US President Barack Obama spoke by telephone Friday evening with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, condeming violence against demonstrators and urging "meaningful reform," the White House said.
Obama "reiterated his condemnation of the violence used against peaceful protesters, and strongly urged the government of Bahrain to show restraint, and to hold those responsible for the violence accountable," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
The call comes as the Bahraini army used live ammunition against demonstrators Friday near Lulu Square in the capital Manama. Three people died and hundreds were injured Thursday when officials ordered a fierce overnight crackdown on anti-government protesters who had camped out in the square, DPA reported.
Bahrain is a key ally of the United States in the region. But Obama told Bahrain's king that its stability "depends upon respect for the universal rights of the people of Bahrain, and a process of meaningful reform that is responsive to the aspirations of all Bahrainis."
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