Gulf Arabs want UK to deport Bahrain opposition

GULF Arab countries want Britain to deport two opposition figures accused by Bahrain over an alleged coup attempt and could make a formal request to London soon, Gulf Arab media reported yesterday.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, on Saturday accused more than 20 Shia opposition leaders arrested in a broad crackdown of plotting to overthrow the Sunni monarchy by promoting violent protests and acts of sabotage.

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which groups Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday praised Bahrain over the arrests and called on Britain to banish two based in London, Hassan al-Musheimea and Saeed al-Shihabi.

"All countries of the world, and specifically the United Kingdom, should deal seriously with these terrorist elements and individuals supporting terrorism and deport them from their territory," a statement published on state news agencies on Tuesday and in newspapers yesterday said.

The statement stopped short of saying the men should be extradited to Bahrain, an island state seen as a close ally of Saudi Arabia and Western countries.

But Bahrain's Foreign Minister said that GCC ambassadors in London would seek a meeting with the British foreign secretary to ask for extradition.Reuters