Al Bandar speaks out
Spy or ‘scholar’?
Saleh Al Bandar clearly has opted for the sanctuary of numbers because right through our conversation one thread is constant: “I did not act on my own, I acted only in my capacity as the Secretary General of the Gulf Centre for Democratic Development, not in my personal capacity.”
He repeats this sentiment again and again. He expresses regret over only one aspect: having to leave his wife and his home in a swank residential location in Bahrain. Obviously, he never thought he would be deported and he is still wrestling with that development.
Al Bandar speaks out
Spy or ‘scholar’?
Saleh Al Bandar clearly has opted for the sanctuary of numbers because right through our conversation one thread is constant: “I did not act on my own, I acted only in my capacity as the Secretary General of the Gulf Centre for Democratic Development, not in my personal capacity.”
He repeats this sentiment again and again. He expresses regret over only one aspect: having to leave his wife and his home in a swank residential location in Bahrain. Obviously, he never thought he would be deported and he is still wrestling with that development.
You get the feeling he was looking to be a hero, a saviour, someone who would be garlanded for what he did and he cannot understand what went wrong or how his conduct was questionable.
He evidently has a very high ego rating and believes his own criteria that he is a noble and righteous man who engages in only good deeds. The conversation starts abruptly and aggressively and we are occasionally critical and hostile and he has his script ready and baked for the media. Judge for yourselves as readers how he comes off in his statements.
It is morning in the UK. Nearing lunch in Bahrain. The Trib morning staff is on duty. Sitting in with the Editor are the Business Editor, the Senior Reporter and the Chief Reporter. We dial the number for Saleh Al Bandar. The phone rings just twice and then a voice sharply says “…Al Bandar.”
“This is the Bahrain Tribune, we would like to talk to you, are you ready to talk to us?”
“No.”
“Why not, if you have nothing to hide as you have been quoted, talk to us, we are not judging you, we are only keen to clear up the fog in the chaos and confusion you have created.”
“I have created no chaos, this is done by other people, not me, my aim was not to create any confusion or chaos, it was to bring to the notice of the authorities what was going on in the country I love….”
“Let’s just stop you there. What gave you the right to be the crusader, who are you, why are you the only one who loves the country.”
“I have had connections there for 30 years.”
“Two, sixteen, thirty, how many years has it been, Sir, we can’t even get that straight but to come back to our question, who are you, why you, what gave you this right to make secret reports, it is just paper, nothing is proven, why did you do that?”
“Because…(hesitation)… first let me make one thing clear, I was not acting alone so there was no action taken by me on my own, it was a collective decision to make those reports and send them out, I only sent them out in my position as the Secretary General.”
“Mr Al Bandar, once again, I ask you, why did you take it upon yourself to be the distributor of these reports and in the same tone, can you walk us through what you did…as you say, on behalf of your group.”
“You want to know (his voice grows intense and a little angry) I’ll tell you. I first made three copies and sent them right to the top.
Then I waited a week. When nothing happened, I sent copies of the report to some leaders of political parties…”
“Oh, why only some…why not all?”
“Let me finish, then I waited a week after which I sent copies to certain members of the Press…”
“How did you select these special members…are they your buddies, how did you select them, why did you leave out the others?”
13 copies in a vault
Salah Al Bandar ready to return, face consequences
“Will you let me finish…”
“So, then you waited a week…”
“What?”
“Just second guessing, you waited a week again.”
“Yes.” “So that is three weeks of dispatching copies of the so called report,
yes?”
“Yes, no one reacted and then suddenly I was on a plane being deported.”
“You were surprised?”
Obviously one of us laughs derisively because he says, “I was surprised, what is that sound…”
“Mr Al Bandar, isn’t this all a bit theatrical, all this cloak and dagger stuff, I mean, come on, why didn’t you just hold a Press Conference or something, how could you not think that attacking specific individuals in a ‘secret’ report and then selectively passing it around was for the love the country, come on, Sir, give us a break.”
“Well, when no one reacted…”
“Reacted, you got people into this mess without their permission, you sent out copies to selected members of the media and political societies without their okay, you indicted people without their having a chance to defend themselves…”
“I had to make it public..”
“You sent copies to foreign embassies, is that right?”
“Yes, I sent copies to the US, UK and German embassies.”
