Fake Coups, Phony Coups and Fictional Terrorist Operations

Past references have been made to the so-called 1981 Coup in Bahrain by many, including by newspapers, magazines and published scholars. Wikipedia has an entry. All that I have read paint the blame on Iran, which became the boogeyman after the 1979 revolution proved that a government in the Persian Gulf could be changed by the will of its people.

Of course, as you and the good Major are aware, I had and have an entirely different view from that which has prevailed in the public discourse. I discussed the event -- shortly after it occurred -- with the Major in a personal conversation at a famous and favored Chinese restaurant in Mayfair. He was rather surprised that I was aware of it, as the details of the event were, shall we say, reiterated? Those details had been closely held by those involved. Surprise!

I've been calling it the Fake Coup or the Phony Coup, here and elsewhere in public, for a good number of years while busy with daily life far away from what had been planned for me. The Fake Coup been a mere footnote in my written and unpublished work until last November. Now I'm dealing with a housing emergency and have to delay for a month or so finishing that lengthy project for publication.

However, today Google provided a translation of an important Saudi blogger's post which caught my eye and inspired this post. The translation is much more accurate and picturesque than "Fake Coup" or "Phony Coup" could ever be. Since the Interior Ministries of many countries in the world include the both police and all sorts of internal security services, it is typically Interior Ministry personnel who carry out fictional terrorist operations. The example cited today was such an operation in Tunisia carried out by the Interior Ministry, supported by Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., to justify repression during the so-called Arab Spring and deposing of Ben Ali.

Isn't that a beautiful term? "Fictional Terrorist Operations." I could just say it again and again. It better describes a fake and phony coup. If I could write a poem or song in Arabic, which I can't, but if I could, I would write one repeating that word and finding lovely rhymes to accentuate the irony.

It would be no surprise that the family ruling a small island country like Bahrain would use the services of both Interior and Defense ministries in 1981, along with a wee bit of help from some special friends, to carry out a fictional terrorist operation. The surprise is that a detailed and well-wrought cover-up worked, so far, but apparently you were unaware of the identities of all the special friends.

New Coup? Beaucoup coups.

Rumor has it that Nasser in Bahrain wants badly to play the role of Mohammad bin Salman. He's not corrupt, is he? He wouldn't carry out a coup against his own father and uncles, would he? He wouldn't get help from Khawalid, would he? Who is the Saad Hariri lightning rod?

The Principal

Remember those questions that I asked you at Safriyya several days after Saddam Hussein attacked Iran? I've wondered why you didn't ask me who wanted to know the answers. I never discussed it with anyone else on the island before asking you for the answers. No one. Yet you didn't ask who wanted to know what was going on with your boys at the old airport. You didn't ask who wanted to know about the decision-making. Did you think that I would know enough about what was going on in Bahrain in the fall of 1980 to come up with those questions just days after I arrived there?

It was the principal. Do you recall whom it was that sent me to the principal's office?

Phony coup. It's going to come out, you know.

Command and General Staff College

College. Kickapoo. Salmon patties. Files. Photos. Golf and trip to the Ozarks with Farouk. Dinner with Paul.

Starting to ring a little bell?

Whatever happened to Hamad Schway?

Oh lookie here! Another photo from 1965. Remember Hamad Schway? Little Hamad? Great sense of humor. What did he become when Khalid and Khalifa pushed him out of the way?

Hamad Schway, also known as Little Hamad

Who Are The Collaborators?

Do you not see the irony in putting people in Bahrain prisons for allegedly collaborating with foreign powers? Is that not what the Al Khalifa have done since they've been in power? Is that not what you still do? Is that not what Uncle Khalifa and the Khawalids do? Do you not collaborate with the Al Saud to oppress people not in agreement with you? 

Merry Christmas. Somebody Had A Party

This is an interesting old photo, isn't it? At some point a rat got part of it, but ...

it's still as easy as pie
to identify two still in the public eye.

Must have been a classy establishment. It's not the Italian-tailored, Savile Row and Jermyn Street attire that you and Khalifa and one of the bin Daij or bin Mubarak brothers were wearing, or the petite covered candles on the tables or the (no doubt) ice water in the pitcher and glasses on the teeny, tiny table. No, look at the occupants of the table behind your head. Blondie gave away the game. Did you know? She might have worked for us, but I cannot confirm.

Oh look! You signed it, right over the lamp. So sweet, just like the look on your face. You boys are are smiling about something, that's for sure. (Hmm, maybe it's necessary to click on the photos to see ALL the details.)

I dunno. What does it say?

Send The Khawalids with Nasser and Khalid to Yemen

So, mister self-crowned king, you're going to send two of your sons to show off their military skills in the Saudi's disastrous war in Yemen, according to an Al-Arabiya article today. So brave of you.

It would mean much more to the majority of Bahrainis if you'd send off the Khawalids to Marib as well, before the Hajj and the change in Saudi leadership upcoming. It will save the Khawalids from the necessity of kissing the nose of the "young general," the 28-year old displacing his older cousin to become the new crown prince, cleverly manipulating a father who, as we say, is a taco and enchilada short of a combination plate.

Birthday Suggestions

This year I offer some further suggestions for your birthday. First, you should pardon Sheikh Ali Salman of Al Wefaq today.

Next, send uncle Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman to Saudi Arabia and a glorious retirement with all his children, grand children and great-grand children. He deserves it and so does Bahrain.

Third, you should publicly confess and apologize for your role in the 1981 coup, along with those of Khalid and Khalifa, the so-called Khawalids. You know what you did. Bahrainis should know, too.

Finally, you should abdicate in favor of Crown Prince Salman in order to "spend more time with your families."

#FreeAliSalman

https://twitter.com/hashtag/freealisalman

Happy birthday, Hamad. Many happy returns.