Around 30 people attended the My Right to Security event, at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa yesterday, which was part of the forum.
Dr Al Alawi, former US defence secretary William Cohen, the Iraqi National Security Adviser and International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Senior Fellow for Gulf Security Dr Mamoun Fandy were among panellists at the event.
By GEOFFREY BEW
IRAN'S nuclear development programme will put Bahrain in the firing line of any military action or natural disaster, a senior government official said yesterday.
Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi said that with only around 150 miles separating the countries, the island would face catastrophic consequences should anything go wrong.
"What scares people in the region is that Iran could develop nuclear weapons," he said on a live television debate on the Dubai-based Arabic news channel Al Arabiya.
"The environment in the Gulf could suffer greatly (even) from a peaceful nuclear programme if a catastrophe happened and we (Bahrain) are only 150 miles away.
"If there is a war then it would be us who will suffer."
Around 30 people attended the My Right to Security event, at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa yesterday, which was part of the forum.
Dr Al Alawi, former US defence secretary William Cohen, the Iraqi National Security Adviser and International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Senior Fellow for Gulf Security Dr Mamoun Fandy were among panellists at the event.
A wide range of issues, including Iran's nuclear ambitions, the future of Iraq, sectarian violence and America's role in the region were discussed during the often heated 80-minute broadcast.
Mr Cohen was forced to deny accusations that US-led action in Iraq deliberately pitted Sunnis and Shias against each other and that the country's lack of opposition to Israel's nuclear weapons amounted to double standards.
Meanwhile, Dr Al Rubaie pledged that Iraq could be a fully independent state as early as next year.
"Iraq will become a fully independent state next year in parallel to the withdrawal of US forces," he said.
Dr Al Rubaie said a large number of US forces would leave the country in the spring, with a further departure at the end of next year.
