“Bahrain set a two-week ultimatum Thursday for the return of citizens fighting as jihadists abroad, saying they will be charged under the Gulf kingdom’s anti-terror laws if they do not. An interior ministry statement said Bahrainis “currently in conflict zones… on the pretext of jihad” must “return to the country within two weeks”. Those who do not come back “will be pursued under the law pertaining to the protection of society from terrorist acts”, it said. Among the penalties that could be imposed would be loss of nationality. At the end of February, the ministry warned that the law currently providing up to five years in prison for its citizens fighting abroad, including in Syria, would be toughened. It said it would pursue those Bahrainis fighting abroad…………”
Bahraini Jihadists? And in Syria? Who would have thunk it! Why not stay home and liberate their island instead? If ‘liberation’ is what they seek. Unless they think the situation at home is well under control.
Here are these Jihadists going to Syria looking for Shi’as (Shi’ites) to kill, and nuns and priests to kidnap, while their regime imports foreign mercenaries to arrest or tear gas or ‘interrogate’ citizens right at home. So why not serve at home instead of ceding these ‘fun’ jobs to bigoted sadists imported from humorless places in Jordan and Pakistan and Syria and Yemen and among Iraqi Baathists? Not to mention the humorless Saudi troops and their security agents. Local native Salafis should have priority. It is true they can’t have as much ‘fun’ at home as they can do in Syria. They can’t slit throats and behead and crucify their victims, and they certainly can’t sack and destroy churches (perhaps a few ‘deviant’ mosques are okay). They have to toe the line.
Come to think of it: is it possible that is exactly why they are being ordered to return? Because their ‘skills’ are needed at home? It is also possible some local bureaucrats saw a similar Saudi circular and did what they have been trained to do.
Cheers
mhg
