Kushner and Mnuchin and team trumps' "undisclosed" meeting in Saudi Arabia...just happens to coincide with the Saudi's "Davos in the Desert":
"A bevy of high-profile investors and corporate bigwigs traveled to the country for what is being called “Davos in the desert.” Among them are venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son."
So many dots to connect.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/10/24/saudi-arabia-hosts-top-in...
The prince that died wasn’t just any prince but he was the son of Muqrin bin Abdulaziz who briefly served as Crown Prince in 2015 before being replaced with the current Crown Prince. The son, Mansour bin Muqrin, had by some analysts been considered as a potential throne contender.
This is starting to look like a failed coup attempt. Interestingly, almost like the attempted coup again Mao Zedong in 1971 by Lin Biao. Who died when his plane crashed, or was shot down, while trying to escape to the Soviet Union.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_571
4
This whole affair has the distinct smell of trump all over it. I fully expect that trump thinks this is a grand idea and hope to make it so here as well in the not to distant future. You have to thank the voters for trump starting our next civil war, to those of you that don't think outside the box, it's a matter of time before your hero tries the same stunt here. This is winning? You were fooled once it's bound to happen again.
Since the entire US seems infiltrated with foreign cash from all these wonderful places it would seem that greed is great. If you aren't rich you are in the way.
9
Another prince and several others died in a helicopter crash near the border with Yemen. A report said that all private planes were grounded and forbidden to leave Saudi airspace.
Perhaps the prince was trying to get out of Dodge and an AIM-9 air to air missile stopped him.
7
Donald Trump's first overseas trip as president was to Saudi Arabia.
In the aftermath of Trump's visit, the future young Saudi King launches an unexpected program of economic and social reforms and crack down on political corruption, including the arrest of members of the royal family.
Can Trump take credit for such welcome reforms in the most backward and repressive regime in the Middle East?
5
Honestly, WHO CARES!
Let the womanizing, whisky-drinking, human-trafficking, hypocritical nitwit princess grab, claw, snatch at the dwindling Saudi oil money amongst themselves.
7
Alwaweed or his holding company own major blocks of stocks in MAJOR US companies. You should care. I am Notafan either.
8
According to the article, the "powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, [was created] only hours before the committee ordered the arrests. That means the Committee could have not undertaken any investigation or collection of evidence regarding the activities of those who were arrested. So, on what basis were they arrested? The answer is simple: Because the head of the anti-corruption committee wanted them to be arrested.
I figure that is the type of justice that Mr. Trump likes and secretly wants: Justice Saudi Style. That is why he admires the likes of Erdoğan of Turkey, el-Sisi of Egypt, Duterte of Philippines, and Xi of China. Of course he never wants that kind of justice to be carried out against him; he wants that only for his enemies!
20
A rumor is that the CIA warned the crown prince of a potential coup was forming and he took out of the leaders before they could act.
2
Where did you get this rumour?
3
This is more a family thing. To many Princes on the payroll now. Need to get rid of some family or just cut their paychecks.
1
Prince Mohammed is just stomping the grass to scare the snakes which are aplenty. Beware snakes, don't up your heads. An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away, if it has not already.
2
You mean the snakes in the swamp?
3
Every time I read the words "The Royal Family" a knot tightens in my gut. There are no Royal Genetics or minds in all of Arabia and that is self-evident. When did this family become so-called Royal? Whose technology found and retrieved all their money out from under the sand? They are propped up by White Europe who continues to place them at a level of society totally inappropriately by their behavior and attitude toward every one of their own race.
10
Why do I have the feeling that our resident president occupying the White House Donald J. Trump, lots of his most avid voters, the Kochs and other big right-wing donors, as well as many of Trump's cabinet appointees--here's looking at you EPA Secretary Pruitt, Education Secretary DeVoss, VP Pence, among others--would be a lot more comfortable in the theocratic authoritarian Saudi regime and society than in our own country?
And those reasons why they would feel so much more comfortable in Saudi Arabia are the same reasons why many of us are so upset by the predatory, perverse, prevaricating, and punishing orientation of the Trump regime.
11
He made risky smart investments, the money was not just given to him. But clearly his wealth causes power, and his power is threatening to the crown prince, and he does not agree to stay quiet and let the Kings opinion be othe only one....
3
This is a blatant power grab by Prince bin Salman. Despite his posturing about 'modernizing' this medieval kingdom, we now see the same corruption and intimidation that characterizes other islamic theocracies.
5
Seriously. How does one even define corruption in Saudi Arabia?
20
Maybe the Saudis need Trump and Kushner to come back and rub the orb again.
11
The whole petroleum industry presents a problem of orderly return of capital to investor for reinvestment into renewable carbon-neutral energy. Sunlight is a more abundant and enduring energy source in Saudi Arabia than oil.
5
What exactly was the arrest for?
Trump would like this type of power as well I would imagine.
6
Wahabbi's turning on themselves as their surrogates lose territory. There are are lots of corrupt societies and governments- most of them including the US and Israel are headed by crooks, but Saudi is without even superficial good intention (well, the US doesn't have any anymore). Go to it fellas!
3
What do you call 10 oil and gas multi-millionaire and billionaires in jail?
A good start.
It is difficult to determine if these mass arrests are good for the world, our country or Saudi Arabia.
When the arrests are part of an “Anti-corruption” campaign, in our modern era of propaganda, we can be forgiven for thinking that “Anti-corruption” may be another name for theft.
5
Do we really think that outside interests are not influencing our markets?
We need to wonder if in some cases this influence is just for profit and diversification, or if in some other cases, there is very bad intent.
This should open our eyes to the ability of other actors out there.
When so much wealth is concentrated in a few hands, there is a lot of power that can be wielded.
5
In the endless maze of conflicted interests of our political representatives, the temptations to front run tomorrow's news on financial markets are irresistible, particularly because these folks have exempted themselves from laws against securities trading on inside knowledge. Occasionally somebody scores just by manufacturing fake news.
1
bad intent is gilded and shining seductively at the W Street investors and hawkers who can't refuse any deal that will enrich them more. look at Ross...Cohn...Kushner...Trump. Money is their gravity center, and their principles and actions magnetically are drawn to their gravity center.
3
Prince Mohammed bin Salman is only 32 years old. He may be brash and inexperienced, but the way he consolidates power suggests that he must have experienced loyalists around him, who advise him. It is unclear whether the ailing King Salman, who is ultra conservative himself, supports his son whole-heartedly, like allowing women to drive and work.
Since MBS has vowed to return Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam, and authorised the detention of some of the kingdom's most powerful clerics, their top council tweeted that anti-corruption efforts were “as important as the fight against terrorism”, essentially giving religious backing to the crackdown.
4
What does MBS stand for?
This is all about consolidation and maintenance of power. I'm not holding my breath about any meaningful reform in the future; SA is still is very tightly-controlled monarchy with an amazing history of being able to manipulate American foreign policy. With Trump in the WH, that's a given. Stupid is as stupid does. Just tell Trump that you love his tie and he'll give you the keys to the Kingdom (America).
2
The initial of Mohammed bin Salman.
A plane transporting eight Saudi officials including Prince Mansour Bin Muqrin, reportedly crashed near Abha #KSA
4
"Eleven jailed Saudi princes a-moldering, and a partridge in a pear tree."
