POMED Notes: SFRC: Nomination Hearing for Ambassador to Bahrain

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a hearing to present Ambassador-designate to the Kingdom of Bahrain The Honorable Thomas C. Krajeski, Ambassador-designate to Luxembourg Robert A. Mandell, Ambassador-designate to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh The Honorable Dan W. Mozena, and the nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Michael A. Hammer. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) presided over the hearing, and John Barrasso (R-WY) and James Risch (R-ID) were present for opening remarks. The full text of Krajeski’s opening statement is available here. Or, click here for a full video of the hearing.

For full event notes, continue reading. Or, click here for the PDF.

Shaheen began the proceedings by offering introductions and background information relevant to each of the countries and positions to be discussed. In Shaheen’s introduction to Bahrain, she noted that the country is a “long-time U.S. ally in a very difficult neighborhood,” which “shares a wide range of regional security interests with the United States.” She added that “today, our bilateral relationship is at a pivotal point as Bahrain struggles in the face of ongoing protests linked to the Arab Spring.” Shaheen also mentioned the government response to popular uprisings, including the imposition of a state of emergency as well as the invitation of military intervention from Gulf countries, and declared that “mass arrests and brute force” by the government of Bahrain are at odds with the rights of its citizens. “Continued protests, detentions, and arrests have reduced prospects for a sustainable political solution in Bahrain,” Shaheen said. She concluded her opening remarks on Bahrain by expressing the committee’s interest in the hearing as “how the administration intends to follow up” on President Barack Obama‘s statement on May 19^th that “you cannot have a real dialogue when parts of the peaceful opposition are in jail.” Shaheen stated that the committee also hoped to hear from Krajeski on his plans for how the U.S. will help to foster “real dialogue and a peaceful solution for all of Bahrain’s citizens.”

After an opening statement from Mandell, Shaheen introduced Ambassador Thomas Krajeski, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and former Ambassador to Yemen who has served in embassies in Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq. Krajeski was awarded the Presidential Distinguished Honor Award for his service in Iraq and Yemen. Krajeski then presented his prepared remarks, in which he affirmed his belief that continuing the U.S.’s regional security partnership with Bahrain and “supporting reforms that meet the needs and aspirations of Bahrain’s citizens” are two priorities that are “mutually reinforcing.” He also stated that during the government crackdown, “there were many credible reports of serious human rights abuses by security forces.” He commended the National Dialogue and the King’s implementation of its recommended reforms as “important first steps in bringing together Bahrainis from across ideological and sectarian lines.”  He also noted he expected the Government of Bahrain to “give serious consideration” to the actions recommended by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry’s report due at the end of October.  Krajeski concluded his opening statement by noting that one of his “top priorities will be to advance the process of democratic and economic reform,” which “will strengthen Bahrain and strengthen our partnership.”

Shaheen delved into the question and answer session by asking Krajeski his thoughts on why, given Krajeski’s praise of Bahrain’s history of reform, the Bahraini government has reacted so strongly during its crackdown on recent protests, and why the government has not responded in a way that indicates “more flexibility and appreciation for some of the issues that were being raised by the protesters.” Krajeski responded by elaborating on King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa‘s history of opening the political sphere and engaging civil society since 1999. He added that given this legacy of relative responsiveness to calls for change, the government’s reaction to the protests was “all the more shocking.” Krajeski added that during protests in February and March “the situation got out of hand, and the government overreacted.” He vowed, if confirmed, to continue the official U.S. criticism of such reactions “where criticism is warranted,” and that he would urge the government to continue the National Dialogue while monitoring its response to the findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and implementation of its recommended actions.

Shaheen followed with a question about how the National Dialogue has been received within Bahrain, and whether it had “included prominent members of the opposition who were raising concerns during the demonstrations.” Krajeski responded that at the outset, the National Dialogue invited representatives “from all factions of society, including representatives of the major and minor opposition parties.” However, during the conference, he added, “the major opposition group called al-Wefaq decided to withdraw. We think that was a mistake, we urged them to remain and we urge them to continue to participate in what we hope will be future efforts to bring political society together again.” In regards to the strength of the security relationship with Bahrain, and how the Bahraini people feel about the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in light of recent protests, Krajeski responded that both governments realize the value of the security relationship, and it would be one of his top priorities to strengthen a security relationship that has been in place since 1947.  He also affirmed that even during the height of protests, “America was not an issue” for protesters.

With regards to Shaheen’s question of Iran’s influence over the political unrest in Bahrain, Krajeski emphasized that the protests were “clearly begun by Bahrainis who were expressing their right to gather, to express their views.” He added, “We saw no evidence of Iranian instigation. However, we’re concerned about Iranian exploitation.” Krajeski asserted that if confirmed as ambassador, one of his priorities would be to “encourage the continuation of a national dialogue,” and urge “all parties to participate.” He plans to accomplish this effort by partnering with Bahraini human rights organizations, women’s organizations, and other civil society groups in addition to official government outlets, and continue and increase the work of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) in Bahrain.

Finally, Michael Hammer discussed the State Department’s initiatives to launch diplomacy efforts through social media platforms, including nine new foreign language Twitter feeds, in an attempt to “be part of the conversation that is taking place around the globe.” Hammer also mentioned the importance of the role of youth partaking in the Arab Spring, as well as that of the many diaspora communities in the United States.