Kuwait Ends Bahrain Naval Mission: State Media

2 Jul 2011 DefenseNews AFP

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwaiti naval forces on July 2 ended a mission to secure Bahrain's maritime border they began in March amid a crackdown on Shiite protesters, the official KUNA news agency reported.

"The Kuwaiti naval task force in the Kingdom of Bahrain ended today (July 1) its mission to contribute to the protection of the maritime border of Bahrain and securing it in cooperation with the Bahraini navy, which began in March," KUNA said.

The announcement came the same day that Bahrain opened a national dialogue said to be aimed at relaunching political reforms.

Saudi Arabia deployed about a thousand troops to Bahrain in March while the United Arab Emirates sent some 500 police - deployments that freed up Bahraini security forces to crush a month-long Shiite-led protest movement calling for reforms in the Sunni-ruled, Shiite-majority kingdom.

A Saudi official said on June 28 that the Peninsula Shield force of Gulf troops sent to Bahrain were to be "redeployed" but will not withdraw completely.

Kuwaiti Sunni Islamist MPs had announced before the naval deployment that they would move to question the prime minister in parliament for not sending troops to Bahrain.