The Saudi princes are the anointed aristocrats of mafia capitalism and lend a patina of legitimacy and elegance to entire sordid enterprise. Unseemly squabbling among them tarnishes the luster of the brand. What does the House of Bush have to say about this?
4
The Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh, the de facto royal hotel, was evacuated on Saturday, stirring rumors that it would be used to house detained royals.
If you're a prince and you don't know
Where to go to why don't you go
Where the cuffs won't pinch and
Put 'em on at the Ritz!
13
One can assume that an inherently unstable regime, whose existence is totally dependent upon a calculated distribution of money and other material assets to members of the royal family, its military protectors, and government ministers, will survive only as long as most of the members of those essential state factions are pleased with their "share of the take". Kind of like a pact between a band of single purpose, bank robbers.
10
Just this weekend, the White House lavished praise on King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “The king and crown prince’s recent public statements regarding the need to build a moderate, peaceful and tolerant region are essential to ensuring a hopeful future for the Saudi people, to curtailing terrorist funding, and to defeating radical ideology — once and for all — so the world can be safe from its evil.” Apparently, rounding up the opposition is how Prince Mohammed plans to create a more moderate society. If you believe all that and have a spare $1 billion, then you might be in the market for the Brooklyn Bridge, or perhaps 666 Fifth Avenue, the building for which Jared Kushner is still desperately seeking investors.
10
I believe this is a chance to confiscate the wealth of these 'corrupt' princes etc. so their wealth can be redistributed to the younger, growing generation. That generation was getting frustrated that the wealth (that they believed was their due because of being in the family) was not as large as they 'thought' it should be. They just wanted to lay back and spend their 'due' instead of working to increase its value as Waleed and others have done maybe through nefarious means.
2
That's not likely to happen any more than the money that Trump swears will be returned to workers due to corporate tax cuts. He's already counting his proposed ill-gotten gains; his "employees - all of whom have probably signed NDAs - won't see a penny of his windfall. So, let's stop his insanity if you work for a living. Make middle-class tax gains real or defeat the bill - doing any less just makes Trump and his cabal even more wealthy.
3
Ironic that Trump desires to arrest his political opponents too.
13
This sounds like an attempt to purge anyone who does not support radical Islam, Saudi Arabia is the main reason we have ISIS, AQ, they are a double agent but we look the other way because we care more about the money than the threat of Radical Islam.
16
Juan, you could not be more incorrect. Muhammad bin Salman is a modernizer who wants to liberalize Saudi Arabia...he has engineered the elimination on the ban on women driving, and publically called for less religiously-inspired restrictions on the Saudi Arabian population. He understands that corruption among the Saudi Arabian royal family is a curse on the country, and this is an effort to curb it (I am not so naïve as to understand that this is also a power grab). But it is hardly about "supporting radical Islam."
4
I think Saudi Arabia monarchy faces the biggest challenge since the assassination of King Faisal in 1975. Suadi's fast deteriorating relations with Qatar and Prince Salman's alleged visit to Israel last month shows the lack of 'strategic depth' in its foreign policy.
Iran has become a 'feared state' for Saudi Arabia after consolidating its power in Iraq and Syria. Houthis increasing strength in Yemen has already given enough 'nightmares' to Saudi's monarchy. Saudian economy is in dire straits after multi-billion dollar investments in weapons and falling prices in oil has further exasperated the state of affairs in the kingdom. Prince Salman's popularity has got a tremendous boost among youth/women after lifting the ban on women driving but it has alienated the clerics and hardliners. The current turmoil of 11 princes'/ 4 ministers' arrests if not handled promptly could lead to the further destabilization of the kingdom. Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen have already turned to ashes of Phoenix...Egypt is bleeding profusely after el Sisi's brutal takeover. Saad Hariri's resignation as PM of Lebanon and Kurdish weakened power in oil-rich areas after Iraqi Militias backed by Iranian Pasdaran has consolidated Shiit's power in 'middle east'.
ME realpolitik is on fire and Arab feuds/power struggle has no chance of diminishing in near future. 'One at the global helm' are watching how Saudi cookie crumbles with fingers crossed. It seems there are no winners in it other than Netanyahu!!
6
Netanyahu?
Is this a set up to begin with where Trump, Russia and North Korea are working together?
North Korea starts testing nukes, Trump rattles his sword and Putin and Trump calm things down in an attempt to be good guys.
1
Rounding up the top billionaires at the Riyad Ritz Carlton
for a classic shake down
you are talking about reform?
They have destroyed Yemen and killed over 40,000 there
They have destroyed Syria and Iraq through their surrogates
They have blockaded Qatar and Kuwait is next on the list
Something really rotten in the KSA medieval kingdom of oppression
13
Every fortune begins with a crime.
9
There are also honest fortunes to be made by both investors and ordinary people.
1
For those who still can't figure out what that sword dance was about . . .
This is Trump's payback for Alwaleed buying the Plaza away from the shards of his bankrupt Trump org. - not to mention nailing Trump as a disgrace to all human beings and sentient animals everywhere. The "B-side" of this 78RPM record will try to fast forward into a war with Iran, which Saudi Arabia has been working with Trump to foment for a year, even though it will wind up destroying Saudi Arabia for its hubris. Mohammed bin Salman is the Jared Kushner of the Middle East, and is a laughing stock among military strategists. This is a course of suicidal action that will damage Europe, hurt the U.S. and destroy OPEC and the Gulf of Hormuz - but benefit Russia and Putin. Surprise. Show them a light and they'll follow it anywhere.
18
Love:"bin Salman is the Jared Kushner of the Middle East" - apt on so many levels, including Trump's unerring bad judgment in going with him.
4
Elsewhere in the Times, we are told that the Bushes want their Republican party back. The Bushes have tremendous political and business ties with the Saudis. After 9-11, the only civilian planes in the air were taking the Saudi royal family members home. And GWB never did seriously try to catch bin Laden
I consider SA to be a Sunni Muslim version of North Korea with oil and gas. Consolidation of power in progress.
14
So that's where my dish towels went!
3
MBS has some good ideas, but it's clear he's trying to gather all power into his hands and rule alone. If he succeeds, he will probably never in the future relinquish his power willingly. And so a nation that hitherto governed itself heavy-handedly but not blood-thirstily by an informal process of consensus among members of the royal family has now fallen prey that great curse of the Arab world: autocracy. Sooner or later the ideas will run out and the autocracy will become stagnant and stifling.
2
These 11 princes were arrested, not killed -- that's progressive, even for the Saudis.
But, they appear to have a faster judicial system than Mueller's which is going on for months.
5
Not yet they weren't killed. Who knows where this will go.
3
If not for oil (which Saudis couldn't even extract from the ground without foreign help), the Saudis wouldn't have many sources of income. Their only other significant exports are terrorism and bad religion - which people don't really want to pay much for. Corruption in that country can more correctly be identified amongst anyone with more than a few million dollars, not just the handful they found today.
Oh, it also includes most of the country's clerical establishment, since they're most responsible for stunting the intellectual development of the country's youth and pushing that same backwardness on other Muslim countries.
7
I am, like I suspect many Americans today, trying to put 2 and 2 together on this story and what seem like strange coincidences.
