No invitation to expelled US official, says Bahrain

(Our correspondent) / 30 August 2014

The US official was asked to leave the country in July by Bahrain’s foreign ministry because of his interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs. These activities included holding meetings with opposition leaders.

Bahrain’s Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla, said in a statement on Thursday that  Bahrain did not invite the US official. The statement came in response to remarks made by a spokesperson for the US State Department during a Press briefing on Monday.

The Bahraini official said that current contacts between Bahrain and the United States aim to overcome the effects of Malinowski’s recent visit and to ensure that the deep-rooted ties of friendship between the two countries are not affected.

The undersecretary noted that the remarks made by the State Department spokesperson carried several inaccuracies regarding the kingdom, stressing that Bahrain is committed to moving forward with the reform initiative launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

He added that Bahrain does not prohibit freedom of expression in accordance with the law as it safeguards its security and stability and guarantees the welfare of its citizens at all times. He said that such an approach was well known to the United States as it faced incidents of vandalism and unrest recently.

The undersecretary stressed that the kingdom did not need “outside observers” — as mentioned by the spokesperson — to assess its progress and policies.

He added that the spokesperson should be more cautious when making statements so as to avoid inaccuracies and false accusations about a country that is both a friend and an ally of the United States.

shamada@khaleejtimes.com 

For more news from Khaleej Times, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes, and on Twitter at @khaleejtimes