B IS FOR BAHRAIN, BLOODY, AND BAD

One of the Middle East's more repulsive regimes is that of Bahrain. it, along with Saudi Arabia, is reputed to be funding the utterly ruthless ISIS...that's the ones that Dave now thinks he wants to go to war with. Incidentally that's interesting becasue the last time he wanted to go to war in Syria it was against Assad, who is currently fighting ISIS. 

Needless to say, alongside the royal family of Saudi, the royals of Bahrain are close friends of the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas and the PM (prime minister, or pig man if you prefer).

This short video (90 seconds) summarises the relationship between the Brits and the Bahrainis. 

Apparently they are incredibly rich and buy vast amounts of arms from us, but rarely seem to use them for anything except putting down their own people... Plenty spare to be giving to ISIS then?

Incidentally, if you're confused about which side the UK is on, or should be on, or may end up on, then the Rev Stuart's piece here may (or may not) help you to make up your mind. 

It won't make any difference, of course, what you think, or even what Dave thinks, because the UK will be on the side that Mr Obama decides it is on.
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Update: Some more news about the people we do business with.

YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE BY THE COMPANY THEY KEEP

Almost unbelievably the Queen has invited the King of Bahrain to lunch with her during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He has also been invited to a champagne reception, hosted by Charles, at Buckingham Palace the night before the lunch.


Despite the king's regime's regrettable propensity for killing and torturing its own people it seems he is a great friend of the royal family of these islands, and of the current incumbent of Downing Street.


William invited the king to his wedding; an invitation which was turned down (perhaps because old kingy had some peasants to torture), saving him some embarrassment. It had been made clear that protesters would try to ruin the man's visit (with the inevitable additional consequence of spoiling Willy's day).


Additionally Edward and his unpleasant wife, in a singularly inappropriate trip, went out to Bahrain to visit the king at the end of 2011. Sophie was given a lavish range of jewellery, which as it was an official visit should now be the property of all of us. She has been urged to return the gifts.


Apparently every crowned head in the world is to be invited to lunch at Windsor on May 18. (Just as well we are rich...can you imagine how much this is all going to cost?) The Queen thinks it would be impolite to leave anyone out. She obviously doesn't think it particularly impolite of the king to allow the killing of his countrymen, or the imprisoning and torture not just of those who protested against his despotic rule, but those doctors who went to their aid.

But the royals are not the only ones who do business with  Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Oh no.  Cameron is tight with him too. Indeed this government has authorised £2.2 million worth of arms to the tiny country, presumably the better to kill and torture the people.


Now I know that to call this British government, and the last one, and many before, two faced, would be an undeserved compliment... but I distinctly remember that smarmy git Cameron saying that the reason we had to go to war with Libya was not because Mr Obama told us to, nor because Sarko was going to do it and Cameron didn't want him to steel a match with the boss. No no no, it was rather that we simply couldn't have a dictator killing his own people.


Now I don't buy that in any way shape or form. There are dictators all over the world who kill their own people. (Indeed I'm not in the least certain that London doesn't do it.) And we deal with most of them.


But what is the difference between Bahrain's semi human monster of a dictator and the Libyan one... after all they both have (or had) oil (unlike the poor Syrian people who can forget it, as there is nothing to be gained for BP and its likes)?


Well, there are two differences: Firstly Gadaffi was a common little man, whereas the king is royal; and secondly, he's a very close friend of the king of Saudi Arabia.

I trust that old Hamad will be made as welcome as he would have been at Willy's nuptials. Sorry to spoil your lunch Liz, but if you will invite that kind of scum...what do you expect.