Bahrain king orders protest probe

29 June 2011 Last updated at 17:26 GMT King Hamad spoke at an extraordinary cabinet session The king of Bahrain has announced an independent investigation into weeks of protest that rocked the Gulf island nation earlier this year.

The move by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa comes ahead of a national dialogue, due to start on Saturday.

At least 31 people died when Bahrain's Sunni rulers put down pro-democracy protests led by the Shia majority.

Opposition groups have not said if they will participate in the talks while their leaders remain behind bars.

In a televised address on Wednesday, the king blamed the unrest on "extremists [who] hijack the nation and take it into chaos and extremism."

'New chapter'

He announced the formation of an independent fact-finding commission to look into the events of February and March, when security forces violently suppressed weeks of peaceful protests calling for democracy and freedom.

The commission is due to report on its findings on 30 October.

Continue reading the main story King Hamad, 61, in power since 1999Population 800,000; land area 717 sq km, 100 times smaller than Irish Republic Median age 30.4 years, literacy rate 91%Youth unemployment 19.6% Gross national income per head: $25,420 (World Bank 2009)Although he did not name the commission members, King Hamad said they would be "eminent persons" who would operate "without any interference of any kind", according to translated remarks provided by the state news agency BNA.

He said he hoped that the upcoming national dialogue - due to begin this weekend - would allow Bahrain to "write a new chapter in our history... full of success and prosperity".

Opposition groups have so far demanded that the authorities free detained protesters and halt the trials of activists before dialogue begins.

Hundreds of people - including opposition leaders, human rights campaigners, doctors and nurses - have been arrested since the uprising.

At least four have died in police custody, and human rights groups have warned of abuse and torture in Bahrain's jails.

Dozens of detainees are being tried in military-style courts set up under emergency law, which was only lifted earlier this month. Eight have been sentenced to life in jail.

In February, Bahraini forces opened fired on peaceful protests and sit-ins in Pearl Roundabout in the capital Manama. Then in March, King Hamad called in troops from neighbouring Gulf states to crush the movement.

Bahrain's Shia Muslims - who make up 70% of the population - have long complained of systematic discrimination when it comes to housing, employment and education.

The authorities have previously accused the protesters of having a sectarian agenda with backing from Shia power Iran.

But the protesters deny the charges, and the government has offered no evidence to back up their claims.

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Probe into banned activist in UK

29 June 2011 Last updated at 14:12 GMT Sheikh Raed Salah was detained on Tuesday evening An investigation has been launched after a leading Israeli-Arab activist managed to enter the UK despite being banned.

Home Secretary Theresa May said Sheikh Raed Salah had been excluded from the UK and the UK Border Agency was taking steps to remove him.

But his solicitor said Sheikh Salah had "no knowledge" of a travel ban and had not tried to conceal his identity.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper accused the government of incompetence.

Sheikh Salah has Israeli citizenship and is the leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel.

The movement, whose stated aim is to advocate Islam among Arab Israelis, offers education and social services and promotes a Palestinian nationalistic stance.

Sheikh Salah was detained by police late on Tuesday evening in London after he returned from a meeting in Leicester, where he had addressed a 500-strong audience.

Islamic leader Sheikh Raed Salah addressed a 500-strong audience in leicester yesterday before being detained last night in London.

The Home Office said he had been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks and was not allowed into this country because his presence would be "not conducive to the public good".

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said he was the leader of a legitimate political organisation.

PSC director Sarah Colborne said he rejected all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism.

"This is a legitimate organisation, which Israel has never moved to ban," she said.

"Before coming to Britain, he faced horrific allegations of anti-Semitism, which he completely refuted.

"He has clarified his position of being opposed to all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and racism against his own people, the Palestinians."

'Incompetent sham'

Mrs May said although the government did not normally comment on individual cases, in this case it was important to do so.

"I can confirm he was excluded and that he managed to enter the UK. He has now been detained and the UK Border Agency is now making arrangements to remove him.

"A full investigation is now taking place into how he was able to enter."

But Labour's Yvette Cooper said the government's rhetoric of being tough on border controls had been "exposed as an incompetent sham", amid planned cuts of 5,000 UKBA jobs.

"The Home Secretary needs to urgently explain why an individual banned from this country was allowed to walk in and instead of being stopped at the border had to be pursued by the police instead.

"Only this week Theresa May said that coming to this country was a privilege and she would refuse entry to Britain of anyone that she deemed not conducive to the public good. Her words now ring very hollow indeed."

Israel's Arab community numbers about 1.4 million, some 20% of the population. It includes Palestinians who remained in Israel after the 1948 establishment of the Jewish state and their descendants.

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Probe into missing Iraq billions

14 June 2011 Last updated at 16:47 GMT Mr Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said a third audit is being carried out Some $6.6bn (?4bn) flown into Iraq eight years ago may have been stolen, according to a US official investigating fraud in the country.

The missing money may represent "the largest theft of funds in national history", investigator Stuart Bowen told the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

A third audit is being conducted to find the money, which was shipped from the US between 2003-2004, he said.

The cash, which belonged to Iraq, was intended to pay for reconstruction.

The money came from a special fund set up by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York with Iraq's own money, which was previously withheld from the country under harsh economic sanctions imposed against Saddam Hussein's regime.

The funds were airlifted aboard C-130 military cargo planes by the Bush administration in shrink-wrapped bricks, as part of a $20bn reconstruction package.

'Loose and unregulated'

Mr Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, blamed the system that existed at that time for the missing money.

"The system was too loose and unregulated in 2003 and 2004," he said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that some officials in Baghdad have threatened to take the US government to court to reclaim the missing cash, which primarily came from Iraqi oil sales.

Mr Bowen did not speculate on who he believed may have made off with the loot.

"But this money was delivered to Iraqi control, and we have in the past had a number of cases reported to us about interim ministers who did steal," he said.

Pentagon officials have said for the past six years that they could account for the money if provided with enough time to track down the records.

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