.bmp)
.bmp)
LONDON-Bahrain's security would be threatened if international tensions over Iran flared into war and the kingdom wanted to be consulted so that could be prevented, a top official said on Wednesday.The comments by Bahrain's chief of public security, Major General Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, reflected concern in the small Gulf Arab country, which is ruled by Sunni Muslims but has a majority Shi'ite population.Shi'ite Iran is in dispute with the West over its nuclear program, which Washington suspects is a cover for building an atomic bomb. Iran strongly denies this.Neither the United States nor Israel has ruled out military action to stop the program, although the White House said on Wednesday U.S. President George W. Bush believed the issue could be resolved diplomatically."The level of tension currently concerning Iran is a further significant threat," Zayani said in a speech in London to the Royal United Services Institute, a security think-tank."Should the situation deteriorate, there will be a major impact in Bahrain, where a proportion of our Shia population follow Iran's religious leadership blindly and apparently without question," said Zayani."In this connection and more generally, it is important to say that the actions of our allies often influence threat levels in Bahrain," he said."As partners we ask, rather in hope than in expectation, that we are consulted or at least given early warning of major escalation or other actions" that could have an internal impact on the kingdom.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
