Speaking with Al Monitor, AGSIW Non-Resident Fellow DB Des Roches discussed the U.S. arms sale to Bahrain: “This is a big issue of national pride,” additionally noting that the “country is so small that there’s a question of whether they’ll be able to exercise the full lifetime performance of [the F-16] … They might bankrupt themselves for something of dubious military efficacy.”

He continued, commenting that “The US-Bahrain security relationship was complicated under Obama because vetoes were being exercised over human rights concerns,” additionally noting, “What the Trump administration is saying is security is security and human rights is human rights, we’re not going to sacrifice one for the other.”