Jan 3rd, 2014
In recent days, videos were released showing the capture of one boat shipping known Bahraini terrorists to Iran; and another boat travelling from Iran to Bahrain loaded with explosives and weapons.
These discoveries led to the discovery of several ammunition stores loaded with explosives and the uncovering of a number of bombing plots. This coincides with the submission of evidence concerning the coordination of these terrorist operations from inside Iran.
Bahraini national, Ali Ahmed Mafoudh Al Moussawi, based in Iran, stands accused of “planning to commit terrorist acts and plant explosives targeting vital installations and sovereign and security locations in the Kingdom of Bahrain”.
According to this evidence Al Moussawi was involved in recruitment, training and weapons-smuggling operations, with the objective of committing terrorist acts inside Bahrain.
Surveillance of the actions of Al Moussawi’s group led them to being caught in the act of receiving a boat loaded with weapons and explosives.
The seized items included a large quantity of explosives and detonators, 50 hand grenades, PK automatic weapons and 1,023 rounds of ammunition. Many of these munitions were labeled as being of Iranian and Syrian origin. The homes of some of the accused were found to contain weapons and explosives.
According to Public Prosecution, the detained individuals testified that they “joined the group to carry out their plans and commit terrorist acts with religious motivations… They also confessed that they had travelled to Iran and received training by Iranian personnel at Iranian Revolutionary Guard Camps.”
These detailed testimonies explained the roles of Al Moussawi and Iranian officials in planning and executing these operations; as well as detailing operations to smuggle further weaponries by sea with the use of an Iraqi crew. “Those instructions also included concealing the smuggled weapons, explosives and tools until the zero hour, to be used at that time in carrying out their plans, targeting vital, sovereign and security installations and assassinating certain figures.”
For those who continue to doubt the role of Iran in stirring up violence, instability and terrorism in Bahrain, the weight of evidence presented here leaves little doubt. This new evidence follows information submitted about the role of Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in backing a wave of terrorist operations during late 2012 and early 2013.
The evidence precisely fits the pattern of Iranian interference and support for terrorist groups in countries like Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Senior Western officials, diplomats and security experts have also stated that there is a growing body of evidence in support of Iranian backing for terrorism in Bahrain. We have previously discussed in detail the role of Iranian media outlets in stirring up sectarian violence in Bahrain.
Given Iran’s support for massacres in Syria and recent assassinations in Lebanon, at the very least we should be expecting to see condemnation at the UN Security Council of Iranian terrorism in Bahrain and the region.
If America and the West want to improve ties with Iran, this should not be at the expense of condoning Iranian terrorism in the Middle East. We will await with interest the international reactions to this critical evidence of Iran’s role in terrorism inside Bahrain.