Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Cables leaked by the WikiLeaks website revealed that the former Saudi Minister of Culture and Information, Abdulaziz Khojah, said in a communication to the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud that Bahrain has become a place where Saudi Arabia is targeted and attacked.

He also stated in a confidential communication on the onset of 2012 that his ministry "noticed that a number of foreign media outlets as well as study and research centers have made Bahrain a place to attack the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its authorities and moderate policy towards the events taking place in the region, besides their usual attacks on the Bahraini leadership."

He also pointed out that "Reuters' correspondent, Andrew Hammond, who is famous for his enmity towards our wise leadership, had to be expelled from Saudi Arabia due to his offensive reports. Hammond; however, returned to Bahrain to continue his attacks that exceeded offensive news reports and further developed into posting insulting comments on Twitter."

The minister further stated that the International Institute for Strategic Studies publishes reports that insult Bahrain and contradict with the Gulf states' policies of providing support to Bahrain. Khojah requested the king's permission to form a media council in coordination with the Minister of Information Affairs at the time, Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, in order to establish a media strategy to face the media campaign launched by foreign media outlets.

It is worth mention that WikiLeaks promised to publish 7,000 secret Saudi cables including information about Saudi Arabia's foreign relations as well as its internal affairs.

The Arabic Issue