Bahrain hires notorious American police chief in order to 'reform' security forces

 Funeral of protester who died during demonstations in Bahrain.

Matthew Cassel writes in The Guardian about the new police chief that the rulers of Bahrain hired to 'reform' their security forces, Miami's police commisioner John Timoney. Cassel tells how he once in 2003, in the midst of demonstrations in Miami,  met with Timoney's forces: 'it was impossible to move more than a few feet in any direction without confronting the police and their brutality. The thousands of police dressed in full riot gear and armed with teargas, rubber bullets, batons, electric tasers – all of which were used against protesters and journalists – were everywhere around Miami.'

And he quotes journalist Jeremy Scahill:

"No one should call what Timoney runs in Miami a police force. It's a paramilitary group. Thousands of soldiers, dressed in khaki uniforms with full black body armour and gas masks, marching in unison through the streets, banging batons against their shields, chanting, 'back … back … back'. There were armoured personnel carriers and helicopters." 

Now the Miami model is coming to Bahrain. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that Timoney has been hired by the kingdom's interior ministry "as part of reforms" following the release of a report last week by a government-sponsored fact-finding commission. (Click here for Matthew's full article)
Some reform the Bahrainis can look forward to, it seems..