Al-Wifaq calls for the withdrawal of the Peninsula Shield Forces from Bahrain

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The leader in the opposition association Al-Wifaq (National Accord Association) called for the withdrawal of the Peninsula Shield Forces from Bahrain. He said: “the removal of the Iran card means the necessity of the withdrawal of the Peninsula Shield Forces from Bahrain.”The leader in the opposition association Al-Wifaq Khalil Al-Marzouq said in a press conference that: “The removal of the Iran card is a confirmation to the illegitimacy of the Peninsula Shield Forces presence and all the consequent violations. They said that there is a real danger to Bahrain that needs to be treated by the Peninsula Shield Forces, and these forces came, I will not reveal to you that in the first week of the February 14 movement and during our communication with the Crown Prince to make the initiative work, senior western diplomats relayed that Saudi forces will arrive to Bahrain if we do not end our agreement with the Crown Prince and end the protests; back then Prof. Hasan Mushaima had not yet arrived to Bahrain, and there was no announcement of the adoption of the idea of upholding a Republic, and there was no port financial blockade, and there was an intention to bring in the forces ever since the first week.He explained: “Our response was clear; we have told these diplomats that you should stop them because their entry will complicate the situation and will open up the way for foreign intervention, and they have repeated this info until the last moment saying that the Peninsula Shield Forces are coming.He said: “When the Crown Prince’s initiative matured and we announced the seven points, these forces entered to end this initiative. Previously we were overlooking the subject, but now we are saying it clearly that the Crown Prince’s initiative was terminated from the military, and the report did not clarify this point. The Crown Prince’s initiative was not ended by the opposition because the opposition positively responded to the Crown Prince’s initiative within less than 12 hours, but the truth is at that time there wasn’t an official will for political reform.The truth is that when the Crown took a brave step and announced the seven points, this initiative was assaulted and terminated, and all those atrocities did not occur for the opening of the financial port and nor to open the roads but to end the initiative of the Crown Prince.”Al-Marzouq stressed that the opposition’s view of reform is clear and documented in the Manama document, and he said: “The Bassiouni report clearly says that there are atrocities and violations, and we believe that the international community has a historic responsibility, and we suggest forming a UN commission in order to implement the recommendations of the fact-finding commission, and this happened in South Africa and Ireland, and Bahrain needs care to reach a lasting solution.”/129