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Bahrain

How Bahrain's crackdown is pushing both sides to extremes

By cracking down on dissent and refusing to negotiate with the opposition, Bahrain's ruling monarchy has pushed some protesters into the arms of more hardline groups.

By Kristen Chick, Correspondent / April 19, 2011

Manama, Bahrain

In the festive early days of Bahrain’s protest movement, youthful protester Yousif joined thousands of people in the Pearl roundabout calling for the ruling family to implement democratic reforms.

Those heady days in February now seem a world away. In the days since, at least 29 people have died and more than 500 have been arrested in a government crackdown that has extended beyond protesters to the majority Shiite population. Yousef doesn’t even drive now, for fear of encountering checkpoints where he might be beaten or detained.

Read the full article in the Christian Science Monitor.