By Andrew Quinn and Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON | Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:04pm EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States urged Bahrain's government on Thursday to show restraint amid deepening concern over unrest in the country, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and a strategic ally on oil supply lines from the Gulf.
As anti-government protests rock the Middle East, the White House, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Pentagon all urged Bahrain's leaders to pull back after police attacked demonstrators in the Gulf kingdom's worst violence in decades.
Clinton said she expressed her "deep concern" in a telephone call with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa and emphasized that violence should not occur on Friday, when many in Bahrain may attend funerals of those killed or prayer services.
"Bahrain is a friend and an ally and has been for many years," Clinton told reporters. "We call on restraint from the government, (and) to keep its commitment to hold accountable those who have utilized excessive force."
Clinton, who has called on Arab leaders to heed the complaints of their citizens, said Bahrain's leaders should do the same and implement promised democratic reforms.
"We urge a return to a process that will result in real, meaningful changes for the people there," she said.
The turmoil in Bahrain presents Washington with a dilemma, not least because the island nation has long been the base of the U.S. Fifth Fleet responsible for operations in the Gulf, the Arabian Sea and east Africa, and covering hot spots including Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran and Yemen.
U.S. concern grows over Bahrain, a key Gulf ally | Reuters