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US diplomat says Bahrain expulsion ‘not about me’

By WTOP Staff

REEM KHALIFA
Associated Press

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A senior U.S. diplomat who was ordered to leave the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain after meeting with a leading Shiite opposition group said Tuesday that the American ally’s move appears aimed at undermining reconciliation efforts between the government and the opposition.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski made the comments on his Twitter feed a day after Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said he is not welcome in the strategic island nation, which has long hosted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

Bahrain alleged he intervened in the country’s domestic affairs by holding meetings with some groups at the expense of others. The order to leave came after he held talks with Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group, Al Wefaq.

He arrived in the country Sunday and had been scheduled to stay for three days.

On Tuesday, Al Wefaq said two of its leading members were summoned by the Bahraini Interior Ministry for questioning the next day.

In his Twitter comments, Malinowski said Bahrain’s decision to expel him is “not about me but about undermining dialogue. Those committed to reconciliation should not be deterred.”

Tiny Bahrain continues to face low-level unrest more than three years after a Shiite-dominated opposition movement inspired by the Arab Spring protests took to the streets to demand greater political rights from the Sunni monarchy. Bahrain moved to crush the uprising with the help of security forces from Saudi Arabia and other neighboring Gulf Arab states.

Repeated rounds of talks between the government and members of the opposition have failed to significantly defuse the tensions. Some Shiite factions oppose the dialogue efforts altogether because they don’t think they will lead to real change.

Activists frequently clash with security forces in the streets, occasionally deploying explosives that have caused a number of casualties, including a police officer killed in a bomb blast last week.

Bahraini officials could not be reached to comment Tuesday on Malinowski’s comments.

The head of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council regional bloc joined Bahrain in criticizing Malinowski’s actions in the country, raising the possibility of a wider rift between Washington and its Gulf allies.

GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani, who is Bahraini, said the U.S. envoy’s meeting does not reflect the historic bilateral relations between Bahrain and the U.S., and that it does not help confidence-building efforts among different parts of Bahraini society, according to comments carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.

The GCC includes regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE released a statement about the incident later on Tuesday, saying its Arab neighbor has the right to take any measures it deems suitable to prevent the promotion of contacts with groups “that justify, instigate and commit violence and use their foreign connections to present false and distorting information about Bahrain.”

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Malinowski’s trip was planned with the government prior to his arrival. She said he held internal meetings at the U.S. Embassy Tuesday and is scheduled to leave Bahrain later in the day. She said the government of Bahrain has not changed its position.

“We remain and will be in close touch with both the government of Bahrain and any other country that expresses a concern, as would be normal protocol and process,” she said. “It’s worth noting he was scheduled to meet with high-level government officials and had some of those meetings before all of these events happened just yesterday.”

Psaki said the envoy was scheduled to meet with a broad spectrum of Bahraini society, including the crown prince and other senior government officials. The U.S. Embassy in Manama, the capital, said he held talks Monday with the Minister of Interior, police chief and the National Institution for Human Rights in addition to Al Wefaq.

The State Department says Malinowski visited Bahrain to strengthen bilateral ties and support King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s reform and reconciliation efforts. Psaki said Monday that the U.S. is “deeply concerned” by Bahrain’s demand that he leave and said Bahrain’s government “is well aware that U.S. government officials routinely meet with all officially recognized political societies.”

Bahraini authorities insisted that a Foreign Ministry official attend all of its envoy’s private meetings, including those at the U.S. Embassy, she added. A Bahraini law passed in late 2013 prohibits meetings between opposition societies and international diplomats without the presence of an Interior Ministry official.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed reporting.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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