Bahrain is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, hosting the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. New details continue to emerge on the U.S. government’s support for human rights abuses under the Bahraini government. According to the New York Times, the Navy rejected an offer from a Bahraini human rights activist to report on the repression of protests. The activist’s contact in the U.S. government was then ordered to stop all communication with Bahraini Shiites who have campaigned against discrimination by the ruling Sunni family. Prominent Bahraini human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab, has also revealed the military pressured two U.S. senators not to host him or even meet with him during a trip to Washington, D.C.