President ABFS 

There are many good things happening within the American Bahrain Friendship Society (ABFS) these days and it’s time for all of us to bring in more friends as we collectively emerge from the pandemic. Please visit our website at www.abfsdc.org for videos of previous events and to remain aware of upcoming events.

I am pleased to  announce His Excellency Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Kingdom of Bahrain Ambassador to the United States has approved two new board members. Welcome to former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain William Roebuck and Mrs. Angelena Young, wife of former Ambassador Johnny Young – we are honored and delighted to have you both on the team. 

In mid-September, the ABFS hosted a virtual meeting where experts discussed the rich history of Bahrain’s pearl industry. The event lasted about an hour and will be on the ABFS website before the end of this month. The video is well worth watching if you missed the live event, and even worth viewing again if you’ve already seen it. 

The next scheduled ABFS event will be held virtually, at noon Eastern Standard Time on October 21^st and will exam a “Day in the Life” of those folks currently in Bahrain. The lunch time event is designed to ensure it is accessible to those of us in the United States, but also to members living in Bahrain. Please look for an email invite or check the website for details. 

The Bahraini Embassy in Washington, D.C. plans to host a Bahraini National Day celebration in December – on a date soon to be determined. The current plan is to host an event that allows live participation, but also has a virtual link for those unable to attend in person. Again, please stay tuned to your email and the website for details.

As we work our way into the Fall and Winter seasons, we can be grateful for cooler temperatures and cautiously optimistic about emerging from the effects of COVID. While we are not yet at the end of the pandemic, we can begin to feel we are nearing the end, or at least a situation where vaccinations and other medications will allow us to live and function in the presence of COVID.  

Please continue to take care, stay safe, and stay healthy – I know many share joy in the thought that we will all meet in person again very soon.

By Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann

June 2021

Will you be bored in such a small country? The question came up as my wife and I were getting ready to go to Bahrain, where I became the US ambassador in 2001.  I had spent three years as ambassador in Algeria when the country was in the grip of a violent insurgency and then three very busy years as a deputy assistant secretary of State responsible for the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.  I didn’t know the answer, although I was looking forward to more time with my family than had been possible when I served alone in Algeria and then, in Washington, usually returned late from the State Department.  I suppose I could learn golf, I said.

Well, it turned out there was nothing boring about Bahrain.  Socially, the tour was a delight. Bahraini’s mix much more freely with the foreign and diplomatic community than is the case in most of the other Peninsula countries. The country is very open with churches and mosques both open and the American Mission Hospital still an institution  praised by Bahraini’s of all persuasions. My wife and I made many Bahraini friends and are still in touch with some of them to this day. One of the great pleasures of serving in Bahrain was that it was far easier to make friends with the citizens than is the case in some of the neighboring countries. There was also a vibrant foreign community. We had many friends among them as well, but tried hard not to be too caught up in the social whirl of the expatriate community so that we could enjoy our ever expanding circle of Bahraini friends.

Politically,  Bahrain was still in the early phase of the changes mandated by his Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa. At the embassy we were able to work with the Government of Bahrain to advance numerous programs in cooperative efforts for democracy and justice, even as we maintained contacts with opposition figures.  It was a time of considerable hope and opening.

I arrived in Bahrain shortly after 9/11 and just as the war in Afghanistan was beginning.  In those and later military operations in the region, we often asked Bahrain for help and support.  We were never turned down as Bahrain and his Majesty demonstrated repeatedly that Bahrain was a dependable friend in an unstable region. I was glad that, shortly after I arrived the United States agreed to award Bahrain the status  of a Major Non-NATO Ally. It was a status Bahrain had desired and I was glad that I was able to play a role in bringing about this well deserved recognition.

Another issue which took a great deal of time was the negotiation of a free trade agreement.  Initially, US policy had preferred to approach this as a regional issue, an approach I thought unlikely to work as some of the economies of the neighboring countries were not prepared to be as open as Bahrain’s on issues critical to the United States such as banking regulation, labor standards and protection of intellectual property.  It took a good deal of work and most of my time in Bahrain, working closely with colleagues in the Bahrain Government to work through these issues.  The banking sector was the most advanced in the region and was pioneering new efforts in the regulation of Islamic finance.  We were able to help make the American government aware of these changes, even expanding courses of the US Federal Reserve in cooperation with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BBF). Other issues, like balancing protection for the shrinking US textile industry with openness for the Bahraini sector, took a lot of work and compromise on both  sides.

Eventually,
we got to the point where we could begin formal negotiations.  Those negotiations were still ongoing when I
left Bahrain to work in Iraq.  However,
somewhat later, I was very pleased to be in Washington and present when the final
accord was signed.

So as it turned out, between the social life, internal politics, regional politics, and expanding economic relations I never had time to be bored.  And I never did learn to golf.

Ronald E. Neumann is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (2005–2007), Bahrain (2001–2004) and Algeria (1994–1997).

By VADM John W. Miller

My first visit to Bahrain occurred while I was deployed to the Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. The operation guarded southern Iraq’s largely Shia population from their brutal dictator, Saddam Hussain, and took place from shortly after the end of the Desert Storm campaign that freed Kuwait and lasted until the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As with any visit to a “new” port I was excited to see new sights, meet new people, learn about a different culture and sample the local cuisine. Little did I know that my first visit would mark the beginning of a relationship with the Kingdom and its people that goes on to this day.

The U.S. has a relationship with Bahrain that goes back decades and Bahrain hosts the only American base in the region, Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. Because Bahrain is an island and located in a geographically convenient spot at the center of the Gulf, its people have a long history of welcoming people from beyond its shores and making them feel comfortable.

Nearly 10,000 Sailors, Marines, DOD and contractor civilians and their families call Bahrain home. Many of the civilians live in Bahrain for extended periods of time and many service personnel, like me, end up serving multiple tours. For Americans living in Bahrain, there is access to quality schools, affordable housing, modern malls, an antique Souk, tourist destinations, beaches, and dozens and dozens of restaurants that offer cuisine from all over the globe.

The lasting and vibrant friendships that have been forged over the decades continues to attract Americans to the Kingdom, but also attracts many Bahraini’s to the United States – to visit friends, tour, work, or get an education. In 1990, the American Bahrain Friendship Society was founded by Ambassador John Gatch, Mr. Fouad A. Habiby and Vice Admiral Marmaduke Bayne, along with Admiral William J. Crowe and other friends who had lived in Bahrain and had U.S. diplomatic, military and business affiliations. It was established with the approval of the Amir of Bahrain, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, and the organization continues to flourish to this day.

Covid-19 put a blanket on the Society, but as Bahrain, the U.S., and the world emerge from the global pandemic, the Society is ready to swing into action. Our next event, likely a virtual one, but possibly a hybrid, is scheduled for June 23rd at 6:30 PM, Eastern Daylight Savings time. The event will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Society. If you’re not already a member, please join by going to the webpage (https://www.abfsdc.org/). Membership fees are waived for the remainder of 2021, so it’s a great time to become a member.

ABFS events are scheduled monthly for the remainder of the year, with the final event in December celebrating Bahraini National Day. His excellency, Shaikh Abdulla Bin Rashid Al Khalifa is optimistic about holding an in-person celebration.

John W. “Fozzie” Miller is a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral who last served as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Manama, Bahrain. He is the President of the American Bahraini Friendship Society (ABFS).