Bahrain is not amused by the United States decision to close its embassy due to alleged Al-Qaeda security threats in the Middle East and North Africa. Officials are claiming that their country doesn’t harbor any radical Islamist group.
The American Embassy in Manama was closed at the beginning of the week but the decision is termed as a surprise by Ahmed Al Sa’ati, a senior member of the National Institution for Human Rights. The US State Department is citing “continued potential for terrorist attacks” before end of the month. Al Sa’ati claimed they are “false alarms” bent on presenting Bahrain as a crisis country.
US officials have stated that the closure of more than 20 embassies in the region is based on “credible intelligence.” Bahrain was one of the latest countries added to the global travel alert list. Al Sa’ati said “there is no reason for American authorities to issue such advisories and travel alerts as it affects Bahrain’s image” before challenging them to provide evidences of attacks against US citizens. He acknowledged that there are “well-known people” against US Foreign Policy but “they are not linked” to Al-Qaeda.
Yacoub Al Slaise, spokesman of Al Fateh Youth Coalition (FYC) shared similar views. He dismissed threats against the US diplomatic mission in Bahrain or its citizens but agreed that it had the right to tighten its security.
The US Fifth fleet operations station in the country seems unconcerned by the precautionary measures of the State Department. Its spokeswoman, Lieutenant Marissa Myatt, said they will continue to “maintain an array of force protection options” within the region.
Al Sa’ati called on their “close ally” to avoid “negative publicity” by classing them as a crisis country “without clearly understanding the reality on the ground.”
Bahrain furious at US global travel alert inclusion
