CRS Report for Congress: Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

The uprising that began in Bahrain on February 14, 2011, at the outbreak of the uprisings that
swept several Middle Eastern leaders from power, began a political crisis that has defied
resolution. The crisis since 2011 has been more intense than previous periods of unrest in Bahrain
and demonstrates that the grievances of the Shiite majority over the distribution of power and
economic opportunities were not satisfied by reform efforts instituted during 1999-2010 or since
the uprising began. The bulk of the Shiite majority in Bahrain says it demands a constitutional
monarchy in which an elected parliament produces the government, but many in the Sunni
minority government of the Al Khalifa family believe the Shiites want outright rule.