First you have Trump suddenly bumbling his way into siding with Saudi Arabia against Qatar....a strong US ally and site of extensive US military resources. The dispute led to a boycott of Qatar and the need for Rex Tillerson to try and sort things out.
Then Trump yesterday in the midst of his trip to Asia and out of nowhere, tweets a message that urges Saudis to run their IPO for Aramco thru the NYSE. What’s that about?
Then this in the NT Times
Consolidation of power by a young prince and arrests, including one of the country’s wealthiest princes, who in late 2015 Tweeted that Trump was a danger to the GOP of all things (in the Times story.) The Saudi's claim it is an effort to clean up corruption, and maybe it is, but given the murky western ability to even see, let alone understand Saudi financial structures and who in the Saudi leadership is doing what with their vast wealth, it could as likely be a battle over who holds major control of those funds.
And finally, the recent unannounced trip to SA by Jared Kushner.
I can’t figure out if there are connections to all of these recent events, but the timings of it all are very curious, and if Mr. Trump is involved in it and there is a lot of money involved, I get even more curious. I hope the Times experts will be able to provide a clearer picture of just what is going on.
12
There's no due process, no real opportunity for the accused to defend themselves. All we know is what the gov't says. Perhaps bin Salman is just consolidating his power. Even in an open society it is hard to get to the truth. In a totalitarian society, it is impossible. We have to hope this is a step up, not down.
3
I've read the current 131 comments; they range from thoughtful to sheer raving. This from a population that is reading reasonably well-vetted news, not Facebook or Fox News.
If we had a well-functioning State Dept., we'd get thoughtful articles by people with decades of experience dealing with the Saudis. That's available, in Foreign Policy magazine and other sources. Yes, some are quite establishment, and I might not agree with all they say, but at least they're based on some knowledge of Islam, the Saudi tribal system, oil, and Wahabiism, and I can consider the experience, interests, and possible biases of the authors.
Tom Paine, once the most dangerous revolutionary in 18th-century America was once an ardent proponent of revolution. A visit to France, where he was arrested, imprisoned, and nearly beheaded by the Jacobins' guillotine, gave him direct experience with the excess which is typical of revolutions. Be careful what you wish for.
Saudi Arabia is not the only country who relies primarily on the US for arms supplies, who threatens to take its business elsewhere, who sometimes uses those arms in ways of which the US disapproves, and who acts as a local US proxy. A close look at US and Saudi beneficiaries of these deals is in order.
For decades, Saudi Arabia has tried to cut its oil dependence and internal corruption, to modernize its economy and train its people, yet preserve its tribal, monarchical government. This is just the latest step in that process.
3
And I thought Thanksgiving was going to be tense at my house:)
5
Checks & Balances, how I love you!
You too Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, et al.
Forget the Pledge of Allegiance which is foolish on many levels.
My hand goes over my heart to the above.
4
I would feel better if they arrested them for giving money to the Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS then these phony corruption charges, because everyone in the Kingdom is guilty of that charge. What was the king trying to buy with all the items he gave Don the Con a form of a bribe? 25 million to one of the Bushes for a speech.
This is the most evil country in the middle east.
25
Sorry it is Iran by far.
2
Wow. Shades of old European royal intrigue and byzantine machinations. Will those in control resort to ye olde tyme solution of "off with their heads" to cement their hold on power and the royal counting rooms?
11
Count on it. The old 'royal rellies' were always full of wrath and revenge.
Corruption, Really!!!
The crown prince spent $500 Million for a Yacht off the shore of France; His Dad, the Saudi king blew $100M on most expensive vacation ever. Who should be investigated for corruption?
30
if this article is talking about the''trump princess'' being sold or owned outright by trump, its wrong..the yacht was owned by his casino and went on the bankruptcy block with rest of its assets
3
In Trump's tiny mind it was still "his" along with all the other parked assets with Trump Casino's that he bankrupted a perfectly sound company with.
4
If Trump hadn’t such an orange palor, he’d be green with envy.
17
We know how sensitive Trump is about the size of his ... hands. I think he now has arrest envy.
7
Hmmm...Mr. Kushner, the younger, strangely visited Saudi just a few days before this announcement. I understand that the anti-Trump prince has an ownership interest in Fox News. Could there be linkage? Inquiring minds find it plausible.
6
Conspiracy theory ,Russian collusion,rumor mongeringCollusion is if we help you get elected will you as the President of the United States do something for us that is in our interest but against American interests.Unlikely.HRC supported selling Uranium control to Russia and hubby got half million for one hour speech that is collusion.Gee I heard now that HRC is not going to be president ever Bill is not as popular on and expensive.
1
Uranium One is a Canadian company. It held uranium interests in several countries, including the US. NIne US agencies approved its sale to Russian interests. No uranium left the United States, except in your imagination. Hillary Clinton's book tour lectures are all sold out. She has said, clearly , that she is not going to run for elective office, again. I'm surprised you so dislike capitalism. The lecture tour, of which you speak, is a perfect example of capitalism. When you have an audience willing to pay to hear a particular speaker and the speaker wishes to be so engaged, the marketplace sets the fee.Mr.Trump,fampusly charged a million plus for his speeches, pre-candidacy. Did you object then?
We need Saudi Arabia to continuously support the use of US dollars for oil trades. Otherwise, how could we sustain our high standard of living with a 20 trillion debts on our back? China is trying to push Reminbi for oil trades. Russia & Venezuela already agree to do so with exchangeability for gold in Hong Kong exchange markets. If Saudi agrees to accept Reminbi, then our abundant US dollars will depreciate and fall in international markets. It will force our interest rate to go up much faster than now, which could dampen our economy and lower our standard of living. So keep Saudi in our backyard in utterly important. I am not surprised that we support the current Saudi government cracked down on corruptions. It will be good for us.
9
The lovely petrodollar agreement that Nixon made back in the 70s which then started the downward slide of our country.
2
You din't think Trump was actually working to Make us great. He is dealing for himself only.
Obviously Trump backed a "winner". It appears that those who were jailed were the "losers". And we know Trump only loves winners. Autocrats are rejoicing, including Trump. The world is not headed in a good direction.
12
Stop the obsession with Trump. The Saudi Arabia winners and losers are all bad.
1
It is not an obsession. It is observation of Trump's behavior.
1
It's always risky to challenge the king in an absolute monarchy because anyone who does could end up replacing the king. The Ottoman Emperors used to kill their brothers upon ascending to power to eliminate possible rivals. Salman probably is a truly ruthless man who will eliminate all of this rivals. Expect that these eleven princes who cannot assure him of complete loyalty will die, and their immediate families may be liquidated, too.
7
The Saudi royal family is several thousand strong.
2
I will remain cautiously optimistic. Yes, it's obviously power consolidation, but I'll take somewhat-corrupt Saudis who support an educated workforce and a dynamic economy over extremely corrupt Saudis who rely on oil and think women shouldn't be able to leave their house alone. Let's see what Prince Mohammed bin Salman will do.
4
Read again. The guy who supports women working and driving is arrested.
