The proxy struggle between the United States and Iran has spread to Bahrain. But this Cold War ignores the silent understanding the two rivals have forged against a common enemy in Afghanistan.
Regions / Bahrain
Just how American bullets make their way into Bahraini guns, into weapons used by troops suppressing pro-democracy protesters, opens a wider window into the shadowy relationships between the Pentagon and a number of autocratic states in the Arab world.
The non-violent pro-democracy struggle in Bahrain has failed to gain support from the Obama administration.
Recent elections in Bahrain and Egypt reflect a growing tendency among Islamist groups to turn away from the disruptive and toward the democratic.