Bahrain: Foreign Plot Has Failed

Following an aggressive crackdown on protesters last week, Bahrain’s king has announced the “failure” of a foreign plot against his country, and thanked Sunni allies for sending troops into Bahrain. “An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years until the ground was ripe for subversive designs,” King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said. “I here announce the failure of the fomented plot.”

Tensions have climbed between Bahrain and Shiite-led Iran, which has been angered by the clampdown on largely Shiite protesters. Yesterday, Bahrain expelled Iran’s charge d'affaires over alleged links to the opposition; it had already sent Iran’s ambassador home. Tehran responded by expelling a Bahraini diplomat, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, the streets of Bahrain’s capital have quieted as residents head back to work. But about 2,000 today gathered in a Shiite village for the funeral procession of a man likely beaten to death. Some 100 people remain missing, said an opposition leader. (More Bahrain stories.)