Saudi Troops Send 3,500 Troops to Bahrain

Demonstrators who have seized control of key points in Manama the capital of Bahrain.

The response of a National Guard brigade, a mechanized brigade of the Saudi army and a tank battalion with 3,500 troops. The force consists of a six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to guard Bahrain’s oil facilities.

The Shiite opposition demonstrators in Bahrain denounced the entry of foreign troops into Bahrain as an “occupation” and “conspiracy” against unarmed civilians. Demonstrators have appealed to the United Nations to take action.

Manama is a financial hub for the Persian Gulf region and a center of Islamic banking. There is also a large retail sector in the shopping malls around Seef, while the center of Manama is dominated by small workshops and traders.

Protesters began February 14, 2011 as a day of protest to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter.