Courcy’s Intelligence Brief

*** Bahrain’s Shia quit talks.  Following the detention on 17 April of leading Bahraini Shia figure Khalil al-Marzook, Shia Muslim groups have suspended reconciliation talks with the Sunni-led government.  Marzook, a former deputy speaker of parliament, has been arrested for instigating violence and will be held for 30 days for investigations. 

The Shia opposition began protests demanding better political representation in early 2011 in response to the Arab Spring, but little progress has been made in repeated rounds of political talks.

*** Iranian intelligence minister to speak on 2009 unrest.  Iran’s Minister of Intelligence Seyyed Mahmud Alavi was reported on 18 September as saying that he will make a comprehensive statement in due course about the disputed 2009 presidential election and the unrest that followed. 

In answer to a question about whether people involved in what the regime terms “sedition” have been included in the new government of President Hassan Rowhani, Alavi said: “I will talk about the issue comprehensively in the future”.  He then added: “You cannot paint all people with one brush.”

*** Israeli settler population growing.  In 2012, the number of Israelis in the West Bank increased by 5%, a much faster rate of growth than the country’s 1.9% growth.  There were 341,400 Jewish settlers in the West Bank at the end of 2012, up by 16,200 in 2011.  The growth was split between 11,100 births and 5,100 incomers.  However, the settler population represents only 4.2% of Israel’s population of 7.9m.

*** China to increase Three Dams security.  Without providing any particular reason, China has said that it is to increase significantly the security around the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project, from 1 October.

According to the official Xinhua news agency, “safety control zones” will be set up for the dam’s land area, water area, and airspace.  The flying of sky lanterns, hot air balloons, airships, paragliders, drones, light helicopters, and model aircrfat will be prohibited within the controlled airspace of the dam.  The dam was completed in 2009, and the water level of the dam reached its designed highest mark of 175 metres for the first time in 2010.  The new regulations were revealed last week by Premier Li Keqiang.