A military force from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations moved into Bahrain Monday to shore up the nation’s Sunni rulers in the face of escalating Shiite-led protests seeking to break the monarchy’s hold on power.

Bahrain’s main opposition groups immediately denounced the outside intervention as an “occupation” that pushed the tiny Gulf kingdom dangerously close to a state of war.
It also marks the first cross-border military operations to try to quell unrest since the Arab world’s rebellions began in December and underscores the Gulf leaders’ worries about their own standing and fears that instability in Bahrain could give a foothold for Shiite powerhouse Iran.

The strife in Bahrain began to dramatically escalate over the weekend just as the U.S. defense secretary arrived to urge its leaders—key Washington allies—to heed at least some of the demands for change.

A Saudi security official said the Gulf units dispatched to Bahrain come from a special force within the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Gulf Daily News, which is close to Bahrain’s rulers, said the outside forces would protect sites such as electricity stations and oil facilities.

The arrival of the military force comes a day after some of the most widespread chaos in the month-long series of protests and clashes that have left seven dead and the nation deeply divided.

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The source for this document was originally published on world.wng.org – however, the original URL is no longer available.]