Bahrain king offers talks to resolve crisis

>MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain's king has offered a national dialogue "with all parties" in a conciliatory move to resolve a crisis that has killed six people since it began and wounded hundreds, rocking the key regional ally of the U.S. More than 60 people were in hospital on Saturday undergoing treatment for wounds sustained when Bahraini security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square on Friday. Members of Wefaq, the main Shi'ite opposition bloc, said one of the wounded was in extremely critical condition.The shootings occurred on a day of mass mourning when Shi'ites buried the four people killed a day earlier in the police raid on the Pearl Square traffic circle.In response to protests against his government that have drawn thousands of people on to the streets, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa said late on Friday the crown prince had been granted "all the powers to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of all gracious citizens from all sections" in the national dialogue.President Barack Obama spoke with the king on Friday evening, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint. Obama said the stability of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Middle East fleet, depended upon respect for the rights of its people, according to the White House.The unrest has presented the United States with a now familiar dilemma in the region.

">MANAMA (Reuters) - Bahrain's king has offered a national dialogue "with all parties" in a conciliatory move to resolve a crisis that has killed six people since it began and wounded hundreds, rocking the key regional ally of the U.S"It is torn between its desire for stability in a long-standing Arab ally and a need to uphold its own principles about the right of people to demonstrate for democratic change."This violence is exactly what the administration and the U.S. want to avoid," said Robert Danin, a Middle East expert at the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations think tank.The crown prince of the non-OPEC minor oil producer, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, appealed on TV for calm. "Today is the time to sit down and hold a dialogue, not to fight," he said.Bahrain's state media appeared to have adopted a softer tone after the conciliatory messages from the king and the crown prince, with TV commentators stressing the need for the Shi'ite and Sunni communities to overcome differences.The unrest in the regional banking hub has shaken foreign confidence in the economy who will be looking for any signs that protesters will take the king's offer seriously.PROTESTERS FEEL SHUT OUTIn 1999, King Hamad enacted a constitution allowing elections for a parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a cabinet led by the king's uncle -- premier for 40 years.Bahrain's Shi'ite Muslims account for about 70 percent of the population which is governed by the Sunni Al Khalifa dynasty. Shi'ites feel cut out of decision-making, as well as from jobs in the army and security forces.British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the reports of soldiers firing on protesters were an "extremely worrying development"."I welcome the proposal of the king of Bahrain that the crown prince should initiate a dialogue between the different communities," he said in a statement. "Bahrain should take further steps on reforms that meet legitimate aspirations for greater social and political freedoms." 1 2 Next World Bahrain Tweet this Share this Link this Digg this Email Reprints.