Manama, Mar 21: Bahrain's monarch Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today said an external plot to "subvert security and stability" in the country had been foiled as he praised the Saudi-led GCC force for helping crush an unprecedented unrest in the majority Shia nation.
"An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years for the ground to be ripe for subversive designs. I here announce the failure of the fomented subversive plot," King Hamad was quoted as saying by the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
King Hamad told officers of a Saudi-led Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) that if such a plot succeeded in one Gulf Arab country, it could spill into neighbouring states, BNA reported.
Even as he did not give any details of the power behind the alleged plot, Bahrain has accused Iran of interfering in its internal affairs.
Bahrain had witnessed anti-government protests for weeks, inspired by mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt that toppled the two countries' presidents.
The kingdom has imposed a three-month emergency rule and invited the military from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Sunni-ruled Gulf states to help crush the uprising in Bahrain.
The Sunni leadership in Bahrain, boosted by the presence of Saudi forces, crushed the protest last week in the heart of the capital Manama and drove away the pro-democracy protesters, mainly from the majority Shia community.
At least 13 people have been killed in the brutal crackdown in the month-long revolt. The bloody crackdown on protesters angered Iran, which has a Shia majority, prompting Tehran to ask for the withdrawal of Saudi forces from Bahrain.
It has triggered a diplomatic row between Bahrain and Iran, with a tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions.
Bahrain expelled Iran's charge d'affaires on Sunday, accusing him of contacts with some opposition groups, the Al Jazeera said, citing a diplomatic source. In retaliatory move, Iran expelled a Bahraini diplomat.
Earlier, beleaguered King Hamad has sought to placate the protesters by promising reforms and more representation for the majority Shias.
"The door is open to all subjects that are in the interest of all the citizens," King Hamad was quoted as saying by BNA last week.
"I shall not allow a stop in the reform process which I began when I took the reins of power," he said.
The monarch's reconciliatory statement came amid mounting international calls for restraint, with the US saying it was "deeply troubled" by the arrest of several opposition figures. PTI
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