Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Khalid bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, does not hold back when criticizing the Iraqi army's war against the terrorist so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). The FM even went as far as to describe Iraq's military and Popular Mobilization forces as being "terrorist" on the onset of the year, which prompted reactions from the Iraqi side.

"ISIS terrorism is a crime against religion and nations. Besieging a city and starving people  to death under the pretext that there are a few terrorists hiding there is also an unforgivable crime #Fallujah_needs_help," said one of the minister's tweets on his personal account.

As he attempts to underestimate the security crisis that Iraq is facing against a multinational militant group that has taken over more than one-third of the country, Khalid Al Khalifa expresses his opposition to the Iraqi army's initiative to extend its influence over the entire country.

How could Bahrain that has been completely blockading Shiite areas in the island kingdom since 2011 and responding to peaceful protests with violence express its opposition to the security operations launched in Fallujah, which has been occupied by ISIS for over a year.

Back when ISIS took over the Anbar province area, Samira Rajab, a Bahraini government spokesperson, openly declared her support by deeming the situation "an uprising against injustice and tyranny that had prevailed in Iraq for over 10 years (...) Iraqis are not accustomed to abuse and tolerance of oppression."

In order to conceal his compassion with the terrorist group, the FM used "the humanitarian situation" as a cover to underestimate the threat ISIS poses. Fallujah, which extends over an area of 40 square Kilometers and comprises about 500,000 residents- roughly half of Bahrain's population- is being occupied by just "a few number of terrorists"!

Statements made by Bahraini officials sympathizing with ISIS raise questions about the seriousness of its commitment to the international coalition fighting ISIS. Since September 2014, neither Bahrain nor any Gulf State have announced strikes against ISIS strongholds in Iraq.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said he would consider stopping US oil purchases from Saudi Arabia unless the Saudi government takes part in fighting ISIS or compensates the US for the efforts it exerted in fighting the militant group.

It no surprise that Bahrain takes sympathetic stances towards ISIS on the official level, as the Bahraini government has turned a blind eye, since the group's establishment in Iraq and Syria, to the campaigns made by extremist Sunnis to arm ISIS and the fact that many Bahrainis went to fight for the terrorist organization and returned to the country without being held accountable.

Arabic Version