(National-UAE) James Calderwood - 23 Shiite men were accused by the Bahrain government Saturday of belonging to a "terrorist network" intent on overthrowing the country's Sunni royal family. The official Bahraini news agency, BNA, reported that the men are members of a "sophisticated terrorist network with international support." Abdulrahman al-Sayed, a Bahraini public prosecution official, said the group's funds came through the misappropriation of charity donations and overseas funds supported by "foreign entities." Riad Kahwaji, the chief executive officer of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (Inegma), said he believes "there could be an Iranian involvement." Suspected Iranian terrorist cells have been discovered in other Gulf countries such as Kuwait. "Iran has unprecedented influence on Shiite communities worldwide, especially in the Arab world," Kahwaji said. "Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet; there's a lot of history here that would lead us to point the finger at Iran."
2010-09-06 07:56:29Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive