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Bahrain condemns Nasrallah's remarks

21 March 2011

BEIRUT: The Bahraini Foreign Ministry condemned Sunday Hezbollah’s criticism of its government, describing it as an intervention in the Gulf country’s internal affairs which threatened Lebanese-Bahraini bilateral ties.

A statement released by the ministry said Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s verbal “assault against Bahrain and its people” was aimed at serving foreign interests, a reference to Iran, the party’s major ally.

The ministry described Nasrallah as the “representative of a terrorist organization with a known history in destabilizing security in the region,” and added that Bahrain would remain stable while Nasrallah’s “terrorist remarks” would fail to provoke the Bahraini people.

“Nasrallah’s hostile remarks do not serve security and stability in the region and will influence Lebanon’s interests in Bahrain and the Gulf Cooperation Council at a time when we most need to stand united against those seeking to harm our security and stability,” the statement said.

During a rally in Beirut in support of popular uprisings in the Arab world Saturday, Nasrallah – via videolink – criticized Bahrain’s monarchy for bringing in troops from neighboring Gulf countries to help put down Shiite-led protests there, when it should have used dialogue. Nasrallah said the blood of the people will eventually force their regimes to grant them greater rights.

“There is particular injustice in Bahrain,” Nasrallah said. “Bahrain is a small island with a peaceful population of one million that came out to demand its legitimate rights but the response was murder,” he added.

Tensions have been building between Tehran on the one hand and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia on the other since the Saudi-led Gulf force marched into Manama last Monday to help protect the ruling Sunni monarchy.

Mainstream opposition led by Al-Wefaq, the largest Shiite faction, has demanded major reforms leading to changing the political system into a “real” constitutional monarchy under which the prime minister would be elected. Hard-liners went farther, demanding the creation of a republic. – The Daily Star

Lebanon complains to U.n. over Libya embassy assault

BEIRUT: Lebanon filed a complaint to the United Nations Security Council against Libya Sunday in protest against an assault on the Lebanese Embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli during which a Lebanese flag was burned.

Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami filed the complaint via Lebanon’s permanent representative to the U.N. in New York, and accused Libya of violating the Vienna Convention on state diplomatic relations by allowing damage to another country’s ambassadorial property.

President Michel Sleiman labeled the incident “an assault against Lebanese sovereignty which is against the charters and agreements reached by the members of the Arab League and the U.N.”

Shami said that the attack was retribution for Lebanon’s prominent role in bringing a Security Council resolution against Libya, authorizing the use of international force against positions held by beleaguered Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. – The Daily Star

© Copyright The Daily Star 2011.