The Hill News

With protests continuing to challenge the ruling family in Bahrain, the key question President Obama and members of the US Congress have to ask themselves is: Why should Washington care about Bahrain? The answer is that stability of the energy-rich Persian Gulf is tied to stability in Bahrain because Bahrain is home to the US Gulf Naval Force â€" the Fifth Fleetâ€"which is tasked with the strategic goal of maintaining access to Persian Gulf oil.

The U.S.-Bahrain relationship is vital to America’s energy security and those of its allies. Fully 67 percent of the world’s proven crude oil reserves are situated in the Persian Gulf and approximately 27 percent of daily global crude oil exports pass through the territorial waters of Bahrain on the way to consumers worldwide. 

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