MANAMA, March 17, (Agencies): Bahrain’s foreign minister on Wednesday condemned a minor bomb attack on the British embassy in Manama, saying his government will not tolerate such action against foreign missions. “The attack on the British embassy yesterday (Tuesday) is not acceptable. The kingdom of Bahrain will not be lenient about this,” Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said, quoted by the BNA state news agency.

“The kingdom is committed to protecting foreign missions,” he said. Al-Ayam newspaper said police had arrested a man after an explosive device was thrown at the embassy, without causing any casualties or damage. In London, the Foreign Office confirmed the report. “We confirm that a small Molotov cocktail was thrown into the compound of the British embassy in Bahrain on the 16th March. No one was hurt. We have got good relations with Bahrain and are working to resolve this issue,” it said.

The attack came amid calls from Sunni groups to kick out British ambassador Jamie Bowden following his meeting with Al-Wefaq association, the largest political association of the Shiite majority in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. The Gulf Arab state criticised the meeting as foreign meddling in its domestic affairs, in a country rife with sectarian tension. Police said the explosive device resulted only in making a loud noise and there was no damage, according to local newspapers.

“The perpetrators will be brought to justice within the full capacity of the law,” the statement by Sheikh Khaled said. Anger by the country’s Sunni conservatives has been running high against Britain after its ambassador met with Shiite lawmakers. The small island nation is majority Shiite but ruled by a Sunni royal family. Pro-government newspapers published Tuesday a full page paid announcement signed by 240 Sunni conservatives demanding the expulsion of the British ambassador for interfering in the kingdom internal affairs after the meeting.

Ambassador Jamie Bowden issued a statement Saturday saying the meeting was held with the government’s knowledge and it was a routine meeting with lawmakers. “This does not imply, of course, that we agree with them on every issue,” he said. “We condemn the interference of the British ambassador in our domestic affairs and demand that the authorities expel him from the country,” some 240 community leaders said in a petition, according to the Dubai-based paper. “The ambassador has not respected international and diplomatic laws and traditions and has clearly abused the sovereignty of the kingdom,” they said.
The British mission in Manama has denied interfering in Bahrain’s internal affairs.
Bahrain’s largest Shi’ite parliamentary bloc is demanding the cabinet be chosen by its elected parliament, sparking a row with Sunni politicians.

The Al Wefaq bloc, with 17 of 40 seats in the assembly, said last month that the power sharing envisioned in Bahrain’s constitution had not yet been sufficiently brought to life.
This drew harsh criticism from Sunni politicians, one of whom also assailed the British ambassador for later meeting Al Wefaq deputies, and warned against foreign meddling.
Majority Shi’ite Bahrain is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family but has an elected parliament. The Shi’ite population complains of discrimination in jobs and services. Officials deny this.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa started a reform process in the early 2000s that led to a new constitution and parliamentary elections in 2002 and 2006. The cabinet is currently appointed by Bahrain’s king, with about half the members coming from the royal family.

The next parliamentary elections are expected in November, and observers say the constitutional debate is part of arm wrestling between Shi’ite and Sunni blocs ahead of the polls.
The country’s elected parliament is the only one in the Gulf Arab region besides Kuwait’s assembly, but its bills need to pass an upper house that is appointed by the king. Ultimate power in the country rests with the ruling family.
Bahrain’s sectarian balance is a concern to nearby top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, which has a Shi’ite minority in its eastern provinces. Bahrain has strong commercial and political ties with Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa met foreign ambassadors to Bahrain several weeks ago, urging them to adhere to international diplomatic conventions.