5
As we pass major tax reductions to corporations, how do you feel to know it is the richest of the richest who will benefit as major stake holders in what we believed were American corporations ? Now with the release of the "paradise papers", involving Wilbur Ross, the exposure of the worlds tax havens and 30,000 Americans involved in these havens, can we pass this big tax giveaway? Myself as an everyday worker paying taxes, I don't not want the next generation having to pay off this huge tax giveaway as it will add 1.5 trillion to the deficit JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE LIKE THESE PEOPLE TAX CUTS. It appears that they have so much money now and go through lengths to hide it all to avoid the tax system! It's wrong, it's immoral and hopefully people will put the breaks on the tax law vote until more of this information can be assessed.
17
Who was better as an ally? Saudi Arabia or Iran? I think it is Iran, especially after the Iran Deal. I would certainly choose Iran because they do not have any clout and does not have the power or capability to bring us to our knees. They do not have nukes and their Air Force consists of decade or two old Russian Planes. They especially do not have any power or capacity to cause financial collapse here. As for the Saudis we've equipped them with our latest, sophisticated weaponry and planes, And what did they do? Nonchalantly commit genocide in Yemen while we make squeaky noises or turn a blind eye to their atrocities in Yemen and on their own citizens. A snake is always a snake and will bite the hand which feeds it milk. And now we are facing financial meltdown thanks to their Royalty who are not real Royals but a tribe whom we put up there. As for Middle East, eating a little humble pie and siding with Iran could have prevented the ultimate disaster there, a catastrophe wrought on the people there who have no place to go and nobody wants, displaced and dead. There would be no ISIS nor warring insurgents. Yes, there would be a tyrant but a secular tyrant Assad but is he any worse than those Phillipine or Congo dictators or Saudi Royals themselves, Those Saudis who have the clout to destroy us and they are and will. Let's not keep backing the wrong horses. It is coming to bite us. What goes around comes around. Israel better take notes too.
Sorry I've digressed too far.
13
I think your reasoning is going to fall on deaf ears as the US have a consistent record of supporting groups that would benefit them in the 'short term' regardless of whether they would be good long term allies.
The Islamic mujahideen 'freedom fighters' (who later transitioned into groups such as Al Quada), the corrupt and brutal South Vietnamese government, Saddam Hussein and so on were brilliant allies of the Americans and certainly aided their interests in the short term but less so in the long term. It's almost as if their leaders knew they would only be in power for a short period of time and what happened afterwards was irrelevant to them.
Maybe they've learned their lessons and the latest batch of American funded Islamic mujahideen 'freedom fighters' fighting in Syria (right now) have been converted to genuine long term friends of the Americans. But given their pretty terrible past record, I doubt it. Americans leaders, perhaps by the very nature of their political system, seem to be narrowly focused on the short term, regardless of the longer term damage to their interests.
Trump is enabling Salman doing this purge. Previous American Presidents would have discouraged this kind of brutally ruthless behavior but Trump really could not care less and Salman knows it.
6
Twitter, Apple, etc., being put on notice?
You wonder...
3
Just goes to show how backwards Saudi Arabia is. Rich people never go to jail in the US!
14
I am always amazed by almost neutral tone of the US media when it comes to reporting consolidation in friendly countries. For example, one can compare power consolidation in Saudi Arabia with, say, that of North Korea. It is as if you are told to read between the lines: his move is simply brilliant! With a single move, the new crown prince (the king is too old to be relevant) has solved a number of problems facing the Saudi Kingdom. Wouldn't that be helpful if the media shine a little light on "the problems".
First, the crown prince can now confiscate assets of the billionaire prince, Alwaleed bin Talal, and use that to resolve some of the country's budgetary problems. Second, he has removed himself from any corruption charges by arresting those 11 princes. This comes after rumours that the Kingdom's investment arm is under investigation in the US and Europe for manipulating billions of energy stocks before the Saudis increased their oil production, forcing oil prices to drop by almost 70%. Thirdly, he has now removed all competitions - as well as a potential palace coup - for his next job: the King of Saudi Arabia. And, even more importantly, he has sent a clear signal to those who disagree with his policies toward Yemen and Qatar. They can keep their peace or suffer the same faith as the 11 princes!
27
In hindsight, if America were not such a lackie of capitalist Wall St., we'd have prevented these theological sociopaths from ever having the vast wealth they happen to now wield. We'd have taken their oil at the turn of the 20th Century, rather than let the British Empire build this Mideast oil Godzilla into the world dominating evil energy force it is today.
There has been no greater millstone around the neck of humanity on Earth since the invention of gunpowder, than the Mideast oil producers poison brew of machismo, theology, and money. History will look back at the age of oil in dismay as a literate equivalent of the Dark Ages, where vast potential for human advancement was thrown out for cheap material gain.
The biggest mistake in Western history since the Romans adopted Christianity was allowing Islamists all that money via natural resources that could have been taken by military force, for the greater good of all mankind.
13
Taken by military force? You mean take over the holiest place in Islam, Mecca? That would never happen, because you simply won't be able to. If it was possible you would've tried already. The Muslim world is fractured and that would quickly unite them. The only way the West has any influence in the Middle East is by dividing and conquering. Once you have no allies on the ground, you simply won't survive.
5
First, oil is just a source of energy with certain limitations. The same is true for nuclear energy. I wonder why you do not have the same expectation from those who are producing and now control nuclear energy. Has west been using nuclear energy "for the greatest good of mankind"? I bet there are many in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as Chernobyl, who have a hard time contemplating that notion.
Your big blunder is that you are assuming that Western governments work, and have been working, "for the greater good of all mankind". History does not support that assumption. In fact all indications are to the contrary. You also need to understand that oil production outside the US has always been under the control of Western oil companies and never under total control of those whose lands are exploited.
The white supremacist who talk about taking over other nations' oil fields by military force want you to believe that has not largely happened already. So, you can blame some Middle Eastern countries for all the wars and environmental problems we have today. And also set the stage for another military adventure somewhere in that region. I invite you to read the history of British Petroleum to understand the role of Western oil companies in that part of the world.
3
Mnuchin was in SA recently at the same time Kushner took his secret trip there. Why? There seem to be some missing pieces to these developments.
17
All governments do things privately.You assume the worse.On HRC the facts are in she surrounded herself with incompetent people.She took over the DNC to destroy Sanders during the primary and supported selling Uranium to Russia and Bill receive 500.000 "speaking fee"
1
Kushner "secretly" leaves Washington, via commercial flight, on Wednesday October 25th and is back home on Saturday, October 29th. Treasury Sec. Mnuchin and a delegation flew separately from Kushner: we're told this delegation went to discuss disrupting the financing of terrorism.
In the wee hours of November 4th Trump is tweeting: "Would very much appreciate Saudi Arabia doing their IPO of Aramco with the New York Stock Exchange. Important to the United States!"
US/Trump/Kushner fingers aren't playing in this game of Palace intrigue? ...money not being arranged to make Kushner's very shaky business arrangements solvent? ha!
(Appleby, Bermuda law firm of the rich and ruthless, has had an enormous data leak - 7 million+ pages: already Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears to be in big trouble on account of his undisclosed major financial ties to Russia's big oil company owned by Putin's daughter and son-in-law....oh boy! And NBC is reporting that Michael Flynn, Sr. and Jr. can expect criminal indictments tout suite! Trump hires only the best people, indeed.)
22
US presidents, US money, US military-industrial & corporate interests are hand-in-hand with this scary, inscrutable, extremist regime soaked in bloody black-gold for decades.
