Manama: Bahrain's King Hamad replaced the head of the state security apparatus on Tuesday as part of a shakeup after an inquiry exposed widespread rights abuses during a crackdown on anti-government protests in the country.

Bahrain has said it will comply with the findings of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry..

The inquiry headed by international rights lawyers was set up after Bahrain faced international criticism over imposing martial law and calling in GCC forces to help end the protests.

Adel Bin Khalifa Hamad Al Fadhel was named head of the national security agency, replacing Shaikh Khalifa bin Abdullah, a member of the ruling Al Khalifa family. Shaikh Khalifa was made secretary general of Bahrain's Supreme Defence Council and a national security advisor to the king.

The government also said that the interior ministry was in the process of hiring U.S. and British security experts to help police protect rights and freedoms while enforcing order. It said a code of conduct would be developed for police.

The inquiry recommended that a national commission should be set up to examine political, economic and social grievances.

Abuses

Rights activists have said senior figures should be sacked over the abuses listed in the inquiry's report, which appeared to have been more hard-hitting than some in government expected.
 
It said torture was used to extract confessions that were used to convict hundreds of people in military courts. It described the abuse as "systematic", and said some 3,000 people were detained and 2,000 sacked from state jobs.

Opposition parties have called for the cabinet to resign over the report and appoint a "national salvation" government.
 
 
COMMISSION NAMED
King Hamad also named the head of the appointed chamber of parliament, Ali bin Saleh AlSaleh, to lead a national commission that will examine the inquiry's recommendations.
The commission includes 18 other names including the justice minister, also a member of the royal family, and mainly pro-government politicians, clerics and businessmen.
Two members of the opposition party Al Wefaq, Bahrain's biggest political group, were asked to take part in the commission but declined because opposition parties were not approached directly or given the chance to choose who represents them. A government statement said it was "disappointed" at this.
The inquiry report said the commission implementing its recommendations should be independent and impartial and include figures from the government, opposition parties and civil society.
Matar Matar, a Al Wefaq member, said the justice minister and others named to the commission had defended the government's policies during the crackdown and did not fit the inquiry's recommended criteria.
"There are many in the ruling family who didn't defend the violations or deny they occurred, and they kept a low profile at the time," he said. "We are ready to work with such people who were not denying, ignoring or executing the violations."