National Guard (Bahrain)

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National Guard
الحرس الوطني

National Guard Insignia
Founded 1997
Country Bahrain
Allegiance Bahrain
Branch Army
Type Land Force
Role Land warfare
Size 2,000
Part of King of Bahrain
Garrison/HQ Manama, Bahrain
Engagements Bahraini uprising (2011–present)
Commanders
Commander Major-General Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa
Insignia
National Guard flag

The National Guard of Bahrain (Arabic: الحرس الوطني‎) is a separate military force in Bahrain that serves both as defence force against external threats and as a security force against internal threats. It was established in 1997, through a royal decree by then Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa.[1]

External images
Photo showing members of the Bahraini National Guard arrest Wall Street Journal reporter Alex Delmar-Morgan as he walks towards Pearl Square on March 16, 2011 from the Daily Mail, March 17, 2011

The National Guard is currently commanded by Major-General Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa, brother of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.[2][3] It consists of about 2,000 personnel.[4]

The National Guard has been involved in the Bahrain government's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters during the Bahraini uprising.[5]

The National Guard consists of many non-Bahraini personnel, and during the Bahraini uprising recruited heavily from Pakistan through the Fauji Foundation.[6][7][8][9]

References

  1. ↑ "Decree No 1 of the Year 1997 on the Establishment and Formation of the National Guard". Official Gazette of the Kingdom of Bahrain. 7 January 1997. 
  2. ↑ Monroe, William (2007-04-09). Prominent Shias Paint Gloomy Picture of Shia Outlook in Bahrain. WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks cable:07MANAMA328. Retrieved 2011-09-06. 
  3. ↑ "HM King Hamad Visits the National Guard". Bahrain News Agency. 3 March 2011. 
  4. ↑ "Bahrain". The 2011 US Department of State Background Notes. United States Department of State. Retrieved 2 March 2012. "Bahrain also has a national guard that consists of about 2,000 personnel." 
  5. ↑ "Bahrain Defence Force General Command". Bahrain News Agency. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011. 
  6. ↑ "Pakistani troops aid Bahrain's crackdown". Aljazeera.com. 30 July 2011. 
  7. ↑ "Overseas Employment Services: Fauji Foundation headhunts for Bahrain’s security units". The Express Tribune. 11 March 2011. 
  8. ↑ Riedel, Bruce (2 August 2011). "The New Bahrain-Pakistan Alliance". The National Interest. 
  9. ↑ "Bahrain's Foreign Police Add to Tensions". The Wall Street Journal. 25 March 2011. 
Security forces of Bahrain
Bahrain Defence Force
Ministry of Interior (MOI)
Multilateral (GCC)
Other
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