US support of the authoritarian government in Bahrain has isolated democratic movements and guarantees meltdown
Ulrichsen 2011 (Krisian Coates, research fellow at London School of Economics, "Gulf States: studious silence falls on Arab Spring, http://www.opendemocracy.net/kristian-coates-ulrichsen/gulf-states-studious-silence-falls-on-arab-spring)
The choice to suppress demonstrations rather than...could be greater still.
Bahraini opposition groups are pressuring the US to withdraw the fifth fleet
Dietz (David, journalist with degree from Georgetown, "SHOULD THE US RECONSIDER ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH BAHRAIN?" http://www.transterramedia.com/should-us-reconsider-its-relationship-bahrain)
Matar Ebrahim Matar, a…Gulf’s regional stability as well.
Plan: The United States federal government will increase democracy assistance in Bahrain by engaging civil society groups
The US Navys Fifth Fleet is critical in maintaining US power and regional stability throughout Asia
Stimson center 2011 (Henry L. Stimson Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to enhancing international peace and security through a unique combination of rigorous analysis and outreach, “Anchors Away: The future of the US Navys Fifth Fleet in Bahrain,” July 21, http://www.stimson.org/spotlight/the-us-fifth-fleet-in-bahrain/)
The home base of the…in Bahrain has stabilized.
Only the US can guarantee stability in the Middle East – there is no alternative
Freeman 2011 (Chas, Ambassador Freeman is a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer and president emeritus of the Middle East Policy Council, “The Arab Reawakening: Strategic Implications, Middle East Policy, Summer, Lexis)
These changes are occurring…arena than in foreign policy
Naval power is critical to all military capabilities – it allows the U.S. to deter any and all threats to worldwide peace
England, Jones, and Clark, 2011 (Gordon England is a former secretary of the Navy, General James Jones is a former commandant of the Marine Corps. Admiral Vern Clark is a former chief of naval operations; “The Necessity of U.S. Naval Power,” July 11, http://gcaptain.com/necessity-u-s-naval-power?27784)
The future security environment…challenges of the future.
Iran
Presence of the fifth Fleet is critical to deterring Iran
Goure and Grant (Dr. Daniel Goure, VP with the Lexington Institute, a nonprofit public-policy research organization, was a member of the 2011 Department of Defense Transition Team, erved as a senior analyst on national security and defense issues with the Center for Naval Analyses, Science Applications International Corporation, SRS Technologies, R&D Associates and system Planning Corporation, was the Deupty Director, International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Dr. Rebecca Grant, Director of the General Billy Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies at the Air Force Association, report is under consideration for publication in the Naval War College Review, “U.S. Naval Options for Influencing Iran,” April 2009, http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/library/resources/documents/Defense/us-naval-options.pdf)
Engaging Iran is both…deterrence of Iranian aggression.
An Unchecked Iran will create regional war that goes nuclear
Ben-Meir 7(Alon Ben-Meir, prof. IR, Center for Global Affairs at NYU, “Realpolitik: Ending Iran’s Defiance,” 2007,)
Feeling emboldened and unrestrained…halting its nuclear program.
Perception of American hypocrisy in supporting Bahrains authoritarian government undermines U.S. base agreements in Bahrain and worldwide – The United States must demonstrate support for opposition groups or lose military bases worldwide
Cooley and Nexon 2011 (Alexander, assoc. prof polis ci Barnard College and member of Colombia Universitys Institute for War and Peace Studies; Daniel, assoc prof School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown, "Bahrain’s Base Politics: The Arab Spring and America’s Military Bases,” Foreign Affairs, April 5, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67700/alexander-cooley-and-daniel-h-nexon/bahrains-base-politics)
The use of force…friends under the bus
Overseas basing is key to US power and critical for responding to genocide, wars, weapons of mass destruction, terrorist threats and natural disasters
Kramer and Nelson 5 (Franklin D. Kramer, Chairman of the Atlantic Council, C. Richard Nelson, Atlantic Council, “Global Futures and Implications for U.S. Basing” 6/1/5, http://www.acus.org/publication/global-futures-and-implications-us-basing)
U.S. overseas bases…in a variety of ways.
A withdrawn American military would create a power vacuum that other nations would clamor to fill. This multipolar world would propel regional and world wide nuclear conflict. Only a unipolar world of American hegemony can maintain international order and stop nuclear destruction
Kagan 7
Nationalism in all its…States back in again.
Democracy assistance is critical to encouraging dialogue between the government and opposition groups – failure to act threates the fleet
Stimson center 2011 (Henry L. Stimson Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to enhancing international peace and security through a unique combination of rigorous analysis and outreach, “Anchors Away: The future of the US Navys Fifth Fleet in Bahrain,” July 21, http://www.stimson.org/spotlight/the-us-fifth-fleet-in-bahrain/)
The pro-reform Crown…these scenarios from materializing.
Increased assistance to civil society groups is critical to maintaining support for US naval presence in Bahrain
Cooley and Nexon 2011 (Alexander, assoc. prof polis ci Barnard College and member of Colombia Universitys Institute for War and Peace Studies; Daniel, assoc prof School of Foreign Service and Department of Government at Georgetown, "Bahrain’s Base Politics: The Arab Spring and America’s Military Bases,” Foreign Affairs, April 5, http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67700/alexander-cooley-and-daniel-h-nexon/bahrains-base-politics)
It is time for U.S….after it is under way.
Providing democracy assistance to civil society groups in Bahrain spreads democracy worldwide
Kurlantzick 11 (Joshua, fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, “New Republic: Optimism Spells Democracy’s Decline,” NPR, May 31,
There is an obvious…democracy a fighting chance
