DUBAI: After two days of clashes in Bahrain and at least one reported death by security forces' hands, the government maintains that there is a Western bias towards the Kingdom when reporting events on the ground. The king's advisor for diplomatic affairs and Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies Chairman Mohamed Abdul Ghaffar said that the events unfolding are part of a regional conflict in the Arabian Gulf and the current conflict over the future of Syria. During a meeting with Turkish journalists, he hailed the important role of the press and media in projecting the true narrative the deplorable incidents which hit the Kingdom last February and March. “The 2011 events have made Bahrain more convinced of the need to promote the concept of modern civil state based on solid democracy and the principles of the national state, the rule of the law and equality”, he said. He deplored the fact that the western media was neither fair nor accurate in projecting last year's February-March unrest and the following repercussions. “The Western media bias prompted the establishment of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) to reveal all the truth and gauge the acts of violence and sabotage which barred both months,” he said in comments published by the state-run BNA. Abdul Ghaffar updated the Turkish media on the establishment of the National Commission charged with the recommendations cited in the (BICI) Report. He pointed out the developments in the Gulf region, underscoring the external threats and future security and strategic challenges it faces. “The regional upheavals are evidence that national security is no longer an internal issue”, he said, highlighting cross-border threats, particularly radical organizations, and extremist ideologies which aim to tear and erode the social fabric. He also urged comprehensive political and strategic vision to stave off transnational threats and address the requirements of reform. But his comments are likely to anger Bahrainis further, who continue to press the government for more rights and change. At least 60 activists have been killed in the now 13-month long protest movement that has demanded a larger say in the running of the country by the majority Shia population vis a vis the Sunni monarchy. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/hF8Fv Tags: Activists, Bahrain, King, Protests, Reporting Section: Bahrain, Latest News, Media
