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Bahraini Opposition Competes For Western Support

Bahrain’s opposition is working overtime to woo the West to its cause, but it would be better served forging local and regional links, Omar al-Shehabi writes.
Protesters hold banners with sign "No U Turn" meaning "No Returning Back" and hold Bahraini flags as they participates in a rally organised by Bahrain's main opposition society Al Wefaq, in Budaiya west of Manama, Bahrain, February 6, 2013. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3DETO

The future of Bahrain will to a large extent be determined beyond its shores. This seems to be taken for granted by most Bahrainis. Sandwiched between the regional powerhouses of Iran and Saudi Arabia, and with an important American base and a British colonial legacy thrown into the mix, Bahrainis are strongly aware of the role of forces outside their borders.

The role of probably the most important of these actors has recently been receiving increasing attention. Traditionally, the turf of the West, particularly the Americans and the British, has been completely written off by opposition activists, seen primarily as the safe terrain of the government.

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