Little Bahrain Turns to Its Neighbors for Help, Again

The small island nation of Bahrain is caught in a big squeeze. Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia both feel a degree of connection and influence over its people and territory, and some of its wealthy neighbors -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait -- often instruct the ruling al-Khalifa family on how to conduct the country's domestic and foreign policies. The rulers, who are Sunni, oversee a Shiite Arab majority population and an economy with more foreign workers than citizens. Those rulers also have a habit of needing help managing the country, and they are again in need of economic aid....