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Kingdom, Greeting Gulf Soldiers, Is Seen as New Front on Sunni-Shiite Divide

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Kendall Harmon

The tiny Island of Bahrain could become a battleground for regional influence between two historical rivals””with Saudi Arabia backing Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy, and Iran supporting the Shiite opposition.

A coalition of about 2,000 soldiers deployed by Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf states, part of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, rolled into Bahrain’s capital Monday to help restore order and save a government challenged by an opposition seeking an end to the monarchy. It was the first time Gulf countries deployed troops to an Arab nation to settle an internal dispute.

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Posted in * Culture-Watch, * Economics, Politics, * International News & Commentary, Asia, Bahrain, Defense, National Security, Military, Foreign Relations, Iran, Middle East, Religion & Culture, Saudi Arabia