Haaretz Wikileaks Exclusive: Bahrain King Boasted of Intelligence Ties with “Israel”

Local Editor

According to latest batch of documents revealed by WikiLeak, the Bahraini King bragged about intelligence contacts with "Israel", and instructed that official statements stop referring to "Israel" as the "Zionist entity" or the "enemy".

On February 15, 2005, U.S. ambassador to Bahrain William Monroe met with the leader of the small kingdom, Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa - the same king whose position is now threatened by popular protests, Haaretz wrote on its website.

After that meeting, Monroe wrote to Washington that "He [the king] revealed that Bahrain already has contacts with "Israel" at the intelligence/security level (ie with Mossad) and indicated that Bahrain will be willing to move forward in other areas."

Monroe also said the meeting was amiable and that the two sat near the fireplace on a cold and unusually wet day. Their conversation lasted about an hour and a half, and at some point moved to the subject of the "Israeli"-Palestinian conflict.

He also revealed to the ambassador that he had instructed his public information minister to stop referring to "Israeli" in official statements of the kingdom as the "enemy" or the "Zionist entity."