Bahrain and Qatar’s relations sour

The threat was said to have stemmed from major Sunni tribe accused of loyalty to Qatar.
“They must be prepared for any regional development,” Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa said.

On Aug. 20, Khalifa headed a meeting of the security services amid a GCC showdown with Qatar. Manama has accused Doha of buying the loyalty of leading tribes in Bahrain.

As a result, Manama has demanded commitments that the Sunni tribes, with a major presence in the United Arab Emirates, would remain loyal to Bahrain.

On Aug. 21, more than a dozen tribes, including Bufala, Rumaithi and Boukawara, relayed a pledge to King Hamad.

“They pledged defending Bahrain and UAE as one country, highlighting achievements and gains made under His Majesty the king’s reign that have pervaded the nation,” the official Bahrain News Agency said.

In his meeting with security chiefs, Khalifa ordered intensified efforts to detect signs of insurrection among the tribes. The prime minister also raised the prospect that Qatar could broadcast hostile propaganda to Bahrain.

“He [Khalifa] warned against instigatory discourse and attempts to sow division among the citizens of the same people for the aim of paving the way for those seeking to exploit the security development in the region to subvert security and stability and achieve their evil goals through misusing media platforms, social networks and the freedom and democracy prevailing in Bahrain,” BNA said.

Officials said the GCC crisis with Qatar could result in intervention by Iran. They said Teheran has been supporting the Shi’ite revolt in Bahrain, which began in 2011 and included bombings throughout Manama.