(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Britain's former envoy to Bahrain, Peter Ford, has stated in an interview with Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network that Bahrain "[has] almost turned into a Saudi and American colony."
According to him, such a transformation took place following the Arab Spring protests that broke out in the country, when Saudi Arabia and the US helped Manama cope with them.
The former envoy claims that Bahrain's ruling royal dynasty is afraid that protests may reemerge and is therefore sticking to the policies of the two states that helped it in the past.
Ford believes that this explains why Manama is repeating Riyadh's and Washington's the anti-Iran rhetoric and blames Tehran for fueling the protests in Bahrain.
The former envoy also expressed his opinion that Bahrain should stay away from regional disputes, since it would most likely suffer greatly if a conflict were to break out.
Thousands of anti-regime protesters have held demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis ever since a popular uprising began in the country in mid-February 2011.
They are demanding that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.
Manama has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were deployed to assist Bahrain in its crackdown.
Scores of people have lost their lives and hundreds of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Al Khalifah regime’s crackdown.
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