Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The American "New York Times" newspaper said that the Obama administration's decision issued on Monday, June 29, 2015, with regards to lifting the ban on security assistance will not include Bahrain's Interior Ministry. In a report issued on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, it stated that "this move will allow the United States to provide antitank missiles, Humvees, ammunition and small arms to Bahrain's military and National Guard." It; however, stressed that "The United States is still maintaining its hold on equipment for the Interior Ministry, which is involved in internal security, which was imposed after the nation's crackdown on demonstrators in 2011."

According to information published by the "Daily Tech" website, the US had already decided to get rid of the "Humvee" four wheel vehicle design, which is included in the ban lift based on the new decision and which Bahrain was supposed to receive, since 2010 due to some defects in the design. The website clarified that the "Humvee vehicle was not designed from the outset to be an armored vehicle leading to survivability issues in combat situations (i.e., roadside bombings)," adding that "the vehicle believed to be replacing the Humvee is called Joint Light Tactical Vehicle of JLTV. The JLTV is a new vehicle that is being developed by multiple branches of the military including the Army and Marine Corps". The website also stressed that "the JLTV has been designed from the outset with multiple variants to meet the needs of various missions."

The US State Department has announced in a statement on Monday, June 29, 2015 that it decided to lift the holds on arms exports to the Bahrain Defense Force and National Guard.

Meanwhile, Saudi cables leaked by the "WikiLeaks" website disclosed that Saudi Arabia launched a vast diplomatic campaign on the international level to lift the arms embargo imposed on Bahrain by the US and other countries.

For its part, Human Rights Watch criticized this move, pointing out in a statement that "Bahrain has continued its campaign to eliminate other dissent figures, including the Secretary-General of Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, Sheikh Ali Salman, who has been recently sentenced to prison."

The US congressman, representing the Democratic Party and chairman of Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Jim McGovern, described the US State Department's decision as a "dangerous step backward for human rights".

"The renewal of US military aid sadly demonstrates, once again, how so-called national security interests continue to trump human rights," McGovern further stated in his statement issued on Monday, stressing that "if America is truly committed to supporting open and democratic societies, it must hold Bahrain accountable."

The Arabic Issue