CHRISTOPHER DAVIDSON
A scholar in Middle East politics at Durham University, Davidson said today: “What is happening is an invasion and occupation of Bahrain by Saudi Arabia under the guise of the Gulf Cooperation Council. This is done at the request of the regime in Bahrain to put down the pro-democracy movement there. …

“The Bahraini regime has also been advertising in the Pakistani press for mercenaries to fight in Bahrain.

“The Saudis owe a huge debt to Gaddafi. He has kept the spotlight away from them and has in effect raised the bar for the amount of violence regimes can inflict on their people.”

Davidson’s books include Power and Politics in the Persian Gulf Monarchies and he recently wrote the piece “Lords of the Realm: The wealthy, unaccountable monarchs of the Persian Gulf have long thought themselves exempt from Middle East turmoil. No longer.” On Twitter: @dr_davidson

REEM KHALIFA
Khalifa is senior editor for diplomatic affairs at Al Wasat in Bahrain, one of the few independent media outlets in Bahrain. She said today: “The protests were an internal issue. It is not legitimate for any other GCC country to come into Bahrain. The government says it wants dialogue, but through the state TV attacks reformers, protesters and independent media — and pushes this sectarian thinking that is dividing people.”

HUSAIN ABDULLA
Abdulla is director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. He said today: “Saudi Arabia invading Bahrain is as if France or Italy or some other outside power invaded Libya — ON BEHALF OF GADDAFI.”

TOBY C. JONES
Jones is an assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia. He is regularly in touch with people in Bahrain. He said today: “This is an effort on the part of the Saudis to bring Bahrain from the tipping point. But the outcome will likely be the opposite — this is a provocation.”

See video of Bahraini government forces shooting at a protester face to face: youtube.com

On Twitter: @OnlineBahrain

For more online resources: accuracy.org/uprisings

Ad for mercenaries by Bahrani government on Pakistani webpage: faujioes.org.pk

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167