This alliance undermines & negates everything US 'patriots' claim the USA is about rendering Americans, their politics, foreign policy, their wealth & their cause, corrupt.
That said, Salmon can keep 21st century faux, 'news'corp, we'll even toss in Prison Planet.
Whatever's happening here, you don't really know what it is, do ya Mr. 'inside job' Jones.
6
Doesn't Jared have a security clearance? Wonder who and what he talked about on his recent trip to Saudi Arabia. Anyone want to bet he'll have a sudden influx of cash soon?
41
Land of Blumenthal ,I served in Vietnam with him.True patriot lover of cool aid.
1
"The anticorruption committee has the right to investigate, arrest, ban from travel, or freeze the assets of anyone it deems corrupt".
Trump utopia.
Our judicial system and vigilant media are the thing saving us from falling into the abyss.
1093 days until election day 2020. Only 2 days until Election Day 2017. The time to start taking back our country begins in 48 hours.
40
We need Trump now more than ever before.
1
The ultimate manifestations of Plutocracy are now on display for all the world to see.
When concentrated wealth achieves concentrated power in the hands of a few obscenely rich oligarchs, autocrats and manic narcessists the rest of the world will eventually overthrow them (along with their governments) one way or the other in order to survive. Whether violently or peacefull, that is the question and only time will tell. However as the wealth and power continue to ever more concentrated, I fear the violent course becomes ever more likely.
Sadly, America's leader has joined both this Saudi Arabian and Putin of Russia at the top of this festering cancerous rogues gallery.
Countries, like people are judged by the company they keep. Trump is making America gross, not great with friends like these.
55
Global power consolidation. No one is big enough to bring the hammer down. Juggernauts staring each other down. Money is god. Media corporate owned. Global corporations buying elections. Democracy is on the wane.
In steps Trump.
Brace yourself, darkness comes.
28
The Crown Prince travelled 'unofficially' to the White House in February I think.
hat was discussed at that meeting? Then Trump goes to SA to be stroked yet again by the kingdom and now we learn Jared had an 'unofficial' trip to SA a week ago. What was discussed on that trip?
All this secrecy by Trump, Jared and the administration is not good. What is going on? I would bet it's money talking and not much democracy talking.
Is Jared getting money? Trump?
Who can find out?
24
After awhile something happens to some rich people .They want to do good.Happened to Carnegie,Rockefeller,Gates ,Warren Buffet.The boards of hospital and colleges are full of them.Class warfare is HRC .It hurts me when people ,any people not given a chance .
We've taken for granted that for many many decades Saudi Arabia has been a very steady presence in the otherwise chaotic Middle East.
The world does not need another inexperienced and unpredictable man in charge of a very powerful and consequential nation
9
It can happen here . . . if we don't stop the Trump royal family first.
16
That was the entitled Clintons. They are history !
3
Can you please put up a graphic of the Saud family tree? It's difficult to get any sense of who's who in this squalid billionaires' gallery of players.
22
Dad is securing his son's throne. Why the fuss?
8
Trump egged this guy on. What is his endgame? Did Kushner agree that the US wil stand down while the new regime attacks Iran with American weapons? And of course, there is no due process, so heads will roll (or be stoned). Trump likes autocrats, he must be soooo envious of the right to control the levers of the justice system, such as it is.
44
It appears MBS is the American side in this Saudi shadow battle. Wonder who is going to be the front for the China Russia side and where Iran will fit in. It is going to be an interesting and violent ride. Buckle up.
5
Re, initials MBS. At first these initials escaped me, so my brain turned inventive. No, I won't go there.
2
In the Ottoman Empire the Sultan often sequestered competition for - proimacy/dominance - to "Prince's Island" in the Marmara sea (just off Istanbul).
Disturbing...
6
This is the kind of "justice" President Donald Trump would like to exercise here in America. In Saudi Arabia is the equivalent of our Justice Department — if there is one — separate from the ruling Prince? I think not.
13
This is the way to ruin for Al Saud clan - sooner the better. Absolute power begets absolute ruin.
5
Schadenfreud for 9/11, like some rough beast, slouches toward Riadyh to be born. Now aren't you glad you didn't buy stock in Saudi Aramco last week?
You couldn't, last week, fortunately, but the Saudis plan to start selling their compost pretty soon. Stay far away. When they start publicly arresting military commanders and billionaire businessmen, such extreme measures mean the "kingdom," i.e. lazy dictatorship, is on the brink of civil war.
It won't end with putting up a few top dogs in a fancy hotel. ISIS at this very moment is seeking a new sponsorship deal, perhaps with an ultra rich Saudi businessman. And somehow the Saudis, for all the advanced weaponry we've sold them and all the pilots we've trained over the years have proven remarkably inept at putting away a ragtag poorly supplied Houthi force in Yemen. A purge in Saudi Arabia, besides ingrained incompetence, is fundamentally different from one in N. Korea. Shadows are gathering on every side of the magic kingdom, within and without.
Characteristically, Trump has put us diplomatically squarely on the side of a regime that is collapsing like Kim Jong Un's nuclear mountain.
They say on Wall St: "If you don't trust the management don't buy the stock." The size of the Aramco deal is Titanic. Just like the ship.
16
"Prince's arrest could shake up Citigroup, 21sr Century Fox and Twitter."
Well, now! I wonder what will possibly come to light as a result of this? If this "reform" movement in Saudi Arabia continues without being derailed, all sorts of information could be laid bare. Perhaps even some information of interest to Bob Mueller.
5
Alwaleed bin Talal's arrest is huge blow to the Democratic Party. He's the largest stakeholder of Citigroup -- America's largest bank -- and the man behind Obama's election in 2008 (and the subsequent trillionaire bailout he gave them right after).
The Democrats have been the Party of the Bankers since the end of the 1990s. Just like Obama, Hillary Clinton came from the financial sector, which is its main source of political leaderships these last years. It's conservative faction (i.e. the non-Sandernista faction) will have to be more cautious from now on to raise funds for the ever more expensive political campaigns.
7
Hillary Clinton was an Arkansas lawyer, not a banker. Obama never worked in banking/finance, either. If you'd like to really see who the "Party of the Bankers" is, feel free to examine to the financial histories of the last several Republican nominees... Trump, Romney, McCain, the Bushes...
4
Follow the money.HRC got Wall Street money they thought she is a good investment.
Given the challenges in sorting out such a different culture, as a world citizen my only hope is that these actions somehow address the Wahhabism problem. The enemy of our enemy can be our friend.
2
Since Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross found the absence of any protesters in Saudi Arabia (beheading anyone?) so refreshing during Trump’s visit last spring, he must also be envious that Crown Prince bin Salman’s is able to dispense with a constitutionally guaranteed justice system as well, when he wants to order multiple arrests of his subjects. Saudi Arabia and Trump administration- BFF.
12
Most interesting part of story is a Saudi royal billionaire's financial entanglement with the Trump business empire, News Corp, Twitter, Apple, Citigroup and more. It really was a bad idea to elect a president with global business connections. Dear fellow Americans, let's not do that again, shall we?
35
Donald has taken notice and advised Sessions to find a way he can act similarly in silencing certain prosecutors and other crooked people.
5
Let's look at the timing here.
