Iran unveils evil will by helping Bahraini group gain foothold in Baghdad, Beirut

The opening of an office of the Bahraini February 14 Youth Coalition in Iraqi capital Baghdad attests to continual attempts by the Iranian regime to destabilize Arab states, in general, and Arab Gulf states, in particular.

The Bahraini government and the governments of the member states of the Anti-Terrorism Quartet had previously labeled the coalition a "terrorist" group.

Office opening

The office of the coalition was inaugurated in Baghdad on December 22. A coalition office was opened on the same day in Lebanese capital Beirut.

On December 29, State Minister for Foreign Affairs in the United Arab Emirates Anwar Gargash denounced the opening of the office in Baghdad.

This, he said, is a dangerous development. He described the opening of the office as interference in the affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

He wrote on Twitter that the UAE backed Bahrain's opposition to the legitimization of the coalition.

The coalition, he said, used violence to destabilize Bahrain.

"Respecting the sovereignty of states and rejecting interference in their internal affairs are basic tenets of Arab action," the UAE official wrote.

Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, known to be Iran's viceroy in Baghdad, incited the anger of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the past by criticizing what he described as "discrimination and marginalization" in the Gulf state.

However, al-Maliki backpedaled quickly, writing on his Twitter account that he did not call for interfering in the affairs of Bahrain.

"We did not either call for violence or encouraged it," al-Maliki wrote. "We only called for dialogue and the renunciation of marginalization."

He added that he also called for respect for the right of peoples to use constitutional and democratic mechanisms to resolve the crises of their countries.

Soon after al-Maliki made these comments, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry summoned the acting chargé d'affaires at the Iraqi embassy in Manama for clarification.

The coalition is by far the most outstanding terrorist organization in Bahrain. It was formed on February 14, 2011. It used the internet in spreading its ideas, drawing in recruits and destabilizing Bahrain. The coalition works primarily to advance the Iranian agenda in Bahrain. It is made up of independent youth groups that have nothing to do with any of the country's political parties and movements.

The coalition was labeled as a "terrorist" organization by the member states of the Anti-Terrorism Quartet in a statement in June 2017. It was part of a list of six Bahraini organizations that directly or indirectly had links to Qatar. These organizations incited violence and unrest in Bahrain and also claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks on civilians and state institutions.

On December 27, a Bahraini court sentenced a member of the coalition to life in imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 dinars. It sentenced nine other members to seven years in prison and three other members to three years and a fine of 200,000 dinars. The same court stripped nine coalition members of the Bahraini nationality.

These coalition members were convicted of forming a terrorist gang and planning terrorist attacks.

Mohamed Benaya, a professor of Farsi at al-Azhar University, said Iran stood behind the opening of offices of the coalition in Arab states where it had influence.

"The opening of coalition offices in Iraq and Lebanon is very dangerous," Benaya said. "It shows that Bahrain can witness an escalation of terrorist action at the hands of Iran's agents in the coming days."