Bahrain Follow-Up: Humpty Dumpty and the Regime's Friends in the US Congress

See also Bahrain Propaganda Special: Introducing the Regime's Best Friends in the US Congress

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Congress Staff with Bahrain Minister of JusticeYesterday we posted the feature, "Introducing the Regime's Best Friends in the US Congress", detailing the current trip by four American legislators to the kingdom and asking questions about the lobbyists, organisations, and finance behind the visit.

Now Stephen Koff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds information and more mystery:

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge is in Bahrain for what her office calls a cultural affairs trip, although she is visiting a nation still criticized in the West for its violent crackdown of the Arab Spring protest movement last year....

Critics say the Bahraini government still commits human rights abuses, using tear gas and, according to some reports, rubber bullets against protesters seeking democratic reforms.

Asked about this topic, Fudge's office told The Plain Dealer it could not address it now but can ask upon the congresswoman's return.

While we await Congresswoman Fudge's explanation, Koff adds more to consider about the backers of the trip:

The trip, which began Saturday and ends tomorrow, is sponsored by the Humpty Dumpty Institute. The Institute says on its website that it tries to find unique solutions to humanitarian problems. Attempts to reach a Humpty Dumpty Institute executive traveling with the delegation were unsuccessful.

Nothing on the Institute's homepage indicates any interest in Bahrain, but if you dig a bit, interesting connections emerge. Indeed, one of the same Congressional trips that we noted in our Tuesday feature, linked to the sudden creation and emergence of the Bahrain American Council, also appear on Humpty Dumpty. And this time there is a clear reference to the backing, if not the money, of the US Government:

On Saturday October 14th, the Humpty Dumpty Institute departed Washington, D.C. with a Congressional Delegation to Manama, Bahrain. The trip was the first program under the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States within the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. This MOU allows the Kingdom of Bahrain to initiate programs which will develop broader interchanges in the areas of culture, government, and trade between the United States and Bahrain. Congressman Donald Payne, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega traveled to Bahrain accompanied by Congressional staffers (see participant list) to see firsthand the current state of affairs as Bahrain undertakes political and social reforms (see photos).

In December, it was Congressional staff visiting the Kingdom:

The official program began on the morning of December 19th when the delegation was briefed on the importance of a continued strong U.S./Bahrain relationship by U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Thomas Krajeski....The delegation then traveled to the Headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet based in Juffeir, Manama, Bahrain. Deputy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette detailed the activities of U.S. forces based in Bahrain and the Fleet’s crucial role in protecting U.S. interests and maintaining stability in the Arabian Gulf and the entire Middle East....After leaving Juffeir, the delegation visited the Bahrain World Trade Center where Diyar Al Muharraq has its offices overlooking the city of Manama. Yousif Althawadi, Diyar’s Chief Operating Officer, gave a presentation on the master plan of Diyar’s enormous project....Tuesday, December 20th began with a meeting with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, Mr. Said Alfaihani. The Undersecretary assured the delegation that his Ministry was taking very seriously reports of human rights abuses detailed in the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission Inquiry which was recently released....On the final day of the delegation’s stay in Bahrain, the participants met with both the Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, H.E. Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa and the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulla Abdulatif Abdulla. The Minister presented Bahrain’s case as the most religiously tolerant nation in the Middle East where Sunni, Shia, Jews, Christians, and Hindus all have freedom of worship and assembly.

Upon departure, many participants in this delegation expressed their view that they now have a better understanding of the actual situation in Bahrain and will be better prepared to help shape U.S. policy towards this key ally.

To be fair, the Humpty Dumpty press releases also mention meetings with the opposition, including the leading society Al Wefaq and the General Federation of Workers Trade Unions. These sentences, however, are a brief annex, with no indication of how the Congressional delegations acted on the expressed "desire to see reform in the political system" and "help in obtaining reinstatement for employees dismissed during the demonstrations".

Back to Representative Fudge. There is a provocative note at the end of the Plain Dealer which indicates that politics moves in mysterious ways. While "Fudge has not been a frequent congressional traveler", her record is not necessarily that of lobby- and institute-backed trips to regimes allied to the US: "In 2009, she went to Cuba and met with Raul Castro."