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Bahrain Accuses Iran of Forming 'Terror Cell'
[An Nahar] Bahrain accused Iran on Tuesday of having formed a "terrorist cell" busted at the weekend, saying its aim was to foster violence in the Gulf kingdom.The announcement was the latest in a series of claims that Iran was backing activists demanding a greater say for the Shiite majority in Bahrain's politics and likely to exacerbate tensions between the two neighbors. General Tareq al-Hassan, who heads the general security agency, told a news conference members of the cell were to have "brought in arms and explosives and to launch operations at a moment decided by their command in Iran." He said they had been recruited by two Iran-based Bahrainis and were commanded by a member of Tehran's elite Revolutionary Guards named Abu Nasser. He said they had undergone training by the Guards in Iran and also by the Lebanese group Hizbullah in Iraq, as well as received financial support. They were tasked with collecting intelligence and taking photographs of sensitive sites and military installations, as well as preparing depots and stocking arms until receiving orders to act. On Saturday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said a "terrorist cell" linked to Iran, Iraq and Leb had been dismantled, slamming what he called "escalation" as the Shiite opposition intensifies its protests. Posted by: Fred 2013-02-20 |
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