Bahrain welcomes US designating Al Ashtar members as terrorists

Manama, Mar. 17 (BNA): Bahrain has welcomed the decision by the United States Department of State to designate individuals affiliated with “Al Ashtar Brigades” as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) under Executive Order 13224. “This stance reflects the position of the friendly United States of America to combat terrorism in all its forms and to confront whoever supports it, incites others to commit terrorist act or shows sympathy with terrorists,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “It also represents concrete support to the efforts of the Kingdom in the consolidation of peace and security and an important impetus and motivation to combating terrorism under all its forms regionally and internationally.” Commending the positive and important attitude by the US, the ministry said it was looking forward to seeing, in the next phase, a shift in the way the entire international community dealt with the phenomenon of terrorism by adopting a holistic strategy with security, political, cultural and media components, to ensure the eradication of the grave phenomenon and the drying up of its funding sources. “The ministry stresses Bahrain’s pride in the depth of its historical and close ties with the friendly United States of America and its keenness to strengthen them in all areas to serve the mutual interests of both countries and peoples and to contribute to the consolidation of peace and security in the region.”