Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan’s polemical take on politics, economics and foreign affairs

Why is John Yates working for the brutal Bahraini regime?

The former Met commander is defending a blood-stained Middle East tyranny.

By Mehdi Hasan Published 17 April 2012 13:45

Why is John Yates working for the brutal Bahraini regime?

A picture of Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa decorates a tank as armed forces secure Manama's Pearl Square on March 19, 2011 Photograph: Getty Images

Oh dear. What happened to John Yates? How did a suave, sophisticated, liberal British policeman, once tipped for the top job in the Metropolitan Police, end up shilling for a vicious Middle East dictator who shoots, teargasses and tortures unarmed protesters?

“Yates of the Yard”, as he became known during his pursuit of Tony Blair over the cash-for-peerages scandal, was appointed by the king of Bahrain to oversee reform of the country’s security forces late last year.

This was the very same King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who had turned those security forces on his own people when the Arab Spring reached the country’s capital on 14 February, 2011. Protesters had arrived in Manama’s Pearl Square to demand greater political freedom and greater equality for the Shia majority. More than 30 people were killed in the crackdown that followed.

Opposition groups say that Yates, who quit the Met over the phone-hacking scandal, was hired to give the ruling al-Khalifa family a veneer of respectability – and he does seem to have taken to his new role with relish. In February, Yates told the Telegraph that the turmoil in Bahrain wasn’t the result of “organised protests” but “vandalism, rioting on the streets”.

Earlier this month, with human-rights groups calling for the forthcoming Bahrain grand prix to be cancelled, Yates intervened to urge teams to travel to the Gulf kingdom, suggesting that he and his family felt safer in Manama than in London. In a leaked letter, dated 11 April, Yates admitted that there were “nightly skirmishes” but claimed that these were “overplayed” by social media sites sympathetic to the opposition. “I feel completely safe,” he wrote. “Indeed, safer than I have often felt in London.”

Of course, if you’re in charge of security and policing for a brutal, unelected dictator, you do tend to feel quite safe.

Until, that is, the inevitable revolution comes. Then they’re often strung up from the nearest lamppost. If, and let’s cross our fingers here, Bahrain’s al-Khalifah ends up going the way of Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, Yates might well find himself desperately trying to book a seat on the first flight out of Manama.

The former Met commander is a disgrace. To cosy up to News International is one thing; to defend and dissemble on behalf of a blood-stained Middle East tyranny quite another. If Yates really believes Bahrain is “safe” and that the protesters are “vandals”, then perhaps he should venture out of his plush, air-conditioned office inside of the interior ministry in Manama and go and speak with the family of 22-year-old Ahmed Ismail, who bled to death last month after being shot by government loyalists at a rally. Or with the parents of 15-year-old Sayed Hashim, who bled to death on New Year’s Eve after being hit in the neck by a tear gas canister.

Yates was appointed to his post in December 2011; according to a recent report by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, there have been at least 30 documented cases between November 2011 and March 2012 where Bahrainis have died after confrontations with police or security forces. So much for his “reforms”. Yates of theYard has failed. Again.

Tags: John Yates Bahrain

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74 comments

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Tue, 2012-04-24 04:11 — Foxhole Atheist (not verified)

Must drive Mehdi to tears.

Although having heard his tearful performance at Harry's Place I've had enough of his crying to last me for a while.

Or perhaps it's thinking about Ken not being able to turn London into a beacon of islam if Boris is reelected that is causing him to worry.

Sat, 2012-04-21 18:21 — Frederick , (not verified)

Why does Mehdi "non-Moslems live like animals" Hasan work for the brutal islamofascist regime in Tehran and the racist Hamas terror organization.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:48 — temi (not verified)

You use vile disgusting langauage and you think people will be persuaded by your case. You clearly want to incite racial hatred and your comments as such must be reported to the police.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:48 — temi (not verified)

You use vile disgusting langauage and you think people will be persuaded by your case. You clearly want to incite racial hatred and your comments as such must be reported to the police.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:47 — temi (not verified)

You use vile disgusting langauage and you think people will be persuaded by your case. You clearly want to incite racial hatred and your comments as such must be reported to the police.

Fri, 2012-04-20 19:50 — FA

Even at its worst the Bahraini government doesn't come near in its tyrrany to the Syrian regime.

Why no articles on Syria Mehdi?

Yet you have found time for a couple of articles on Israeli this year.

