not worth the paper it’s printed on

“U.S. Objects to ‘Excessive Force’ in Bahrain”

This means nothing to me. Defense Secretary Gates was in Bahrain, and the next day the Saudi Army entered the country. Gates must have been told this would happen, or the U.S. would have felt sucker-punched and would have said something far more strident.

The “excessive force” might have occurred anyway even if the Saudis weren’t in the country, but their presence at least seems to have given additional self-confidence to the government in doing whatever they please.

So, we’ve sold out the Bahrain protestors.