Bahrain: Conviction of Leading Shiite Cleric Presents Manama With a Dilemma

Security crackdowns against Shiite opposition groups in Bahrain have intensified in the three days since Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim's was sentenced May 21 on charges of money laundering and illegal collection of funds. The prosecution of the high-profile Qassim, a critic of the island nation's Sunni royal family and a rallying figure for its majority Shiite population, resulted in a fine and the seizure of 3 million Bahraini dinars (about $8 million) in assets. ...