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Friday, July 18, 2008

Iran role suspected as Shi'ite violence on the rise in Bahrain

ABU DHABI — Security officials said Shi'ite violence has been increasing as Bahrain cracks down on apparently organized protests, Middle East Newsline reported.

"The unrest has been organized and we are identifying the leaders," an official said of the nearly nightly clashes with security forces around the capital Manama.

The officials said the Shi'ite unrest was believed connected to Iran, which has become a major influence on the majority Shi'ite community.

They said rioters, who used at least one home to produce makeshift weapons, have increasingly been resorting to firebombs and light arms in battles with security forces.

The latest round of violence was sparked by the sentencing of 11 Bahraini men to up to seven years on July 13. The 11 were charged with rioting, including hurling a firebomb that struck a police car as well as stealing ammunition.

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Shi'ite groups have opposed the sentencing. The Bahrain Human Rights Society has called on the government to release the 11 as well as those detained in the subsequent rioting. Some of the detainees were identified as minors, or under 16 years old.

"There were parts of Manama that were left a mess, but people have the right to protest against any judgment they see as unfair," Manama Municipal Council services committee head Hameed Mansoor said. "Maybe some took it too far, but when rights are taken away, loved ones are threatened then people resort to desperate measures."

The 11 Shi'ites sentenced on July 13 have asserted that they were tortured in prison. Attorneys said they would appeal their prison sentences.

"In my opinion, according to the judgement, they have a chance," attorney Sami Saeedi said. "They are still studying whether they have the right to go for compensation or not."

Bahrain could face additional unrest in wake of a decision to withdraw approval for the construction of 15 Shi'ite mosques. Shi'ite parliamentarians warn that the decision by the Justice Ministry could spark a backlash in Bahrain and throughout the region. Kuwait is another Gulf Cooperation Council state with a large Shi'ite community.

"The decision lacks legality and could promote negative feeling among people who might think that the government is controlling their faith," Said Maki Al Wadai, a member of the largest Shi'ite bloc in parliament, said.

Officials said Shi'ite dissidents have used mosques to organize unrest. They said Iran has been the leading financier of Shi'ite mosques and community center in Bahrain.

"The decision was part of many imposed recently to separate places of worship from politics," Justice Minister Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa, who is also Islamic Affairs minister, said.

A Sunni parliamentarian has warned that the Shi'ite violence in Bahrain has become intolerable. Jassem Al Saidi, an independent, said Bahrain must undertake a massive military operation to restore order in the kingdom.

"The situation in Bahrain couldn't be tolerated and riots and violence should be tackled with a well-planned military plan, similar to an incident in the United States when U.S. forces stepped in to control a strike at an airport," Al Saidi said.



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