Kushner goes to Saudi Arabia over the weekend and less than 24hrs after he leaves to come home all these arrests happen?
23
This is the same crown prince who bought a $550 million yacht last year on a whim cracking down on corruption!
12
Heard a BBC journalist describe this as “the night of the long scimitar.” Brilliant!
8
An anti-corruption sweep by the Sauds is like an anti-gun sweep by the NRA.
17
This is a coup taking place folks it is about to get ugly in the Middle East folks this news on top of the resignation of the Lebanese PM tells you something big is coming.
9
What was Kushner doing in Saudi Arabia ?
52
Ask Sarah Huckabee
1
What does a prince do anyway?
1
If you mean the Crown Prince? His father is old he is ambitious and does lot of the heavy lifting whrn oit comes to running SA
going back to the early 1960's, the corruption and excessive self-indulgence w/i the house of saud served as both the initial and primary motivations for the current jihad begun by osama b.l. and friends.
this house cleaning is long overdue.
3
If he is really truthful and honest he must bring the secret agreements with the CIA and Mossad about the creation of Al-Qaeda and ISIS out in the open and confirm what Assange's Wikileaks have already shown.
4
I think 'arrested" in the Saudi Kingdom has a somewhat different meaning than it may have in "infidel" nations such as ours or in the West generally. In that Kingdom it's usually just a few steps from there to the Lord High Executioner's office. So I'm afraid these gentleman may already be "awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp shock".*
But then, what will happen to Prince Talal's vast wealth?
Guess.
* Apologies to G&S.
4
They get to be holed up as prisoners at the Ritz Hotel? Rough place.
I hear the fois gras isn't that fresh there and the sheets don't have enough thread count. Do they get room service and a pillow menu too?
6
Boy oh boy, don't we know how to pick our allies. The travel ban got Chad out of the business of helping us keep ISIS out of central Africa, and likely contributed to those deaths. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia don't count; they've got too much money and too much power. Hence: bin Laden et al.
The US, the biggest arms merchant in the world, is making "friends" (aka enemies) all over the world by helping these monsters suppress the possibility of the guy and gal on the street having a reasonable life. We go in and destroy the neighborhood, and sometimes we help our allies (Saudis) do it for us. What did we think would happen? The person in Iraq, Syria, Africa, etc. has no clean water, no electricity, and they're supposed to hug us and ignore their own religion? No, we are a recruiting poster for extremists, pure and simple.
So stupid. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we're importing this nonsense rather than joining real humans in trying to work together to solve problems.
I would be more disgusted if I weren't so frightened of all the harm we and our allies are doing by embracing hatred, exclusion, violence, otherblaming, and religious extremism. The Jesus of the gospels is better than this: these are not Christians, as the voices in their heads and the god they created in their own image takes over and wisdom is suppressed, jailed, and even killed.
11
King Salman is allowing or enabling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to change the rules. The succession is being guaranteed now instead of passing through some uncle and later to another uncle etc.
Making order and cleaning up their act might buy the Saudi monarchy some time, but not much.
The question is what happens when the monarchy goes?
4
If the hitherto benighted monarchy is truly and marvelously transformed into an enlightened monarchy that endures for more than one generation, perhaps it will serve as a transition to something like a liberal constitutional monarchy or even a liberal democratic republic. Right now I wouldn't bet on it, but then again I do tend toward cynicism. In any case, we should not try to rush this process, as it will require a new generation born and bred to more progressive values than have been the norm in Saudi Arabia thus far. And if they do appear to be making progress, perhaps we shouldn't kibitz.
1
democracy loses and regimes gain
people lose and money and power gain
humanity loses and evil gains a stronger foothold
a consolidation of governmental power is entrenching itself throughout the world and humanity will be lost for those who can do good instead are afraid and so destroy
some run into danger to save others while many in power run away to save themselves
while the former may not get their names remembered by the world only in the hearts of those they helped
the latter will be remembered for the evil and bad examples they created themselves
3
Fascinating turn of events - is this a move to align the kingdom with its interests in China?
And when will the West start taking on corruption in its own systems, public and private?
Bring it on Robert Mueller.
3
This is BIG news. Talal has been the major connection between Saudi and the US neocon warmongers. If he loses power, the connection gets weaker. Saudi is already starting to link with the Russia/China side, and this will certainly increase the movement. That is why you see Trump begging the Saudi Amarco company to put their IPO on the Wall Street because China is about close to making a 5 percent buyout of the state oil company which if succeeds the Petro dollar will come to an end which will mean the end of the US might as a whole. That is what this is all about folks.
4
He's connected to a new set of neo-con war mongers. Re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic is all this is.
2
Alwaleed hates Trump. The Crown Prince likes Trump.
What else do you need to know to assess their characters?
21
Does any of this sound an alarm to the world?
Trump sells billions of dollars of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, then Jared Kushner travels secretly to Saudi Arabia and now the ministers and some of the wealthiest men arrested and held prisoner, specifically , Prince Alwaleed bin Talal who is a critic of Trump! Power hungary Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is of the same ilk as Trump and will not stop at anything to achieve completer control. They both have a relationship with Putin. They are all in this together and I am sure it goes deeper.
When you look at the political moves recently in China and Japan, the nut job in the Philippines and Trumps visit to Asia to meet with them, including a meeting with Putin, not to mention Boris Johnson who played a huge part in Brexit is now under investigation for alleged ties to Russia, I am not liking what I am feeling.
I am beginning to fear that it is not only the destruction of democracy in this country that is at stake, but the world is in a transition to a very bad place.
17
With the exception of the lone democracy in Israel, the Middle East is a mess of royal kingdoms and religiously dominated regimes that refuse to realize that this is the 21st century. They rule their people by force and subjugate women to less than second class status. Their societies are insular and anti-western to the extreme. If not for the oil wealth they were so fortunate to have discovered and exploited, they would still be nomads living in tents and herding goats in the desert. Based on history, nothing will change. But maybe this new guy in Saudi Arabia can start the process.
1
You mean the one just thrown into prison?...
1
Israel, which does not have internationally recognized borders, has hundreds of illegal settlements filled with religious fanatics and a brutal colonial administration ruling over hundreds of thousands of indigenous people is hardly a beacon even in the Middle East. Almost any country in the world looks democratic beside the horrors of Saudi Arabia, except North Korea. Since Saudi Arabia has no constitution to protect the rights of the accused, it will be interesting to see which countries will demand to know precisely which laws these supposedly corrupt people have broken. If bin Talal is guilty of corruption simply for being a very wealthy stockholder in a number of corporations, then a number of Western business people should be shuddering too. Yes, Saudi Arabia is dreadful, but being Saudi-born is not a crime, and bin Talal and the others arrested at least deserve the presumption of innocence.
1
One minute you are a prince and part of the 1%. Everything is rocking then the next minute there's a knock on the door.
3
1) Jared Kushner has "unannounced" meeting with Saudis a week ago.
2) Russia and Saudis announce deal to cut oil production.
3) Saudi Arabia arrests billionaire who Trump used to be friends with and announces new "anti-corruption" campaign.
4) Trump announces that Aramco should be on NYSE.
I'm sure it's just a coincidence! A nothing burger!
21
Now Rupert Murdock will arrange for his bail.
3
Primogeniture, plutocracy, and palace intrigue...
