Hamad warns opposition over insults to army

DUBAI — Bahrain’s King Hamad said Wednesday he would not allow any more “insults” of the armed forces in the Gulf state in an apparent warning to leading opposition party Wefaq after criticisms it leveled earlier this week.

The army, led by Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa Bin Ahmed, took charge of ending protests that erupted last year after uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, enforcing a period of martial law.

“We have heard voices in recent days spreading hatred and abusing freedom of expression to the extent of insulting the Bahrain Defense Forces, and without doubt it is our duty not to allow this to be repeated,” King Hamad said in a speech to senior military officers at their headquarters.

“The executive agencies must take the necessary legal measures to deter these violations,” he said in comments carried on the state news agency BNA.

Sheikh Ali Salman, leader of Wefaq, criticized the army at a rally Tuesday, saying it would fail to suppress demands for democratic reforms in the island state.

“You wronged us, and you believe that what you did will stop us demanding our rights, but no matter what brute force you use, you will fail,” the Wefaq leader said. — Reuters