Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani has revealed that a "sign", given to Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his meeting with former Saudi foreign minister Saud Al-Faisal and Hamad bin Jassem, was behind the cancellation of the King's meeting with Bahraini opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman amid the February 2011 events.

The Qatari official remarks came during a lengthy interview on "The Truth" program aired on Qatar State TV on Wednesday (October 25, 2017).

Speaking about the Bahrain issue, bin Jassem discussed the border crisis between Doha and Manama, and the latter's rejection of any friendly solutions despite many mediations, mainly by Saudi Arabia, and the reason for resorting to the International Court of Justice in The Hague later.

As for the events of Bahrain in 2011, Hamad bin Jassem pointed out that what happened began with Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah's communications with the highest ranks in the Bahraini government to find a peaceful solution, adding that "there was approval by them regarding this subject, and that's why Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Attiyah told me that there is approval (by Bahrain) to enter this mediation."

He further stated that he had received a call from then US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman, who asked him to help find a solution to Bahrain, noting that he had received a call from the late Saudi FM Saud Al-Faisal. "Tonight I will go to Bahrain and I want you to be with me," he said to me, adding that after he had taken the okay from the Qatar Emir, he went to Bahrain. "I arrived at the military base where Al-Faisal had arrived before me (...) We met the King of Bahrain and talked about the issue and I told him that I had reached an agreement with Ali Salman to withdraw the protesters from the Pearl Roundabout to find a peaceful solution."

"I had not met Ali Salman before. We only spoke over the phone. During that conversation, he told me that Jeffrey Feltman was with him. Feltman then spoke to me over the telephone and told me he would be waiting for me the next day at Ali Salman's to solve the issue."

He went on to say that during the meeting with the Bahraini King, his car was ready to take him to meet Ali Salman, but "a sign sent to the King, which I do not want to mention, prevented me from going," he said.

Concerning the troops which Qatar sent to Bahrain with the Peninsula Shield forces, he said: "We sent our troops so that no one would say that Qatar is singing a different tune," said Hamad bin Jassem. "The Pearl Roundabout was cleared by force. We were not aware that they wanted us to be witnesses to dispersing of the sit-in by force (...) My problem with them was that they wanted to use force and we wanted to resolve the issue peacefully."

As for the current crisis, Hamad bin Jassem pointed out to Bahrain's efforts to be in the lead and desire to be at the forefront, saying, "The volunteer to be in the forefront, especially in the disputes between us, and I do not know why they do so." In response to a question about Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa's intense attack on Qatar, he said he had a point of view regarding the reasons behind that, yet prefered not to explain them.

The Former Foreign Minister further spoke of the bridge of love that was supposed to link Manama to Doha, adding that Qatar would have been the one to pay the full cost of the project, but it was subjected to halts every time a problem arose between the two countries. "Through the construction of the bridge, Qatar was planning to accommodate competent Bahraini nationals who do not find suitable jobs in her country.

Arabic Version