Bahrain Mirror: Deputy Secretary General of Bahrain's Al-Wefaq Opposition Society, Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi, revealed new details about the political initiative sponsored by Washington and Qatar between the Bahraini government and the opposition, right before the crackdown on the protest at the Pearl (Lualua) Roundabout on March 15, 2011. This initiative is now grounds of the prosecution of currently-detained Al-Wefaq Secretary General Sheikh Ali Salman, with claims that he conspired with the State of Qatar.

In his televised speech delivered on the 7th anniversary of the February 14 uprising launch, broadcasted by Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV, al-Mayadeen TV, Manar TV and Lualua TV, Al-Daihi said that the trial of Sheikh Ali Salman is regarding a US-Gulf initiative in which Saudi Arabia was party to, through its then Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal. The state of Qatar took part via the participation of its former Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, according to Sheikh Al-Daihi, who added that Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad, were also party to this initiative representing the regime. On the other hand, he added, Sheikh Ali Salman was part to the initiative representing the opposition.

Al-Daihi confirmed that many direct calls were conducted back then between Sheikh Ali Salman, the King, and his Crown Prince from one side, and between Sheikh Ali Salman and the US Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman from another hand. Al-Wefaq Deputy Secretary General also revealed that among the calls were 2 phone calls with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, and one of the calls with the latter was in presence of the Bahraini King, while the other one was in presence of Feltman at the US Embassy.

Al-Daihi wondered why would the authorities fabricate a fake case to forge accusations against Sheikh Ali Salman accusing him of conspiring with Qatar, through using records of these calls, and clearly cutting its content. Al-Wefaq Deputy SG went on to say that the calls were clearly public and were conducted via direct phone calls, and were documented by the BICI report.

In this context, Al-Daihi revealed information for the first time about initiatives and mediations initiated by other states between the government and the opposition. Among these states were Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Turkey, the United States and others. He added that the US-Saudi-Qatari initiative, which was originally proposed by the US and not the opposition, was one of these initiatives.

"I was witness to all these movements, especially the phone call on which the case is built on. I was with Sheikh Ali Salman when he received the broadcasted phone call with Qatari Prime Minister. I am certain that the broadcasted voice recordings are cut, and forged in context," Sheikh Al-Daihi said, stressed that "the calls were about an initiative to solve the crisis only."

The Deputy Secretary General of Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest opposition society that was dissolved in 2016 by authorities, confirmed that the prince of Kuwait also exerted positive efforts before the Qatari initiative. He said the Kuwaiti Prince sent a delegation that met with the King on one hand, and on the other hand met with other figures and opposition leaders, on top of which was Sheikh Ali Salman.

Moreover, Al-Daihi revealed a Turkish initiative by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, led back then by former Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who met both the King and Sheikh Ali Salman.