Sort of a rock<>paper<>scissors of succession and ascension...
Such simple rules beget such complex, nuanced play - and at such scale...
2
Will a short trial to be followed by stoning and or beheading of the Prince's "adversaries" and "potential adversaries" be next in the Prince's playbook?
6
Kushner just returned from a secret trip to Saudi Arabia. Coincidence?
65
I am in favor of the leaders, who will put a STOP to the political, religious and financial sponsors of terrorists in the Saudi kingdom. The hijackers in the September 11 attacks were 19 men affiliated with al-Queda: 15/19 were citizens of Saudi Arabia (additionally 2 were from the United Arab Emirates, 1 from Egypt and 1 from Lebanon. Many of the hijackers barely spoke English and received cultural and financial support from a Saudi prince, as well as Saudi intelligence officers in the USA. This came out (finally) 15 years after President George W. Bush and the CIA classified the information top secret and kept it from the American people! ---- Quote from 7/15/2016 New York Post article: FBI files show Saudi agent Omar al-Bayoumi provided “substantial assistance” to Saudi hijackers... two (hijackers) even stayed at Bayoumi’s apartment, working out in his gym. At the same time he was aiding the hijackers, Bayoumi was getting large salary increases from a Saudi defense front company tied to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, where he worked as a ghost employee. Another alleged Saudi intelligence officer who handled the hijackers, Osama Bassnan, worked closely with Bayoumi. Bassnan reportedly received funding and possibly a fake passport from Saudi government officials. More alarming, “he and his wife have received financial support from the Saudi ambassador to the United States and his wife.” That would be Prince Bandar, who was promoted to Saudi intelligence minister after 9/11.
13
Recent documents released by the CIA that were found in the house where was killed link Iran to the 9/11 plot. Iran was behind it in order to drive a wedge between the USA and Saudi Arabia. Apparently, it worked quite well.
1
This has nothing to do with 9/11 or Saudi financing of ISIS. Old news (though not fake ... only news about Trump's Russian obligations is fake).
How novel and interesting! Please supply links to these so-called documents. Thanks a lot.
2
Chickens have come home to roost.
So, another disaffected Saudi billionaire, "something of an outsider within the royal family..."
Why does that sound so familiar?
2
Donald could not resist the allure of the swamp when he touched the orb in Saudi Arabia.
10
Saudi Arabia ruling monarchs are among the most depraved, corrupt and vile regime one can imagine. Saudi Arabia has been the financier of the most supremacist, vile, violent sects of Islam. You have to go to India and Pakistan to see how Saudi Arabia has spent 10's of billions dollars promoting its most supremacist, hateful claims of Islam against other religions, abusing the freedom of expression and religious freedom that secular democratic countries like India provides to all while staunchly denying even an iota of that freedom to others in Saudi Arabia.
US has been in denial of the vile depravity and duplicity of the Saudi regime. As far as I can see, Saudi depravity is only matched by Trump's lies and depravity.
28
In my opinion, the problem is not from religious scholars, because they have been like that for so many years. The problems have started since the USFP has been hijacked by special interest groups that want to get the US stuck in a quagmire in the ME that only serve their selfish agenda!
Violence begets violence!
1
US is not "in denial." It's exactly what you describe that the US likes. As they say in software, it's not a bug, it's a feature.
2
Wonderful summary and analysis of the News about Saudi Arabia!
Ah yes, what has the Republican President unleashed in Saudi Arabia...
2
HOW many of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudi? And yet. . . hopeless. . .
10
I love this.
This monarch is doing to the Saudi swamp what Trump is doing to the DC swamp.
Draining it slowly but surely.
4
Unnamed source from outer space....Trump's enlargement of the DC swamp via Scott Pruitt, Tom Price (terminated), Michael Flynn (terminated), Neil Gorsuch (corporations are better than real people), Ryan Zinke, Rick Perry, Kris Kobach (white voters ONLY please) and other corporate shills is the largest and most devastating since the Robber Baron's reigned supreme in the 1870's.
Enjoy the Grand Old Poison.
75
One man's draining the swamp is another man's treasonous infiltrating the executive branch with Russian agents &/or incompetence is another man's malignant narcissism. You say tomato I say potato.
24
Nah - you got the names wrong - Bob Mueller is draining the swamp. Do keep up...
23
I wonder what the Iranians make of all of this? The bit I've read about the young Crown Prince is that he is a right wing purist type supposedly behind the Yemen excursion and definitely anti-Shiite. Could be a war coming. And Trump has already picked our side.
7
In an absolute monarchy, the kingdom is the property of the king, and the wealth of his subjects is ultimately the king's, and what is His, He can take, including the freedom of His subjects, as Prince Talal is finding out.
We should not confuse our Western concepts of property, to the concepts of property of an absolute monarchy that is, in addition, a theocracy. What is clear, though, is that Prince Salman might like some modernization, but at root the, absolute monarchy will be the way to go.
4
This definitely appears immature prince’s move to consolidate power. Maybe the silent majority will make a move and reject the waste of time and money of few princes include this one who is power hungry.
The Kingdom’s collapse is a bad thing for world and Muslims all over but it seems hesten by immaturity of the young man.
To the extent there's any coherence in Trump's foreign policy, it's follow the money: sell whatever we can (arms, coal, oil) abroad to whoever will pay, and keep the customers satisfied. Personally, I think Saudi Arabia is playing Trump the way it's played Democratic and Republican presidents for over a generation. Buy some American stuff, cooperate---to a degree---in some areas of oil production and military activity, but continue to spend, spend, spend on funding radical Islamic mosques and preachers throughout Europe and the Muslim world. They play a terrible role in radicalizing Muslim communities in places like Bangladesh and Indonesia, and it's a very short step from that to Isis. Even if that step isn't taken, their brand of Islam makes harmony and integration in pluralistic societies---in Britain and Europe particularly---much harder. If I could live long enough to see one foreign policy achievement, it would be an American president who dumps the Saudis.es like Bangladesh and Indonesia, and it's a very short step from that to Isis. Even if that step isn't taken, their brand of Islam makes harmony and integration in pluralistic societies---in Britain and Europe particularly---much harder. If I could live long enough to see one foreign policy achievement, it would be an American president who dumps the Saudis.
5
Saudi society still works on tribal levels. Power and wealth sharing is a very delicate balancing act which has kept the house of Saud in control for less than a century. King Salman is acting like Trump, or a mad king, is going to send Saudi Arabia down the path of Iraq and Libya. An out of control Arabian Peninsula will be a breeding ground safe haven for extremists and terrorists.
7
You'd think that, at the very least, President Trump, would use the shake-up, actually the purge, in the medieval monarchy that is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia complete with its equally radical version of Sunni Islam called Wahhabism that has spawned both Osama bin-Laden, the 9/11 terrorists, al-Qaeda and now ISIS to reset our policy. Instead, the U.S. has sided with Saudi Arabia in its Islamic civil war against Iran that has us mired in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. It all makes no sense now that the U.S. is no longer dependent on Saudi oil, especially for a supposedly neo-isolationist, "America First" president. But, like everything else about the Trump presidency is all chaos and improvisation by a man who believes he doesn't need a State Department since in the end he's the "Decider-in-Chief."
