Muhhamad bin Salman as liberator.

 

"The imprisoned, among whom are billionaire and Kingdom Holding chairman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Al Tayyar Travel Group founder Nasser bin Aqeel al-Tayyar and chairman of builder Red Sea International construction company Amr al-Dabbagh, are accused of money laundering, bribery, extorting officials and misappropriation of public office.

Interestingly, the Saudi authorities have announced that all economical assets seized from those found guilty will be confiscated as state property. Even a no-fly list has reportedly been drawn up, and security forces have been deployed in order to prevent private jet owners from leaving the kingdom."  AMN

--------------

Let's not kid ourselves.  What the West calls "corruption" in business and government is the very basis of life in Saudi Arabia along with the the Wahhabi version of Islam, a version that resembles a bug frozen for all time in amber. 

 A lot of these business people and their companies (same thing normally in SA where true public companies are rare) will have long ago offshored much of their assets.  Foreign bank accounts, dummy chains of shell holding companies leading to a pot of gold at the end of the chain, Foreign law firms that manage hidden assets as in the the Paradise Papers, these are all methods. 

It is significant that MbS has imprisoned these people in a luxury hotel rather than putting them in house arrest where they could attempt to arrange to be smuggled out of the big sand box.  He has also not put them in hotel style royal guest houses where they might have connections among the government people who run them.  IMO MbS intends to beggar some of these people and geld the rest, figuratively speaking.  

This purge of his possible enemies and rivals was well prepared.  Key to preventing a counter-coup was the removal and replacements of the heads of the security services and the silencing of the Wahhabi ulema.'  I earlier thought that MbS might act against the senior Shia ulema'  but that may not be true.  He has been engaged in "preaching" toleration of other than Wahhabism.  Quelle horreur!!  In this circumstance the Shia clergy may see MbS as a friend and he may leave them alone.

Might one someday see a church in Saudi Arabia like those in many other majority Muslim countries?  Saudi Arabia as I have personally known it has been a theocratically driven police state.  When I was DATT there I was repeatedly asked by attache colleagues to smuggle Filipino, Pakistani and other Christians into the secret Christmas services held in the US Embassy.  I was glad to do so. 

MbS has abolished the arrest powers of the Mutawi'iin, the religious "decency" police.  These are the worthless, scrawny old bastards in short thawb who wander the streets beating women whose behavior they do not like. For that alone I am favorably inclined to him. 

Unfortunately, he has foreign policy delusions of grandeur in which he is making common cause with redheiferland and the gaudy world of Trump Administration delusions about the Middle East.  pl 

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/riyadh-freezes-1200-saudi-bank-accounts/

Comments

[blue peacock]

Col. Lang,

Who are the key staff that would have been necessary to have planned and executed such a thorough internal coup for MbS?

It would seem they are very competent.

If there's no loyalty for those deposed even by those who have benefited from them and may lose much in the new order, can MbS expect loyalty from those who benefit from his rule?

I am really curious about their recent Moscow visit as well as Kushner hanging out a few days before the coup, Hariri's resignation and now Macron in Riyadh. They all seem connected.

[Poul]

Will MbS seen an opportunity to reduced the number of royals who can receive an apanage? Cut the weak branches of the oil tree so to speak and save the state from a huge financial burden.

[Peter AU]

I wonder how much swamp sponsorship are now locked up at the Ritz, or have their assets frozen?
Trump playing Machiavellian games?

[JohnB]

Is there a possibility that SA could use RAF Akrotiri Cyprus or a base in Jordan for a symbolic air strike against Hezbollah in Leb or Syria?

[Bill Herschel]

RT on Macron's surprise visit to Saudi Arabia:

"The Iranian nuclear agreement “must be preserved” but “complemented with two pillars,” Macron said during his visit to the United Arab Emirates. In particular, the French leader wants to renegotiate the question of the “ballistic activity of Iran” – not covered under the current accord – “with sanctions if necessary.” He further wants discussions about “Iranian hegemony throughout the region.”"

