US officials at the Pentagon say that Robert Gates, the defense secretary, was not given any warning when he visited Bahrain last week that just two days later Saudi Arabia would send 1,000 troops to the small kingdom to help quell protests, Monday 14 March. Aljazeera reports that the UAE (United Arab Emirates) sent 500 police and that both requests were made to help protect government buildings.
The White House said Monday it does not consider the move an invasion by Saudi Arabia, but it cautioned governments in the region to use restraint.
Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are ruled by Sunni Muslim families, and the protesters are Shi’ites. The region has long been marked by taut relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is ruled by Shi’ite Muslims.
“Peaceful demonstrations”, as described by international media in Bahrain, were attacked by police, sending some 200 people to hospitals. Three people have reportedly died. The government protests that have gone on for several days have members of the majority Sh’ite population protesting that they are marginalized by the ruling al-Khalifa family, who are Sunni Muslims.
Iran says it accuses the US, Great Britain and Pakistan of involvement in the deadly suicide-bomb attacks in its Sistan-Baluchistan province on Sunday 18 October which killed 42 people, including several senior military commanders of the Revolutionary Guards. Suspicions were aroused because of the detailed intelligence reportedly needed in order to reach their targets. The US and the UK have denied invlovement. Iran has vowed a “crushing” response.
Iran has accused Jundullah, a Sunni radical group, of carrying out the attack, and accuses Pakistan of harbouring the leader of the group. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called his Pakistani counterpart to ask for help in arresting the group’s leaders, who he says are based in Pakistan. The group has carried out attacks in Iran before, and claims to represent the rights of Sunni Muslims in mostly Shiite Iran. BBC, The Times
