Last month there was a buzz about differences between King Salman and his son MbS. Considering that the king is virtually brain dead, how can one take these rumors seriously?
The greatest hurdle in the way of Muhammad bin Salman to become king is Moteib bin Abdullah, head of the National Guard. In a new twist, King Salman created on November 04 a new committee charged with fighting ‘corruption’ in the kingdom.
Political successions are usually messy affairs, more so in the absence of stable institutions. This is what is happening with the Bani Saud. Infighting and bloodshed among clan members is a distinct possibility.
Sayid Muqtada al Sadr’s visit at the end of July to meet Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman raised more than eyebrows. What was a respected Shi‘i alim doing sipping coffee with the virulently anti-Shi‘i Wahhabis?
King Salman’s dismissal of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and elevation of his own son Mohammed bin Salman to the post while widely expected still came as a surprise.
Barely two weeks ago, the Arabian rulers were rubbing noses against each other (their way of showing friendship!) on the occasion of their collective surrender to the new imperial warlord, Donald Trump. Now they are at each other’s throats.
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Muhammad bin Salman has found a real daddy in Donald Trump. Both are warmongers and want to blow up the world.
Whenever the Saudi ‘royals’ mess up the economy, they reflexively target poor expatriate workers. There is not even a hint that the Bani Saud would curtail their extravagant lifestyle or accept responsibility for messing things up.
Poverty and Saudi Arabia may appear a contradiction in terms yet the kingdom’s economy has suffered massive blows because of wrong-headed policies. The kingdom is on the verge of bankruptcy.
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