Sun, 2012-04-22 13:43 — Olijaan

Sorry, but Mehdi has indeed found time for several articles on Syria recently - on this site, in which he deplores the actions of the Assad regime: http://www.newstatesman.com/node/183915
and in the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/11/syria-opposition-ass...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/19/syria-us-ally-human-...
and: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/10/syria-five-options

As for the comment by Julia below mine, you'll find a whole array of NS Syria articles right here: http://www.newstatesman.com/subjects/Syria

It might not be such a bad idea to spend all of, oh, two minutes checking before coming out with these assertions.

Sun, 2012-04-22 09:51 — Julia Harris

Yes its a point I have raised, no article on Syria from anyone for ages here....really telling about the editorial team.

Show's his support for the Shiites and Hate for anything Sunni or Israeli, no fair or honest reporting here...just bias and slanted.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:50 — pano (not verified)

I see you are up to your usual wacko jewish zionist datribes. Sooner or later Israel will have to answer for its crimes. See Julia Harris twitter account where she he describes herself as zionist and and an Islamaphobe.

Thu, 2012-04-26 13:06 — Julia__Harris (not verified)

Not as an Islamaphobe's, as an Anti Jihadist. I do not condone violence, unlike the Islamic Jihads's and suicidal lefties.

Sun, 2012-04-22 09:51 — Julia Harris

Yes its a point I have raised, no artcile on Syria from anyone for ages here....really telling about the editorial team.

Show's his support for the Shiites and Hate for anything Sunni or Israeli, no fair or honest reporting here...just bias and slanted.

Fri, 2012-04-20 17:33 — toffer99 (not verified)

Why is John Yates working for the brutal Bahraini regime?
FOR THE MONEY.

Fri, 2012-04-20 13:59 — Robboid (not verified)

Yates. Ecclestone. Bahraini Royal Family. Common denominator apart from greed? Tony Blair.

Thu, 2012-04-19 14:03 — hugh markey (not verified)

Surely John Yates cannot have embraced the Islamic faith. Some claim he is a renegade crusader; others a genuine Mumluk.
Definitely not an Israeli pawn or an efffing F1 speedster.

Bernie

Thu, 2012-04-19 00:14 — Dr. Wom Bhatt (not verified)

It's glaringly obvious to anyone who is a student of History ( even as it is told by the victors ) that Establishment Britain is a long term exporter of personnel who specialise in bringing order ( i.e suppressing opponents of the establishment ) to foreign sites ( and local ones ) whilst pretending everything is "pukka" and "above board". Check out http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/18/britain-destroyed-records-colon... and http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2012/03/police-protest-me.... Follow the money folks.

Wed, 2012-04-18 23:27 — Tussant (not verified)

Why does Mehdi "non-Moslems live like animals" Hasan support the islamofascist , women stoning, Gay hanging , racist anti-Semitic regime in Tehran?

Wed, 2012-07-04 08:32 — graciemay

why are you using a different username to post the same vile and disgusting comment?

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Tue, 2012-04-24 11:52 — pano (not verified)

Tusant, frederick coleridge ar all the same person who post on several threads spouting the usual racist nonsense. They are still living in the dark ages when it comes to their views on Israel!!!!

Thu, 2012-04-19 01:11 — Go GG (not verified)

Apart from the four letters in the name, what do you know about Iran? really? My guess is next to nothing, and I reckon it's a damn good guess too!

Wed, 2012-04-18 22:45 — mbrecker (not verified)

One response would be to start economic sanctions against Bahrain. This of course means dealing with US, UK and others vetoing these in the UN. Trying to get the MSM to give you the time of day. Also, dealing with trying to get public support for this when many are struggling to find work and not be homeless.

Get past all of those and THEN some change might happen. Until then, it's the usual try to speak out and the Powers that Be will beat you down.

Wed, 2012-04-18 20:43 — Julia Harris

Brutal regimes and people everywhere in the middle east, can you blame Israel for taking a strong stance against these wicked, evil and genocidal leaders? Look at Egypt, the fall of Mubarak, but the likely instigation of an even worse Islamic leadership and theocracy that will mean even less freedom for the people, less human rights, less connectivity with democracy and progress and more focus on a return to a medieval set of rules and beliefs.

But these same wicked regimes that have spn there 'hate Israel' narrative is a trusted view by the left when in reality it is another facet of there tyrannical leaderships. The left needs to wake up and reassess its cosy relationship with any of the Arab regimes until there are real and honest democracy's that really want peace, are really accountable to the people and not led by religious doctrine that is backward and evil.