Le Monde:

"Paris a exprimé sa solidarité avec Riyad après l’interception d’un missile tiré par les rebelles yéménites soutenus par Téhéran. Ce tir est une preuve aux yeux des autorités françaises de la réalité du danger du programme balistique iranien. Mais si Paris considère qu’il faut compléter l’accord sur le nucléaire par un accord sur le balistique et « encadrer » l’hégémonisme régional de Téhéran, la diplomatie française estime également que la fin de l’accord sur le nucléaire entraînerait la guerre ou la création d’une autre Corée du Nord."

So France believes that the rocket fired from Yemen at the SA airport was "proof of the reality of Iran's ballistic missile program."

So Macron, the Tony Blair wannabe ruling France, says that of course he's all for the Iran deal, but wants to add to it in order to protect Saudi Arabia from Iran. During his visit with MBS.

MBS wants to buy foreign governments. His success with Trump has gone to his head. Call it the Dennison Clothiers' Foreign Policy, "Money talks, nobody walks."

[turcopolier]

John B

Their own base at Tabuk in NW Saudi Arabia is close enough. pl

[turcopolier]

Peter AU

Why would DJT want to have his swamp supporters locked up? Your statement indicates a mind set in which the little brown people have to be told what devilment to attempt. pl

[turcopolier]

blue peacock

These princes all have large households. No idea as yet to who may have been the planners. pl

[jonst]

There is something 'operatic' about the announcement to get out of Lebanon. To me, anyway. Indeed, there is something operatic about the entire purge. Again, to me. Less than meets the eye?

[JMH]

Comments like this one are why I come to this site, thanks for the laugh.

[Account Deleted]

500 years ago Christianity did a own re-boot of it's own. It seems to me that the second category you describe may in fact directly give rise to the first, as reactionary forces reject it. British historian Tom Holland described the Daesh re-boot of Islam in a documentary recently: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/isis-the-origins-of-violence (UK proxy needed to watch).

Holland's view is that Daesh's antipathy towards France, in particular, stems from Bonaparte's conquest of Egypt & the Enlightenment's influence on how Muslims view their faith, which fundamentalists see as having 'polluting' Islam. Could have been done in 30 mins, rather than 60, but worthwhile nevertheless IMO.

[Babak Makkinejad]

The Ebadis are appear tolerant only in comparison to Wahabis and Jihadists.

[Babak Makkinejad]

No, Trump is against Iran and Shia and for Israelis and Wahabis. That, is, in fact, the position of the Western Fortress. Just look at Marcon's ejaculation on the Arabian Penninsula over the last 2 days.

[Babak Makkinejad]

There will be nothing symbolic about attacking Hezbollah or Lebanon. It would cement a war to the finish.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Yup, Marcon, the deputy of Mukhtar of Arabs.

[Babak Makkinejad]

There is no state in Saudi Arabia.

[JohnB]

Bill,

Did we expect Macron to say anything else.

[turcopolier]

Babak

not so. There is not a nation in SA but there is a state. pl

[turcopolier]

Babak

Macron is the primary mukhtar of France. pl

[turcopolier]

babak

Ibadhis are the descendants of the early Khawarij. They believe that the Qur'an is the CREATED word of God, i.e., that Muhammad was inspired by God to create it rather than believing in the descent of the Qur'an from heaven as uncreated and an aspect of God. pl

[LeaNder]

Interesting eakens, highly interesting guy too, if may put it that colloquially. Almost forgot about him.

Complete session, on first sight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukrE4jgjARg

[Babak Makkinejad]

That is closer to Protestanism and in direct contradiction to the views of Shia Doctors.

[Babak Makkinejad]

If what you state be true, then the state would continue to function if the Al Saud are gone. Do you think so?

[Babak Makkinejad]

Amazing, the Child of Enlightenment doning the mantle of the Mukhtar of the Bedu; is this another instance of the Noble Savage, TE Lawrence and all that?

[Babak Makkinejad]

The ledger is now clear; the fracturing of Christendom on the plane of ideas first led to the rise of ethnic states eith their cult of National Man (itself an ecpression of the idolatrous wordhip of the vollective powers of man) as well as trans-tribal ideologies that tried to beome gods to men.