Saudi Arabia - whats going on there?

a_unique_person

Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
a_unique_person
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Looking like a one man coup at the moment. Since this is Monarchy and not a democracy there is no real way to take control other than becoming the king. Effectively it was a tribal collective of the original king. No more.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-s...into-unpredictable-new-era-kemp-idUSKBN1D620Q

Mohammed bin Salman, the next in line to throne, is clearly pulling all the strings at the moment. Previously untouchable Princes and other power brokers are now holed up in the Ritz under house arrest.

MBS as he is apparently known is keen to modernise SA and reduce the reliance on oil. The long term strategy of appeasing and appealing to the fundamentalist Muslims is going to be wound back.

In the meantime a long range rocket from Yemen has caused minor damage to their main airport and the proxy war with Iran is due to go to the next stage now that ISIS is reduced to a scattered terror organisation. This could end up anywhere.
 
Speaking of Saudi Power grabs,

The head of Lebanon's powerful militant group Hezbollah accused Saudi Arabia Sunday of forcing the country's prime minister to resign after less than a year in his post, as Bahrain ordered its citizens in Lebanon to "leave immediately" and banned travel there.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri stunned Lebanon and its leaders Saturday when he announced his resignation in a televised statement recorded in Saudi Arabia, citing Iranian and Hezbollah meddling in Arab affairs.
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http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bahrain-orders-citizens-leave-lebanon-50942602

So did the Kingdom pressure him to resign? Or offer him some support that made him feel like he could resign? It seems like SA would want him to stay because he opposes Iranian backed Hezbollah, but it's Hezbollah complaining about his resignation?

So very confusing.
 
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I think it's also worth keeping in mind Russian meddling. Remember that brouhaha a while back where the the Saudis supposedly said something rude in a letter to someone in Yemen that was then denied by Saudi Arabia? I'll have to dig it up.
 
Mycroft said:
Speaking of Saudi Power grabs,



http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bahrain-orders-citizens-leave-lebanon-50942602

So did the Kingdom pressure him to resign? Or offer him some support that made him feel like he could resign? It seems like SA would want him to stay because he opposes Iranian backed Hezbollah, but it's Hezbollah complaining about his resignation?

So very confusing.
Click to expand...


News on this:

The Lebanese president has not accepted Hariri's resignation and says he will only do after Hariri returns to Lebanon. That's because there are indications that he is held hostage and was forced to make that statement. Nobody even of his allies knew about this step, and yes even Hezbollah is complaining. Now UAE media has released a photo of Hariri "in what appeared to be the same suit and tie that he wore in photographs of his meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Monday and to deliver his resignation speech on Saturday which was broadcast live by Saudi Arabia's al-Arabiya television channel." Showing him with the Crown Prince of the Emirates, who he is said to have visited per plane and then returned to Saudi Arabia.

In other news, Abbas is scheduled to visit King and Clown Prince. Will he return?

edit: Oh, and Yemen's western-puppet pseudo-president Hadi who has been in exile in Saudi Arabia for years is now also under house arrest in Riyadh.
 
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This might have severe repurcessions for Rupert Murdoch: The arrested Prince was a major shareholder in Newscorp and was an ally in helping Rupert beat back some very serious stockholder revolts over the Murdoch's dictorial management of the company.
With a shareholders meeting in the near future. Murdoch needs Some huge coup to beat off the challengers, That might be behind the talks between Fox and Disney about the possible sale of the Fox film division to The MouseProduce something Rupert can herald as a success.
Talks are on hold for the moment but the deal is very much alive.
Me? I am in favor of it because I really, really, want a GOOD Fantastic Four movie, and that won't happen until the FF are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 
When Salman dies or resigns, there will be a constitutional crisis, as it is the first time the Heir Apparent is not the oldest living son of King Abdulaziz. Hence, the fact that they are neutralizing potential pretenders should really come as a surprise to nobody. Not a lot of governments like to risk civil war.
 
If you have an hour and are into podcasts, I can recommend the interviews with analysts Marwa Osman and Elijah Magnier. Not that they can make much sense of the events, but you will likely be able to express a much more informed WTF? after consumption.

f.e. I learned that the shot son of King Fahd was Saad Hariri's best buddy since childhood days.
 
dudalb said:
This might have severe repurcessions for Rupert Murdoch: The arrested Prince was a major shareholder in Newscorp and was an ally in helping Rupert beat back some very serious stockholder revolts over the Murdoch's dictorial management of the company.
With a shareholders meeting in the near future. Murdoch needs Some huge coup to beat off the challengers, That might be behind the talks between Fox and Disney about the possible sale of the Fox film division to The MouseProduce something Rupert can herald as a success.
Talks are on hold for the moment but the deal is very much alive.
Me? I am in favor of it because I really, really, want a GOOD Fantastic Four movie, and that won't happen until the FF are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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LOL. There's a major social, political, and military shift happening in the Middle East, and your takeaway is Rupert Murdoch's bottom line?
 
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