Los Angeles Times
Strategic rift in Bahrain's royal court
Some members of the ruling family reportedly back hard-line Sunni groups; others advise helping disenfranchised Shiites.
By Borzou Daragahi, Times Staff Writer
July 7, 2007
MANAMA, BAHRAIN — Leading members of Bahrain's royal family have thrown their weight behind hard-line Sunni Muslim groups, some of whom share the outlook of Al Qaeda, in an attempt to counter a perceived Shiite threat, government officials and critics say.
The strategy, first exposed in a government report that surfaced last year, has revealed a rift within the court of the ruling Khalifa family.
Strategic rift in Bahrain's royal court
Some members of the ruling family reportedly back hard-line Sunni groups; others advise helping disenfranchised Shiites.
By Borzou Daragahi, Times Staff Writer
July 7, 2007
MANAMA, BAHRAIN — Leading members of Bahrain's royal family have thrown their weight behind hard-line Sunni Muslim groups, some of whom share the outlook of Al Qaeda, in an attempt to counter a perceived Shiite threat, government officials and critics say.
The strategy, first exposed in a government report that surfaced last year, has revealed a rift within the court of the ruling Khalifa family.
