Thursday, February 17, 2011
Britain in Bahrain posted by Richard Seymour
"The secret police – the Bahrain national security agency, known in Arabic as the Mukhabarat – has undergone a process of "Bahrainisation" in recent years after being dominated by the British until long after independence in 1971. Ian Henderson, who retired as its director in 1998, is still remembered as the "Butcher of Bahrain" because of his alleged use of torture. A Jordanian official is currently described as the organisation's "master torturer"."Labels: bahrain, british empire, counterinsurgency, middle east, revolution, torture