Protesters decry unity plans in Bahrain
19, May, CNN
Protesters in Bahrain marched through the streets Friday to criticize
government plans to boost cooperation between the island state and Saudi
Arabia.
The proposed unity plans have heightened already tense relations
between Manama and Riyadh, on one side, and Tehran on the other.
Though specifics of the proposals are not clear, Bahraini opposition
groups are against them because they fear the plans are the latest in a
string of attempts to crush dissent.
Demonstrations in Bahrain failed to gain the traction of other Arab
Spring uprisings after a government crackdown, backed by troops from
nearby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Bahrain and other Sunni-ruled countries in the region have accused
Shiite-led Iran of meddling in the country's internal affairs and
standing behind the protests, which are ongoing.
Tehran has denied involvement.Bahrain is a predominantly Shiite
country, ruled by a Sunni royal family.Bahrain's state news agency BNA
reported the government will take legal action against protesters "who
committed violations" during Friday's rally, organized in part by Al
Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition party.
It was not clear what laws were broken.The same party was denied
permission to rally Saturday outside a U.N. building, BNA reported.Hours
before the march, Ayatollah Sheikh Qassim criticized the push for unity
during his Friday prayer sermon in Duraz village, north of Manama."It is
clear that the proposed unity is not one meant to unify the people of
the region," he said. "The people are not a herd of sheep, nor are they
children or dimwitted to give up their freedoms."
Such unity is meant to strengthen the grip of the totalitarian
governments and limit liberties, he added.The small island kingdom in
the Persian Gulf plays a key strategic role in the Middle East and is
home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.
Elsewhere in the region, the Arabic-language Al-Alam television
network aired video of protests in Tehran, where protesters expressed
solidarity with the demonstrations in Bahrain and denounced the unity
plans as a "U.S.-Saudi conspiracy."The station claimed similar protests
took place throughout Iran.
CNN could not confirm the report.Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation
Council met in Saudi Arabia this week for a meeting to discuss
transforming their six nations into a union similar to the European
Union.
The idea of integrating the GCC nations into one entity and replacing
what exists now as simply a cooperative was first floated by Saudi
Arabia in December.The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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