BAHRAIN FIRES INTERIOR MINISTER AMID RIOTS

ABU DHABI [MENL] -- Bahrain, alarmed by the prospect that Iranian operativeswere directing unrest in the kingdom, has replaced the nation's leadingsecurity official with a military commander. Over the weekend, the king -- in a move that Arab diplomatic sources saidreflected a change in policy -- fired Interior Minister Mohammed Bin KhalifaAlKhalifa. Mohammed was replaced by Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Rashid BinAbdullah BinAhmed Al Khalifa. Mohammed has served as the kingdom's interior ministersince 1974.