the 2011 uprising and crackdown and with the elevation of security concerns focused on Iran.
The Israeli account commented on the photos that became widely popular: “Photos of the Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Oshbiz, and the Bahraini Deputy Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.”
He added: “In the past 10 months, we have achieved a lot, and we have always believed that working closely with countries in the region and building bridges for peace and prosperity is the way forward – and this reflects the King’s vision. We have a long way to go, we have tried to learn more about the Jewish Prime Time Zone and realize that there is a lot to do.”
In rudder than the heck. Undersecretary of the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, is on a diving trip with the Director-General of the “Israeli” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alon Oshbiz. The latter said, “It is true friendship when your partner in peace is your diving companion.” pic.twitter.com/aP8abeTSUf — Shebrawy 🇵🇸 (Director of Planet Earth) (@hmood_shebrawy) August 9, 2021more
Migration brought them to the East Coast and the Gulf Region. Various other tribesmen joined them and all formed a united confederacy and called themselves by the name of Al-Utub. Consequently they were known as Banu-Utuba. Unions of this kind were common among the different tribes in Arabia and when such greater confederacies were formed, all the tribes, clans or individuals felt as if they were members of one common ancestor. From Al Hasa province the Banu-Utub went to Qatar Peninsula and settled in Freha in the year 1672 and from there they made their first brief occupation of Bahrain in 1700.
In 1783 Shaikh Nasser bin Mathcoor, the Governor of Bahrain and Abu-Shohar, attacked Zubara. It is said that most probably the fear of the new state's growth, and the competition in pearl fishing areas and in commercial activity led him to action. At that time Shaikh Khalifa was away in Mecca on pilgrimage and his brother Shaikh Ahmed was in charge of the cause of Zubara. Nasser bin Mathcoor lost the battle at Zubara and Shaikh Ahmed with his followers pursued the defeated army and seized Awal. Awal is the old name for the island of Bahrain. Shaikh Khalifa died in Mecca on his pilgrimage whereupon Shaikh Ahmed became the first Al-Khalifa ruler of the Bahrain Islands.
Around the year 1708 they settled and founded the city of Kuwait. The founder of the present Al-Khalifa family was known as Shaikh Khalifa bin Mohammed, who left after his death a son, Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa. more