Mehdi Hassan once again focus's his indignation at a Sunni Arabs but is silent regarding the the great humanitarian regimes of Syria, Iran, Hezbollah - Lebanon, Hamas etc with links the Shiite Islam.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:55 — tanya (not verified)

Israel and Bahrain are one and the same thing when it comes to brutal suppression. The idea that Israel is some beacon of democracy is just plain absurd. Sooner or later the US will tire of Israel and Israel will be forced to come to the negoitating table. Julia suffers from notions of delusion where she thinks that Israel can do no wirng. In the words of Mandela and Tutu, Israel is worse than aparthed South Africa.!!!

Sat, 2012-04-21 13:13 — R Harris (not verified)

TO my grate shame I share a surname with a semi-literate cavewoman (or maybe cava-woman) since most of her writing seems to involve more than simple typos and horrendous racial superiority.

I don't think that decent people should spend too much time debating with a person who not only thinks that Israel is the best type of government in the world, but who thinks that the plural of democracy is democracy'sand that the third person singular of the verb to focus is focus's. All these grocers' plurals. My goodness. Is she writing her verbal spew from a falafel stand in occupied Ariel?

The litany after litany of sheer ignorance and prejudice, the horrendous mis-spellings, and the abhorrent political thoughts expressed - all these make one read her demented rants for the simple reason that Stalin seems to have been reincarnated.

Sat, 2012-04-21 22:20 — Go GG (not verified)

Re: R Harris
A normal, civilised Harris at last!!!
Ps. sorry there are illiterate, racist morons in this world that share your name ,but it's obvious who shines through.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:59 — tanya (not verified)

The idea that julia harris presents a civilised narrative is insulting to all civilised people. SHe is a die hard israel fanatic whose views are racist and bigoted.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:58 — tanya (not verified)

The idea that julia harris presents a civilised narrative is insulting to all civilised people. SHe is a die hard israel fanatic whose views are racist and bigoted.

Tue, 2012-04-24 11:58 — tanya (not verified)

The idea that julia harris presents a civilised narrative is insulting to all civilised people. SHe is a die hard israel fanatic whose views are racist and bigoted.

Sat, 2012-04-21 23:15 — Julia Harris

Bugger off and get a room...or is that Get a room and then bugger off...

Sat, 2012-04-21 23:46 — Go GG (not verified)

I don't need to get a room, I have a house. I'd like to wish you luck in your persuit of purchasing a trailer.

Sat, 2012-04-21 20:47 — Julia Harris

Great f**king intellect you are, 3 paragraphs off Insults with nothing to say to any substance, this is coupled with several other previous long winded posts, again with just insults.

If I saw someone with diametrically opposed views to me, like an Jihadi or a genocidal lefty - as I often do on the NS, I debate them, I put an argument forward and try to discuss.

This form of insulting game is boring, idiotic and shows who the numskull is.

Tue, 2012-04-24 12:02 — tanya (not verified)

Julia Harris does not understand the meaning of debate. She has these fixed ideas about Israel and sees nothing wrong in demonising , racially insulting and abusing others who do nto share her world view.

Tue, 2012-04-24 12:02 — tanya (not verified)

Tue, 2012-04-24 12:01 — tanya (not verified)

Sat, 2012-04-21 13:12 — R Harris (not verified)

TO my grate shame I share a surname with a semi-literate cavewoman (or maybe cava-woman) since most of her writing seems to involve more than simple typos and horrendous racial superiority.

Sat, 2012-04-21 13:14 — R Harris (not verified)

Oh the shame of it. Grate shame should be "great shame"

Thu, 2012-04-19 01:01 — Go GG (not verified)

BULLOCKS... Julia you are an Israeli racist moron and everyone's figured that by now. If I had to count Israel as a legal, ligitimate state in the ME, then it would certainly be the most murderous, theiving, terrorist state in the ME. I think a confused lunatic like you typifies perfectly a fucked-up state you and your fellow criminals call Israel. There's only one real threat to world peace, and that's 'Israel' and idiots like you. Full stop.

Sat, 2012-04-21 18:16 — Frederick , (not verified)

Go GG may I suggest that you return to your native racist apartheid Pakistan and stone some of your hideous women to death.

Sat, 2012-04-21 18:16 — Frederick , (not verified)

Go GG may I suggest that you return to your native racist apartheid Pakistan and stone some of your hideous women to death.

Sat, 2012-04-21 18:15 — Frederick , (not verified)

Go GG may I suggest that you return to your native racist apartheid Pakistan and stone some of your hideous women to death.

Sat, 2012-04-21 18:15 — Frederick , (not verified)

Go GG may I suggest that you return to your native racist apartheid Pakistan and stone some of your hideous women to death.