Weekly Event (Friday – 12 December 2025): Is the End of the “Field Marshal” Near?… The Military Sector in “American Hands

Weekly Event (Friday – 12 December 2025):
Is the End of the “Field Marshal” Near?… The Military Sector in “American Hands”

On 10 December 2025, “Field Marshal” Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa (known as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force) held a meeting that included a number of officers from this force, which represents the country’s official army.

It is noteworthy that the “Field Marshal” has been accustomed to making ceremonial, routine tours of military units, and it is rare for him to hold technical or organizational meetings—especially in recent years.

There is no precise information about the composition of the Bahraini army. However, its basic structure relies on elements loyal to the regime among senior officers. Army units function as a kind of military linkage for tribal alliances subject to the ruling Al Khalifa tribe. As for the soldiers distributed among the units, they form a heterogeneous mix recruited from various countries and operate under a mercenary system. This has led analysts to question whether the army truly possesses a military doctrine at all, beyond being an armed force of mercenaries managed by joint Al Khalifa and American officers.

Some researchers affirm that the army’s leadership structure is merely a façade for distributing shares (spoils) among members of the Al Khalifa family—particularly the sons of the tyrant Hamad and his grandchildren—similar to other ministries and economic, sports, and sovereign institutions.

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An American Prelude to Removing the “Field Marshal” from Army Leadership?

Observers are questioning the future role of the army commander, the “Field Marshal,” amid American dissatisfaction with him. They believe that the Americans are preparing a plan to smoothly remove him from the scene, repeatedly citing his statements following the storming of “Martyrs’ Roundabout (the Pearl Roundabout)” and his leadership of the takfiri wing within the “army.”

The Americans exercise near-absolute control over the management of the military sector in Bahrain (including the air force and others). While they allow certain external agreements and training—especially with the Pakistani army—arms procurement contracts remain monopolized by the White House.

This trajectory practically necessitates the removal of the “old guard,” headed by the “Field Marshal,” and the introduction of younger figures from among Hamad’s sons and grandchildren, who have been trained from an early age in American institutions (military and intelligence).

The Americans oversee the military and defense file, while the British handle security affairs and the control of internal dissent. As for Saudi Arabia’s share in Bahrain, it is managed through the “Supreme Coordination Council,” which encroaches upon the country’s economy and investments.