MANAMA: Bahrain's main opposition groups have eased conditions for talks to end a crisis that has drawn in neighboring Gulf armies and raised tensions in the region. Led by the largest opposition party Wefaq, they called late Saturday on security forces to free all those detained in the wake of a month of protests, end their crackdown and ask GCC troops to leave so talks could begin. The group appeared to retreat from much more ambitious conditions for talks it set last week, including the creation of a new government and the establishment of a special elected council to redraft Bahrain's constitution. Bahrain's council of ministers “expressed regret over the negative position taken by some political groups and associations toward positive initiatives offered faithfully by the state to exit the crisis,” in a statement carried by the BNA state news agency. It was referring to an offer last month by Crown Prince Sheikh Salman to the opposition to start an open dialogue over issues that instigated a month-long protest in central Manama. Sunday was the first working day after a week that saw closures of schools and universities to prevent outbreaks of clashes that had been erupting almost daily. An uneasy calm spread through the city as most Bahrainis went back to work and there were fewer checkpoints in the streets. Bahrain urged employees working in the public sector and both public and private schools and universities to return to work after days of closures and shortened hours.
