Why is US backing force in Libya but not Bahrain, Yemen?

By Andrew North

What’s the difference between Libya and Yemen or Bahrain?

All three states have been using violence to crush pro-democracy protests.

But only against Libya are the US and its Western allies planning a military response.

Yemen and Bahrain’s crackdowns have so far been met only with words, not action.

On one level the answer is obvious.

Bahrain and Yemen are US allies – especially Bahrain with its large US naval base. Libya is not.

The US response to Bahrain is further complicated by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, Washington’s number one Arab ally.

Sunni ‘red line’

The Saudis were not happy to see Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak go.

Losing the Sunni monarchy in its neighbour is a red line – that’s why it took the unprecedented step of sending 1,000 troops over the border into Bahrain, after which the crackdown began.

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