Photo Courtesy of Bahrain Ministry of Culture

The market for pretty Russian women in the Middle East is strong.  I remember a wealthy Saudi man once told me that “Allah has no eyes in Bahrain.” or “الله لا عيون فى البحرين.”, he was referring to prostitution of course.

It’s also no secret to anyone in the military who has served in Bahrain that just outside the main U.S. gate, there are several hotels that house Russian hookers. They’re literally under house arrest and not allowed to leave the confines of the hotel.

Back in the 2000, I was passing through, and me and the guys were doing a tour of the off limits clubs, and I remember striking up a conversation with one of the ladies at the Panarama (not my first rodeo folks), a gorgeous Russian girl from Moscow.

She explained to me that she and most girls are lured into the role of prostitute by false promises of making a lot of money in the hospitality industry abroad.  They soon found out that they were in a different type of hospitality altogether.

Nobody Gets A Pass

This is all controlled by the Russian mafia with the quiet endorsement of the governing monarchy of course. When one of my teammates asked the girls to join us at another local (black listed) hot spot, and she proceeded to tell us that they weren’t in control of their passports, and couldn’t leave the confines of the hotel. It takes 2 years to earn out, according to one of the girls, then they get spit back into the arms of the homeland.

“The government of Bahrain will often compromise or forgo their immigration standards for women with desired vocational skill sets”, a former Naval Security Officer told SOFREP.

Bahrain doesn’t enforce Islamic law on visitors or residents, especially wealthy Saudis. I guess “responsive to customer preferences” is an honest statement and I have no issue with women “willingly” doing whatever they want to do with their bodies. I do have an issue with human trafficking, and nobody gets a pass on this issue in my mind.

Another Epic Fail for the UN

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the  Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children in Palermo Italy. Bahrain is a member of the UN but apparently has a waiver for trafficking foreign women in the sex trade.

I wonder Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, or UN Ambassador Susan Rice would say about this?