The elephant of Saudi Arabia appears to have taken action to swat the fly on its back- Bahrain- by sending in an armada of 30 tanks to help strengthen the beleaguered Bahrain government. The Bahrain government has been subjected to two weeks of protests from demonstrators, with no end in sight, demanding the resignation of the government, abdication of the king and democratic constitutional reforms.
Eye witnesses in Saudi Arabia have reported observing 15 tank carriers rolling towards Bahrain, each one carrying two tanks. The Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm is reporting this development in today’s edition of their newspaper.
This latest action is in response to the Bahrain government’s decision on Saturday to withdraw their military vehicles out of Pearl Square, the focal point of the recent protests, after clashes between police and demonstrators led to violence and bloodshed there. The opposition demanded the withdrawal of the military presence as a pre-condition to any talks between the sides.
However, the arrival of the Saudi tanks come on the eve of yet another scheduled rally in Pearl Square, scheduled for Tuesday and organized by the Bahraini opposition and the protesters. The United States was informed by the Saudis that they are prepared to intervene if they view it necessary as a way to protect the embattled Bahrain government.