Interior minister praises BIDEC2017 success

Interior Minister Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa has congratulated His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa the Supreme Commander, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa the Prime Minister; and, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, on the successful organization of the first Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BIDEC2017).
The minister also congratulated BDF Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and His Highness Brigadier-General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa the Commander of the Royal Guard and Chairman of the High Organizing Committee of BIDEC2017.

He said the hosting of this major international event by Bahrain reflects the BDF’s outstanding expertise and efficacy as well as capability to host and support the exhibition and to coordinate with the various ministries and state institutions. This portrays the Kingdom’s potential and expertise in organising high-profile international events as well as its leadership in the field of military industry exhibitions, he added.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat daily, the minister said that Iran shelters 160 fugitives and suspects wanted by Bahrain for participating in terrorist activities that put at great risk the security and safety of the country.

The minister told the newspaper that Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of those terrorists and has issued sentences against them in cases linked to the martyrdom of 25 Bahraini security officials and the severe injury of more than 3,000 others.

He added that the strategy of US President Donald Trump vis-a-vis Iran helped in limiting the indulgent policies used by Tehran to interfere in the internal affairs of other states and to export its terrorist activities through the Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.

The minister praised the US strategy and said that in general, it undoubtedly restored international peace and security and in specific, it protected the regional security of Arab Gulf states.

He also lauded the announcement of US Defence Secretary James Mattis that Washington would surely dissuade Iran from shipping explosives to Bahrain.

According to the minister, there is evidence that Iran has shipped 24 kilogrammes of explosive materials to Bahrain and it logistically and financially supported terrorist to carry out terror acts against Bahrain and its people.

He said there is a direct relationship between Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and terrorist activities in Bahrain.

“Bahrain faced the threat of terrorism and was able to foil many terror acts. Physical evidence and strategic information proved the involvement of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in training terrorist members in Iranian camps on the use of explosives and automatic rifles and contributing to the smuggling of those weapons to Bahrain,” he said.

He added that some arrested suspects have admitted they received training on the use of weapons in the military camps run by the Revolutionary Guards. The suspects were between 20 and 40 years old, he added.

Source: Fana News