On Monday, Bahrain asked for support under a Gulf defense pact after weeks of protests by pro-democracy activists, mainly majority Shiites who complain of discrimination in the country led by a Sunni monarchy.

“I will leave today (Wednesday) to Bahrain to hand over a letter from His Highness the Emir to his brother King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa,” the daily Al-Jarida quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah as saying.

The newspaper said Kuwait would not send forces and is looking into playing a mediating role, but it did not name its sources.

Some 1,000 Saudi soldiers and 500 UAE police officers entered Bahrain, which hosts the US Fifth Fleet, this week.

On Wednesday Bahraini forces used tanks and helicopters to drive protesters off the streets and clear a camp that had become a symbol of their demand for more democratic rights.

The crackdown prompted sympathy protests from Shiites across the region. Kuwait has a large Shiite minority which could object to Kuwait sending troops.