WASHINGTON — US lawmakers are considering retaliatory measures against strategic ally Bahrain following the expulsion of the State Department's top human-rights envoy.
Senators of both parties on Tuesday expressed dismay at the news that Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowski was declared persona non grata after meeting with opposition activists. Lawmakers told Al-Monitor that they're reviewing their options, while democracy advocates expressed hopes that the incident would give a boost to their long-standing push for targeted sanctions such as visa bans and asset freezes.