Who was behind the idea of the Gulf Union? Iran. Who is leading the campaign against a union of Gulf States? Iran. There are foolish regimes in the Middle East, then there are other even more foolish regimes, and then there is the Iranian regime, the holder of the gold medal in folly, and the affliction to the people of Iran and the whole region. So much so that it has no allies left in its neighbourhood except al-Maliki's Iraq; and with friends like that, who needs enemies? I hope that it is clear, before I carry on, that I am talking in this column about the government of Iran, not the people of Iran. I hope that it is also clear that my opinions of the opposition in Bahrain does not encompass all of the opposition, and certainly not the Shiites of Bahrain, but only the group led by Ali Salman within Al-Wefaq, and its supreme leader Issa Qassem, who is an agent of Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council was established in this month in 1981. Its member states disagreed over each issue that was presented to it, and there was always someone making reservations over resolutions that were passed. However, the GCC survived because it has safeguarded the freedom of each member to make its own sovereign decisions, and the GCC never stifled and stymied its members. The customs agreement stumbled, and so did the single currency, while the GCC central bank in Riyadh has yet to see the light of day. Then suddenly, the member states were mobilized like never before when, in this month last year, the members welcomed the accession of Jordan and Morocco to the Council, and last March, they proposed the idea of a union. These are two revolutionary developments that reflect the wishes of both governments and peoples. However, Iran also played a major role in motivating the countries of the GCC to think about expanding it, or upgrading it to the level of a union among them. The Iranian regime continued to threaten all countries of the GCC, while occupying islands belonging to the UAE and claiming that Bahrain is its 14th province, until a response came a year ago. To be sure, Jordan and Morocco are two countries where all the Muslims happen to be Sunnis. Nevertheless, the Iranian regime with its folly, aggressiveness and arrogance did not understand the signs of danger, and continued to threaten and incite until the member states proposed the idea of a union. I write today and challenge the fools in the Iranian regime and their agents in Al-Wefaq to return to me in the future so that we can see who was right and who was wrong in regard to the following: - 190 Iranian parliamentarians issued a statement in opposition of Saudi Arabia's plan to annex Bahrain. To this I say that Saudi Arabia will not annex Bahrain, and that all the member states of the GCC will remain sovereign, independent states. Time will tell who is right, I or the Iranian parliament. - The Iranian MPs concluded their statement by declaring their ‘absolute support for the brave people of Bahrain, and the country's independence and territorial integrity". But this is insolence on par with that exhibited by the Israeli Likud, because Iran was the first country to claim Bahrain, and we still hear that it is Iran's 14th province – and yet the Iranian MPs voice their support for its independence. Xinhua, a source that is independent of all the parties in the dispute, said that hundreds protested in Tehran last Friday, and were addressed by Kazem Sediqi who said, “The people of Bahrain and the region, and Muslims around the world and in Iran will never tolerate [the plot]". First of all, Kazem Sediqi has no right to speak on behalf of the rest of the world, because no one appointed him to act in this capacity. Second, there is no Saudi plot to annex Bahrain. Third, if there is any plot, then it is concocted by Iran, given the public statements there, and its agents in Bahrain. Bahrain, as it stands today, has no considerable oil output, and yet it is in a position that is a thousand times better (metaphorically) than Iran. Despite this, Ali Salman and his supreme leader Issa Qassem are attempting to drag Bahrain down to the level of Iran, i.e. to the lack of the minimum requirements of a decent life. Demonstrations here are pointless, and are nothing more but a form of outdoor sports. The Iranian regime has lost in Bahrain, but is yet to admit defeat, or at least shut up and seek to rebuild bridges with its neighbours. As a first step on the road to confidence-building, I suggest that the regime stop trying to impose Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi as a successor to Ayatollah Ali Sistani in Iraq, because the religious leadership of Shiites in the world lies not in Qom, but in Najaf, which is entitled to choose an Ayatollah as the Supreme Leader in Iran. [email protected]
