WH Engages Bahrain On Reform

The "Wall Street Journal" reports:

President Barack Obama met quietly with the crown prince of Bahrain on Tuesday to press the royal family to investigate alleged human-rights abuses by its security forces, said senior U.S. officials.

By meeting Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, albeit only briefly and without cameras present, Mr. Obama sought to reinforce his position among the prince's royal relatives while not appearing to endorse Bahrain's continuing crackdown on political opponents, according to these officials.

Prince Salman is seen in Washington as the most open to political liberalization among Bahrain's royal rulers, but he has been weakened politically since the antigovernment uprising began in March.

"To create the conditions for a successful dialogue, the president emphasized the importance of following through on the government's commitment to ensuring that those responsible for human-rights abuses will be held accountable," the White House said after the meeting.

The White House said the meeting was "productive."