<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> WorldTribune.com: Mobile — Bahrain fears uprising by its Shi'ites who 'follow Iran's religious leadership blindly'

Bahrain fears uprising by its Shi'ites who 'follow Iran's religious leadership blindly'

Friday, June 27, 2008 Free Headline Alerts

LONDON — Bahrain has expressed concerns that an attack on Iran would trigger a revolt by its Shi'ite population.

Bahrain's security chief, Maj. Gen. Abdul Latif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, warned of such an Iranian attack amid Western and Israeli threats to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities.

"The level of tension currently concerning Iran is a further significant threat," Al Zayani, chief of public security, told the London-based Royal United Services Institute.

"Should the situation deteriorate, there will be a major impact in Bahrain, where a proportion of our Shia population follow Iran's religious leadership blindly and apparently without question."

Bahrain has been battling rising Shi'ite unrest said to be assisted by Iran. In 2007, a leading Iranian cleric said Bahrain was a province of Iran.

In an address on June 25, Al Zayani urged Bahrain's allies to provide early-warning of any Iranian attack. He said Manama has sought to enhance protection of vital infrastructure as well as upgrade coastal radar and maritime security.

"As partners we ask, rather in hope than in expectation, that we are consulted or at least given early warning of major escalation or other actions," Al Zayani said.

Al Zayani raised the prospect of a Shi'ite revolt in Bahrain. The security chief said a portion of the Gulf Arab kingdom's Shi'ite majority has demonstrated what he termed blind loyalty to Teheran.

"In this connection and more generally, it is important to say that the actions of our allies often influence threat levels in Bahrain," Al Zayani said.

Another scenario was that Al Qaida, particularly operatives from neighboring Saudi Arabia, would launch an attack on Bahrain. Al Zayani said the U.S. Fifth Fleet represented a "high-profile target." Manama has been the headquarters for the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet as well as a Western-led Gulf naval task force.

"There is the evident risk of them spilling over into Bahrain as extremists or terrorists seek out what they might perceive to be a softer target," Al Zayani said.

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