Bahrain slams Hezbollah's 'blatant interference'

Manama says Hezbollah's statement 'will affect Lebanon's interests in Bahrain' other Gulf states.

Middle East Online

Bahrain 'holds the Lebanese government responsible' MANAMA - Bahrain on Sunday slammed comments made by Lebanon's Hezbollah chief about unrest in the Gulf kingdom as "blatant interference," warning that this could harm Lebanon's interests in the Gulf. The kingdom said it "condemns the fabrications uttered by Hassan Nasrallah," the foreign ministry said in a statement, describing the militant Shiite movement as a "terrorist organisation." The ministry said it "holds the Lebanese government responsible for the impact of these statements and false claims, which will undoubtedly affect bilateral relations between the two countries." It also said that Nasrallah's comments "will affect Lebanon's interests in Bahrain and other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council." Bahrain announced its "strong condemnation of this blatant interference in the internal affairs of Bahrain, which is very strange behaviour that represents a violation of Bahrain's sovereignty." Nasrallah on Saturday called for continued uprisings in Libya and also in Bahrain and Yemen, suggesting Hezbollah could "come to their aid." "We are here to tell them: 'We are with you, we support you... we are ready to come to your aid in your best interests and ours, to the best of our ability'," he told a crowd gathered in Beirut. Like its patron Iran, Shiite Hezbollah has consistently expressed support for their mainly co-religionist opposition in Bahrain, which is calling for a constitutional monarchy in the country where the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty has ruled for 230 years. Security forces in Bahrain on Wednesday crushed a month-long pro-democracy protest at Manama's Pearl Square which was demanding regime change. Bahraini forces backed by Gulf troops have also clamped down on Shiite villages which fed demonstrations with thousands of protesters.