U.S. hopes in Bahrain dealt another setback

Bahrain has upheld harsh jail terms for 13 opposition activists, the latest blow to the Obama administration's efforts to encourage reform in the Persian Gulf kingdom.

WASHINGTON — Harsh jail terms upheld this week for 13 Bahraini activists marked a setback to the Obama administration's hope that the Sunni Muslim monarchy was ready to settle its bloody conflict with the country's restless Shiite majority. It wasn't the first time Washington has been disappointed.

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