United States company training Bahrain dictatorship’s police dogs

Dog at Abu Ghraib jail

After United States military abuse of dogs to torture prisoners in Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq … now this.

From ABC in the USA:

Brea company to train Bahrain‘s police dogs

By Elex Michaelson

Tuesday, August 19, 2014
BREA, Calif. (KABC) —

Falco K-9 Academy has trained dogs for police departments across the U.S. Recently, however, the company has gone international.

Owner Andy Falco Jimenez has been contracted by the Kingdom of Bahrain to train 20 bomb detection dogs. He will then fly them to the Middle East and train their handlers.

Eventually, his company will train all of the country’s police and military dogs, Jimenez said.

Jimenez admitted he didn’t know much about the oil-rich, Middle Eastern country before being contacted by Bahrain’s government. …

Apparently, Mr Jimenez did not know, and maybe still does not know, about torture going on in dictatorial Bahrain, day after day.

For Mr Jimenez: this video is called ‘Night raids, torture, sham trials a daily reality in Bahrain’ – human rights activist.

The work will present some unique challenges.

For one, the country is often sweltering hot. To prepare dogs to work in 115 degree temperatures, the dogs are expected to train in the Coachella Valley.

Bahraini human rights activist Maryam Alkhawaja criticised the company on Twitter, questioning the reporter’s ignorance of human rights abuses in Bahrain: here.

Bahrain, NATO discuss ways to bolster cooperation: here.

Bahrain registers highest rate of diabetes prevalence in the world: here.