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SECURITY CHALLENGE

Children exploited by radical groups as they take part in an illegal rally

Iran’s support of armed groups ‘a major threat’

MANAMA, June 26, 2015

Iranian support of armed opposition groups in Bahrain combined with the threat of extremists returning from Iraq and Syria pose a major challenge to the country’s national security.

This was highlighted by the Bahrain Embassy in Washington DC in its “Interior Ministry: Ongoing Reforms and Developments” report issued yesterday (June 25), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It stated that one of the main challenges to national security is the radicalisation of young people, which has reportedly resulted in 3,200 injuries among policemen since 2011, including 90 life-changing injuries, and 15 fatalities.

“The reality is that police personnel are routinely targeted by extreme (and often lethal) violence, and respond with only necessary and proportionate force,” said the report.

“While Molotov attacks have decreased over the past three years, there are occasional spikes on significant anniversaries and in response to both external and local incitement.

“The planting of real and hoax improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has shown a modest decrease in 2015 due to several successful counter-terrorism operations resulting in arrests and the confiscation of explosives and bomb-making materials.”

The report blames Iranian support of opposition groups for the street violence in Bahrain.

“Iran’s interference in Bahrain continues unabated,” it said.

“In addition to ongoing media campaigns of incitement and disinformation, the highest levels of the Iranian regime have made clear their support of opposition groups.”

This support has ranged from shipments of weapons destined for radical groups to recruitment and training, the report said.

“Weapons and IEDs seized in Bahrain bear striking similarities to those used by Iranian proxies in Iraq and Afghanistan, indicating a transfer of technology and information from Iran,” it said.

Meanwhile, the embassy warned against threats from the Islamic State group as Bahrain authorities continued to arrest or place travel restrictions on individuals who had returned from fighting in Iraq and Syria, including those who financed or supported the outlawed group.

The embassy report follows on from the release of the US State Department Country Reports on Terrorism 2014, which found that security authorities in Bahrain had managed to dismantle several sleeper cells despite Washington cancelling its support for anti-terrorism training.

“Bahrain has played its role domestically and regionally, fighting terrorism and deterring the proliferation of extremism,” said the embassy in a statement.

“We are facing times of unprecedented threats, when we must be able to unite and tackle issues cohesively and efficiently.”

Despite local and regional challenges, the embassy described Bahrain’s overall security situation as “stable with law and order prevailing throughout the country.”

The embassy also released several videos alongside the report showing large quantities of weapons seized this year and children being exploited by notorious terror group the February 14 Youth Coalition. “Extremists and opposition groups continue their efforts to radicalise young people to incite and promote hatred, and to involve children in violence,” said the embassy.

“Opposition leaders and human rights activists remain silent on the involvement of young people in such activities, and in some cases the lines between activism, incitement and participation in violent gatherings are extremely blurred.”

Steps taken by the Interior Ministry as part of the reforms process were highlighted, including the training of nearly 7,000 personnel since 2011 and more than 1,300 last year.

The Ombudsman Office’s investigations into allegations of police misconduct and inspection of prison facilities were also mentioned, as was the ministry’s installation of an electronic system to track inmates, GPS locators for police vehicles and audio-video recordings of interviews with suspects.

The report also refers to the Jaw prison riot on March 10 when inmates damaged property and held a nurse hostage.

It said that the inmates were planning a riot to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the unrest on February 14, but were forced to postpone it until a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in March because of an increased police presence in the prison.

A video of the prison riot was released by the embassy, showing inmates destroying property, pelting stones at policemen, climbing on the prison roof and burning debris for several hours before the situation was brought under control.

The video said a total of 104 inmates had been injured in the riots, including 95 who were treated for minor injuries – compared to 141 injured policemen, of which 135 had minor injuries and two were severely injured. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Bahrain | Iran | support | group | armed |

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