On Tuesday, the Trump administration designated Saraya al-Mukhtar, a Shia Bahraini group, as a terror organization, claiming the group is supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The US blacklisted the group as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. “Saraya al-Mukhtar is an Iran-backed terrorist organization based in Bahrain, reportedly receiving financial and logistic support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on the designation.
Pompeo also claimed that Saraya al-Mukhtar plotted attacks against US forces in Bahrain and offered cash rewards for killing Bahraini officials. Bahrain hosts a number of US military personnel and is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry celebrated the designations, calling it an important step “in combating malign acts and intentions of this terrorist group.” The designation freezes any assets Saraya al-Mukhtar may have in the US and bars US citizens from doing business with the Shia group.
The designation comes after Bahrain agreed to normalize relations with Israel. The US has been rewarding countries for normalizing with Israel. Designating a dissident Shia group as a terror organization could be part of Bahrain’s reward, although it does not compare to other rewards, like the UAE’s $23 billion arms sale.
Pompeo has made it clear that one of the main goals of the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries is to isolate Iran. The terror designation is a part of a slew of Iran-related sanctions the Trump administration is enacting in its final days.
The Orangutan (Orange-utan?) seems not to notice the boss terrorists in the ME region are MBS, the gulf sheikhs, and, of course, their BFF, Bibi.
“Saraya al-Mukhtar is an Iran-backed terrorist organization based in Bahrain, reportedly receiving financial and logistic support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said”
Once again the Iranians , who according to the fat bastard that said this, are able to support yet another group despite being economically devastated by the “maximum pressure campaign” according to that same fat bastard.
Israel’s obsession and hate of Shia Moslems is the reason for ban. Shia, wherever they are, are targets, regardless of their “link with Iran”.
As it happens, Shia are over 80% of population in Bahrain, ruled by Sunni monarchy. Bahrein “spring” was put down brutally, and no questions asked.
It may not be that obvious, since this is a true sore spot — MBS ended support for Sunni Islamism, ISIS, Salafi movements of all brands back in 2017-18. He clipped the wings and cut funding to Wahhabi establishment — in the name of domestic modernization. While modernization “with Saudi characteristics” is internally a success, externally brought about problems.
For one, Saudi largesse in UAE investments slowed, and Saudi tanks keeping Bahrain safe from their population are going home. Both are furious with Saudis, and opening up to Israel
is a revenge of petulant monarchs. But Saudis had to cut purse strings, as domestic needs are rising, and those two must fend for themselves.
Not being capable of self-sufficiency, they opted for “rewards” in recognizing Israel.
UAE is desperate for investments in their bubble economy. They have exhausted their oil reserves, and live of being the glimmering off shore capital heaven, place where government does not interfere in one’s business, provided they pay handsome sums for no questions asked. Without being capital heaven, UAE is nothing. Shiny city may be taken over by desert one day. But UAE geography gives it Straits of Hormuz — and now it is inviting Israel to the prime location in the Gulf.
Saudis had to take this risk, as UAE had been — with US help — interfering in Yemen, endangering Saudi intent to control Bab Al Mandeb Straits, its lifeline to Asia.
There is much more to Middle East than meets the
State Dept. designates Shia as sub-human and vermin to be exterminated.
Any comparison to 1930’s Germany to be classified as hate speech.
Bahrain is majority Shiite, ruled in an extremely harsh manner by an oppressive Sunni minority drawing on Saudi power.
Attempts at peaceful reform were violently put down, chasing demonstrators into hospital ER’s and beating the doctors and nurses treating them too.
Finally foreign troops arrived to crush the demonstrations, over a bridge from Saudi.
So now, anything at all they do to speak up is “terrorism” and to be crushed with violence. That is not new, except for the specific rationalization of the US.
The Bahrain uprising really showed our hypocrisy.