“And you think, honestly, that sending these copies to foreign missions was acceptable and showed your love for the country as did sending it to specific members of the media?”
‘No one was listening to me.”
“You or the organisation you work for, you said it was a collective decision and you were only carrying out that decision in your capacity as the Secretary General.”
“Yes.”
“So, all of you were involved in the decision?
“Yes.”
“What made you think that dispatching these reports was in any way a good thing for Bahrain, which is a sovereign nation and does not have to be accountable to any other country?”
“I wanted the truth to come out.”
“As you see it?”
“Yes, these countries have major interests in Bahrain…”
“Oh, please, Mr Al Bandar, let’s not go there, dozens of countries have interest in Bahrain, this is no justification for what you did, nobody has the right to go to another country’s mission with classified information.”
“I had to do something.”
‘ Engaging foreign countries, Sir, while you lived here?”
We try to say something to him about having used legal methods but he does not hear it, because his voice is raised in excitement.
“So, go on, prove me wrong, check up those people in the list, follow the documents, do you know at this very moment there are 13 copies of the report in a secret vault in an unnamed bank in Bahrain.”
“You are kidding us, you have these reports stashed away in a vault.”
“Yes.”
“To what end, what difference does it make, this is all so spy versus spy stuff, what made you do this if your intention was, as you say, honourable.”
“I have kept them in case the evidence is wiped out.”
“Mr Al Bandar, you made sure of that, you sent all these copies all over the place, nothing is going to be wiped out.”
“We had to do something.”
“Back to the original question, who are you, what is your agenda, thanks for talking to us but we need to know your answer, because this looks like a political movement.”
“I have no agenda, I am a scholarly activist, that’s all.”
“A what?”
“A scholarly activist.”
‘What is that, Sir?”
“I go round the world as a consultant giving advice to governments and democratic organisations.”
“And you have done this in other countries?”
“In Africa, in the UK, in many countries.”
‘How much do you get paid for working in the organisation as Secretary General?”
‘Nothing, it is free.”
“Come on Sir, you have an expensive lifestyle, you live in a top building here, you must make money somehow, we are asking you how you make your living?”
“I make very good money as a Consultant.”
“Sure, fine, okay, but how much…what do you get paid for this consultancy?”
“I am the highest paid expatriate in Bahrain.”
“For your consultancy, can you tell us how much, then maybe we can ask our boss for a raise?”
‘No.”
“Why not, once you say you are the highest paid, tell us how much?”
(Long hesitation)
Then he says,”6000 BD a month.”
Repeats it. We dutifully whistle in appreciation and then say,” Who was doing the paying?”
‘It was for my consultancies, I am very expensive.”
“We can see that, even if you won’t tell us who it was for, your job is now vacant, man, that’s good money…who pays that sum?”
He does not hear the humour and so we let it pass.
Change of tack, into the wind.
“Tell us, are you ready to come to Bahrain if you are summoned?”
He lets out a shrill laugh, “I wasn’t ready to go, why shouldn’t I be ready to come back, I live there, my wife is there, yes, I am ready to come back.”
“Are you afraid to come back?”
“No, I have done nothing wrong.”
‘Have you asked?”
“What?”
“Have you expressed your desire officially?”
There is a silence.
“Mr Al Bandar, do you hear us, instead of hiding copies in bank vaults, why don’t you speak out why you were collecting this information in the first place, isn’t that political, Sir?”
He does not answer.
“As you say this is all tied up with the elections, how has your conduct helped.”
“It gives transparency, I spoke out, I was even threatened.”
“Has the British Press caught up with you?”
“Yes, they have been calling non-stop since yesterday and Al Jazeera is at my door now, at this moment?”
“Are you meeting them?”
“No, I am not meeting the press.”
“What are you doing now, at this moment?”
“I am with my daughters?”
‘How old are they?”
‘Oh, so now you are aiming at my family, it is coming to that, is it, now you go for the family?”(A big sigh over the phone).
“For heaven’s sake, stop being dramatic, it was just a simple question, how old are they?”
“One is 18, the other 14, I have to go.”
“Mr Al Bandar, one last question…
“Are you a spy?”
He puts the phone down.
Article from: Bahrain Tribune Newspaper
http://www.bahraintribune.com/PrintPage.asp
