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After five weeks of protest in the small kingdom of Bahrain its ruling monarchy unleashed a violent crackdown this week with the help of Saudi military forces. On Monday 1000 Saudi troops traveled 16 miles West to cross the border with Bahrain in a caravan of tanks. The upbeat Saudis waved at television cameras and flashed the peace sign. On Tuesday Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa declared a three-month state of emergency and ordered protesters to leave their encampment at the Pearl Roundabout in Bahrain’s capital. Yesterday Saudi forces used tear gas and shot-guns loaded with buck-shot, along with tanks and aerial support from helicopters, to disperse unarmed Bahraini protesters. At least two civilians and two police died in the chaos, with dozens more injured. The United States has issued calls for Bahrain’s leadership to act with restraint, but it has not yet issued a condemnation of the violence perpetrated by its two allies. Saudi Arabia’s military support to suppress Bahrain’s uprising spurred demonstrations its own country yesterday. Despite an official ban on demonstrations, Saudis gathered the in the cities of al-Qatif and Awwamiya, and no violence was reported. Writing for the Guardian Tahiyya Lulu described the current stance of Bahrain’s ruling regime as, “Speak Softly While Bringing Big Guns In.” Publicly, the regime has asked for calm, and urged dialogue and negotiations while stepping up the use of violence against the opposition.

GUEST: Toby C Jones, assistant professor of history at Rutgers University and author of the book “Desert Kingdom: How Oil and Water Forged Modern Saudi Arabia.”