Crackdown in Bahrain as Protests Spread - 4 feared dead

Political unrest continued to spread across the Arab world as tens of thousands of protesters flooded Bahrain's Pearl Square and riot police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving at least four people dead and wounding hundreds more.

The crackdown on anti-government rallies early Thursday morning local time led to the dismantling of protest camps set up at Pearl Square after the Interior Ministry "declared the camp illegal" and warned citizens to "stay off the streets," the Associated Press reported.
It marked the first time armored vehicles were seen in the streets after the pre-dawn raid and "effectively shut down the island nation" as workers located at the capital were not allowed to pass checkpoints.
This morning, ABC News has learned that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other senior officials will be calling their Bahraini counterparts today to urge restraint and to advise this U.S. ally on how best to proceed.
Bahrain, a small, but strategic nation located in the Persian Gulf is crucial in the U.S. fight against Al-Qaeda. It is also the home to the 5th Fleet - a major U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.