Qatar Rejects Accusation of Trying to Undermine Security and Stability of Bahrain
Doha / Information Office / June 17
The State of Qatar expressed its rejection and denunciation of the accusation of trying to undermine security and stability of Bahrain as its official TV broadcasted a record of a phone call between HE Special Advisor to HH the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Attiyah and Hassen Ali Mohamed Jumaa form Bahrain Al Wefaq society. That call was held as part of the then Qatari mediation and the TV deliberately presented the call as a support by Qatar to the Al Wefaq society and a direct interference in the Bahraini internal affairs in a naive and blatant attempt to misrepresent and twist facts and take them out of their proper context.
A statement released by the Foreign Ministry today said the contacts were held as part of the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar after the demonstrations that took place in Bahrain in 2011 with the consent and knowledge of Bahrain when HE Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani in the presence of the late HRH Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Saud Al-Faisal visited Bahrain and briefed HM the King on all the efforts of the State of Qatar in this regard. The Qatari mediation was suspended after a decision to intervene militarily to break the demonstrations and sit-ins.
The statement added that what confirms that Bahrain is aware of these contacts is that standard telephones in Bahrain were used and that the Kingdom of Bahrain did not raise this issue as a point of disagreement over the past years, especially during the crisis of withdrawal of ambassadors in 2014.
The statement stressed that all this is the best evidence of the continuing unfortunate disarray of the fabrication of charges.
The statement wondered why these contacts were not released in 2011 in the same way they were announced now.
The Foreign Ministry's statement stressed that taking a part or a little of the phone call and broadcasting it in these controversial circumstances and current tensions provides compelling evidence of targeting the State of Qatar and attempting to impute charges to it. It is also a disavowal of its efforts aimed at ending the unrest and enhancing the security and stability of Bahrain.
The statement added that it is not surprising to take these contacts out of their proper context for reasons known by all including the lack of credibility and real bankruptcy with regard to false accusations and allegations against the State of Qatar since the end of last month by those who make these statements or instigators.
The statement affirmed Qatar's continued and permanent commitment to all the principles laid down by the GCC and stressed that the policy of the State of Qatar is based on the principles of good neighborliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of all countries.