Alwaght- Bahrain's King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, supported and financed subversive operations inside Qatar during a failed coup attempt in Doha in 1996, a new investigation found.
The second part of the Qatar '96 documentary, which was first broadcast on Al Jazeera on Sunday, revealed the involvement of Sheikh Hamad, who at the time was crown prince of Bahrain, in attempting to overthrow the Qatari government 21 years ago.
The investigation provided evidence of the involvement of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain in supporting the failed coup d'état.
Fahd al-Maliki, a prominent leader of the coup attempt, said Bahrain's Sheikh Hamad personally financed a series of sabotage operations and bombings in the Qatari capital. This was done under the pretense of an opposition front against then-Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, father of Qatar's current Emir.
Maliki, who fled to the UAE after the failed coup, said he received $265,000 from Sheikh Hamad in return for targeting government institutions, including the immigration department headquarters.
The attack was thwarted when the bomb failed to detonate and authorities found the explosive device in October 1996.
The countries supporting the putsch were trying to oust Qatar leadership because they found Doha's independent foreign policy unacceptable.
Retired Brigadier Shaheen al-Sulaiti, who was a senior member of the Qatari intelligence service, said Qatar's security services collected evidence implicating the three countries in the failed coup.
The report comes amid a worsening dispute in the Persian Gulf which began in June 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade, after accusing Doha of supporting "terrorism". Qatar continues to vehemently reject the allegations as "baseless".
On June 22, the block, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera TV, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade.
Qatar rejected all the demands, denouncing them as attempts to violate its sovereignty.
