John Timoney, the former Miami Police Chief most notable for his violent handling of the FTAA Protests in 2003, is now packing his bags and heading to the Middle East. Bahrain's Interior Ministry has hired Timoney to handle training of police.
The kingdom has decided it needs to reform its police force after several reports of abuse against pro-reform protesters. So, uh, they hired a guy who masterminded the controversial "Miami Model" to train police to less likely to abuse protesters? Makes sense.
Timoney will lead a group of police advisers from the US and Britain. The group will be responsible for retraining the police force after an independent commission cited example of police misconduct. No word if the Kingdom will supply Timoney with a free Lexus SUV for his services.
The BBC reported earlier this year that police brutality has turned Bahrain into an "island of fear." Police have been accused of using torture and excessive force against Shiite-led protestors.
"Bahrain is now a state where the police are acting with complete impunity. There is no accountability, not even an effort to cover up what is going on," Joe Stork of the Human Rights Watch told the BBC.
Timoney seems like an odd choice considering his handling of the FTAA protests in November 2003.
At the time Circuit Judge Richard Margolius said he saw ''no less than 20 felonies committed by police officers'' and that the forces' actions were "a disgrace for the community.''
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