Bahrain's Shiite opposition set to talk to rulers

The Shiite opposition groups in Bahrain seeking to loosen the Sunni monarchy's grip on power said Thursday they are ready to negotiate with the Gulf nation's rulers about political change after weeks of protests.

The two-week standoff, in which seven protesters were killed, has rattled one of the wealthiest corners of the Middle East, where it was long assumed that oil riches would stave off the kind of unrest that roiled Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

Bahrain's sectarian division, however, left it vulnerable. The kingdom has a Shiite majority but has been ruled for 200 years by a Sunni dynasty that it accuses of discriminatory policies and political persecution.

Senior opposition leader Abdul Jalil Khalil said the monarchy's opponents will accept the crown prince's invitation for dialogue.

"We will talk to the crown prince, but we are not going to sit together for a casual chat, but for a meaningful dialogue only," said Khalil, a leader of Bahrain's main Shiite group Al Wefaq.

Khalil said no date has been set for the beginning of the talks.

One of the first items to be discussed will be the opposition's demand that the current government be replaced in response to the killing of protesters.

"This government has to resign because it has committed illegal acts and violated human rights," said Ali Salman, the leader of the Al Wefaq movement. "We want a government of quality, an elected government and not a government stained with blood."

The opposition had refused to talk to the crown prince after the slayings, demanding the Sunni monarchy apologize for the killings and dismiss a government led by the same prime minister - the king's uncle - for 40 years.

Now, the opposition leaders say they will participate in the dialogue with the crown prince if he will back his words with action.

The opposition has also called for the formation of a constitutional monarchy that would have an elected government. Currently, one house of Bahrain's parliament is the only elected body, but it hold limited authority since all of the country's decisions - including the appointment of government ministers - rest with the king.

However, even the 40-member institution has been in limbo since the 18 opposition legislators resigned last month to protest the government's deadly crackdown.

Some of the protesters camped out in the capital's Pearl Square are demanding that the Sunni monarchy step aside altogether after security forces killed seven protesters.

Bahrain holds particular importance to Washington as the host of U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, the main American military counterweight to Iran's efforts to expand its armed forces and reach into the Gulf.

The island's Sunni dynasty had ruled Bahrain's Shiites for 200 years. The ruling family has strong backing from other Gulf Arab leaders, who fear that Shiite powerhouse Iran could gain further footholds through the uprising.