US meddling in Gulf issues flayed by GCC

July 10, 2014

Riyadh, Jul 10: The US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor has been slammed by GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani, for his interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.

Al-Zayani voiced his “dismay” over the attitude of Tom Malinowski, who met with only one segment of political society during his official tour of duty to Bahrain this week.

“This kind of interference in the GCC’s domestic affairs is a violation of diplomatic norms and the principles of good neighborliness,” said Al-Zayani in a statement.

GCC officials said that safeguarding Bahrainis' rights is the responsibility of its leaders, who have promoted “security and stability” across Bahrain.

Referring to this political episode that has caught the attention of local and international media, Al-Zayani said: “The US diplomat’s holding meetings with representatives of a certain political segment, excluding other major components of Bahraini community … is deemed a form of interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs.”

Al-Zayani added: “This attitude will not help build confidence among Bahrainis on the US stance toward Bahrain’s crisis nor will it support its positive reform process.”

The US official was ordered to leave Bahrain on Monday after meeting with members of the leading Shiite opposition group.

Malinowski, who arrived in Bahrain on Sunday for a three-day trip, did not meet political and social workers currently supporting the Bahraini leadership.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Bahraini government “is well aware that US government officials routinely meet with officially recognized political societies.”

Psaki said “Malinowski is on a visit to reaffirm and strengthen our bilateral ties and to support King Hamad’s reforms and reconciliation efforts at an important time, particularly given events elsewhere in the region.”

The visit of the US official was coordinated far in advance and warmly welcomed and encouraged by the government of Bahrain, said Psaki.

Despite the diplomatic tiff, Bahrain provided assurances that ties with the US remain sound. “The government of Bahrain asserts that this should not in any way affect the two countries’ relationship of mutual interest,” according to a statement.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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