The Next US Ambassador and the Formulation of Human Rights in Bahrain
The recent departure of the US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Justin Hicks Siberell, has prompted questions in Congress about America’s moral and strategic role in the Middle East. A career diplomat and counterterrorism expert, Ambassador Siberell worked closely with the Bahraini government to ensure regional security from the lens of counterterrorism. However, despite these counterterrorism efforts, Ambassador Siberell did nothing to stop the Bahraini government from arbitrarily incarcerating large numbers of its citizens and violating countless other domestic and international human rights laws; instead he was constantly celebrating new arms deals and national security advancements.
There is no dispute about the fact that the current US policy toward Bahrain lacks any regards to human rights or serious political reforms. In confirming the next ambassador to Bahrain, the US Senate needs assurances that they will prioritize stopping further de-liberalization, protecting civil liberties, and creating real accountability to ensure basic human rights, and as importantly genuine political stability.
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