MANAMA: Bahrain's king declared a three-month state of emergency Tuesday to quell unrest as clashes spread through the capital and surrounding villages. At least two Bahrainis died and hundreds of protesters were injured by shotgun blasts and clubs. A force of more than 1,000 Saudi-led troops expanded to defend the regime; Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah denounced the presence of foreign soldiers; and Washington feared for its main naval base in the Gulf. Neighboring Iran condemned the arrival of Saudi and Emirati troops to help put down the protests, prompting Manama to recall its ambassador. Thousands of protesters marched to the Saudi embassy, chanting slogans and vowing to defend the country from the “occupation” forces. Police and foreign forces were nowhere to be seen there, witnesses said. State television interrupted normal programs to announce a three-month state of emergency in the strategic Gulf state, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet and hosts major international banks and financial institutions. “The Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force has been mandated to take the measures and procedures necessary to preserve the safety of the nation and its people,” it said, adding that “other forces” could also be used if necessary. Armored troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had earlier rolled across the causeway from Saudi's Eastern Province to help Manama tackle pro-democracy protests. The Saudi government said it had responded to a call for help from its neighbor under a mutual defense pact of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council. But Iran said the military intervention was unacceptable. “The people of Bahrain have demands, which are legitimate and are being expressed peacefully,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in Tehran.“Any violence in response to these legitimate demands should be stopped.” Bahrain immediately rejected Iran's objection and the state news agency said the kingdom had decided to “immediately recall” its ambassador in Tehran. The United States warned Gulf states to respect the rights of the Bahraini people, but said the entry of foreign troops was “not an invasion.” National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said “we call for calm and restraint on all sides. We are particularly concerned by the increasing reports of provocative acts and sectarian violence by all groups.” A US official said visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal from Cairo, where she was on the first leg of a North African tour, to express her deep concern about the violence and potential for escalation. She “urged restraint and stressed that the only durable solution is a credible political process, not a military one,” the official said. Meanwhile, a gang armed with clubs and butchers knives attacked the printing press of Bahrain's only opposition newspaper Al-Wasat. Despite some reports that the protesters planned to reopen a main thoroughfare to Bahrain's financial district at dawn, metal barricades and piles of sand and rocks still blocked the road. Mansoor Al-Jamri, Al-Wasat Editor, said mobs stormed the paper's printing facilities and smashed equipment with metal pipes, clubs and axes.
