Bahrain Deems Nasrallah as 'Terrorist Agent', Arab League Urges Govt. to Clarify Stand on Claims
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa condemned on Friday last week's remarks by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the developments in the kingdom.
He described, via Twitter, the party leader as a “terrorist agent,” adding that the Arab League statement on Nasrallah's remarks “were as clear as day.”
“Lebanon should stand by its Arab brothers, who had stood by it in the best and worst of times,” he tweeted.
The Arab League had issued a statement on Thursday that strongly condemned Nasrallah's “hostile” remarks on Bahrain.
It also rejected “his repeated meddling” in the kingdom's internal affairs, demanding that the Lebanese government “assume its responsibilities in this matter.”
“It should take a clear stance towards Nasrallah's statements and actions,” stressed the Arab League ministerial meeting.
“Nasrallah's remarks are an incitement to violence and terrorism aimed a destabilizing the security and stability of Bahrain and all the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” it said.
The Bahraini foreign minister later tweeted that “Lebanon's delegation at the Arab League meeting preferred to remain committed to fake national unity instead of Arab solidarity that had saved it from wars and it had always stood by it,” it added.
“Lebanon is a great country that was ruled by honorable men, such as Beshara al-Khoury, Camille Chamoun, Saeb Salam, and Rafik Hariri, but it is now unfortunately being controlled by a terrorist agent,” lamented the minister.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil had appealed during the Arab League meeting the gatherers “against holding Lebanon responsible for the statements of some internal sides,” reported MTV on Friday.
He admitted that Lebanon however “does not respect refraining from meddling in the affairs of Arab countries” in spite of its policy of disassociation.
On January 9, Nasrallah alleged the presence of a “Zionist-like naturalization scheme” in Bahrain.
He also noted that top Bahraini dissident Sheikh Ali Salman, who was recently jailed by authorities, “has never called for toppling the regime and he did not incite to violence.”
“The authorities in Bahrain will realize that they are acting in a foolish way. They can imprison most of the Bahraini people but that will only stop the protests on the streets and they will not be able to stop the protests in prisons,” said Nasrallah.
Bahrain for its part summoned Lebanon's charge d'affaires, urging a “clear condemnation” of his stances.
The UAE's foreign ministry also summoned the Lebanese ambassador on Monday, handing him a protest letter over what it described as “hostile statements.”
Bassil told an Arab delegation that visited Beirut on Monday that “Lebanon's role is to encourage dialogue and understanding among the Arab states, not to interfere in their affairs.”
M.T.
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