97
could be that you are not well informed.
hint: aramco IPO
1
Donnie is smelling the money and scrounging for deals. For himself. There is no other policy. In order to be a real president, he would need to employ a knowledge of history and would need to have motivation to act in the national interest.
Forget about policy. Forget about history. As another NYT writer says. he doesn't know what he doesn't know. And he doesn't care.
1
" .. by a man who believes he doesn't need a State Department .."
No, just the BHO/HRC hold-overs. Who gave us "it was the video," Bowe Bergdahl, and other giant-sized errors.
I always believed the house of Saud will eventually self-implode.
A 32 years old spoiled rich kid is on power and ego trip.
This is phase one of a power struggle. If he and his father think they will succumb, they are gravely mistaken.
3
Good grief! I can't believe this is our key ally in the Middle East. This country sounds more or less like or even possibly worse than our beloved enemy state, North Korea (DPRK). Not surprising then that its young country men were frustrated and enraged enough to become militant, suicide terrorists for 9/11 recruited by their idol, a fellow Saudi, Osama bin Laden. I wonder what's cooking over there these days, with the massive purchase of military firepower from the US, the deal the Sauds cut with Mr. T.
6
Also concerning is the ultra-conservative form of Islam that Saudi fosters - Wahabism. It's another example of America's seemingly complicated foreign policy where the "enemy of my enemy is my friend"...especially where money and oil (number 2 provider to US) are concerned, as usual.
So, go ahead and have your, coup, Saudi Arabia. We certainly don't mind.
And this article has been up for hours with a significant lack of comments. Also curious.
3
Trump would love to run our country like Saudi Arabia and be and be able to arrest his "enemies."
And what was jared doing there? More real estate deals? Another golf course?
22
About President Trump:
"“You know, the saddest thing is that because I’m the president of the United States, I am not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department,” Mr. Trump said in a radio interview on Thursday on the “Larry O’Connor Show.” “I am not supposed to be involved with the F.B.I. I’m not supposed to be doing the kind of things that I would love to be doing. And I’m very frustrated by it.”"
About Saudi King Salman: "The king had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the crown prince, only hours before the committee ordered the arrests. Al Arabiya said that the anticorruption committee has the right to investigate, arrest, ban from travel, or freeze the assets of anyone it deems corrupt."
Man, Trump's got to be jealous! This is at least partly how Trump thought the POTUS ruled, and sad to find out he had no such powers. My guess is that Trump is not nearly as into his job anymore now that he knows the limitations of the Executive office.
Oh, but wait, then there's the chance to attack North Korea and spark a catastrophic war putting hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives at risk! That is so much more bigly than just arresting some relatives and putting them up at the Ritz.
42
Not to be snarky but if there literally DOZENS of "princes" walking about in Saudi Arabia, then does that label mean much of anything? If everyone is a prince than no one is a prince. Europe has a much better nomenclature in which earl actually means something different that viscount and so on.
2
Now the ambitious Crown Prince Mohammed wants it all. The martinet aggressive anti Iran religious nut job multi zillionaire. ISIS had not a better friend until they tried to overthrow his regime. Having paid for legions of Islamic radicals passage to Syria. Is their any coincidence that Alwaleed who bashed Trump should be out? Especially since Trump is best buddies with this mind bogglingly bigoted violence provoking regime.
30
A putsch, by any other name.
What's the difference between a Dictatorship, a Monarchy, and a Totalitarian Government?
24
Is your question rhetorical or genuine.
If the latter, there are vast differences.
But parsing them requires more space than a blog comment.
Read! Learn! and you will discover the differences.
1
At least, Trump can now get his beloved yacht back.
1
Trump will go whichever way the the accolades blow. He never knows when he’s being played or not. There is some serious wind between his ears. Having no insight whatsoever he opens his trap as fast as his little brain jumps and once again the hot air puts businesses and the world on edge. The modernization of Saudia Arabia may have merits but Trump does no analysis because he does not know how to think, analyze, listen, heed, respect, defer... We all know this. Mr. Mueller, the world is counting on your work.
100
Greed, I do think you may have neglected a possible driving force of our President Twitter?
1
Funny how the stock market has climbed thru the clouds. Nothing to do with Trump? Uh?
@mimi
Your comment belies either an utter ignorance of the facts or an intent to outright lie. The stock market has been on a meteoric rise through the entire 8 years of Obama's presidency. That it has continued in the first year of Donald Trump's is not an accomplishment. At best, he hasn't done anything to sink it yet.
The same is true of the unemployment rate, which steadily dropped in a very linear fashion through Obama's 8 years and has kept trickling down under Trump.
I can tell you this, if you go look at charts of these 2 factors over the past 10 years, you will see that I'm correct and then maybe you will stop parroting this nonsense that either improvement is "because of Trump". Trump has done nothing to affect these issues yet.
5
A country named after a family. What could go wrong?
122
What about our Carolinas?
Thugs and gangsters running a corrupt regime called a "kingdom" but because of Oil the US looks the other way.
87
Maybe we look the other way because we have our own thugs and gangsters running a corrupt regime here?
4
And our own crown prince, Jared Kushner, is allied with the Saudi crown prince.
118
Jared is an orthodox Jew, so it’s ultimately not going to work out too well for him. Will be interesting to see what will happen to Ivanka.
1
Considering how much the rulers and people of Saudi Arabia have valued stability over the years, calling this is an "earthquake" is an understatement.
As to what happens next... who knows.
24
Just another swamp draining, and not the last. Westerners tend to look at movements like arab spring as a single storm that passes. The truth is, the mighty middle east is just getting started. The shift away from fossil based fuels is going to have a bigger impact than expected. Dubai made changes through wonderful foresight on the part of it's leadership decades ago. The Saudi's are playing catch up.
13
So we justify martial law these days by slapping the "swamp draining" label on it ?
1
A perfect picture of how Trump would like to run the Justice Department here, arresting adversaries on corruption charges to consolidate power. Every American, especially Trump voters, should be reminded that Saudi Arabia is an illustration of what it means to live without a written Constitution, an independent Legislature and Courts, and fundamentally outside the rule of law that Trump so casually disparages.
272
That's it in a nutshell: one batch of corrupt individuals accusing their political opponents of corruption, and using the power of the state's law enforcement to persecute (and prosecute) their opponents. I expect we'll soon see "confessions" from the ones who don't either disappear or die during questioning.
51
Perfect time to be out of town.
R, is that like winning the Nobel Peace Prize after 153 days as a U.S.senator, then later bombing with drones? Just wondering. Thanks.
"The Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh, the de facto royal hotel, was evacuated on Saturday, stirring rumors that it would be used to house detained royals."
Oh, great idea. Let's detain the Trump Republican swamp creatures in Paul Manafort's $3m condo in Trump Tower. If insufficient in space, an evacuation of other units is in order. There may not be enough units available, though, in which case there is the Trump International (as in immigration) Hotel in DC. How ironic, the hotel name.
68
Could this be the catalyst that will crash markets?
18
I don't think so for the market in general. Oil stocks should go up if there is any disruption in the flow of oil from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is also a bit player in the world of investment. Only big countries like the US and China can crash the market and it looks as if we are the leading contender.
Well, now we know the real reason for the political views of facebook, twitter, and apple. Death, taxes, and follow the money are the only universal truisms.
23
The timing of this, coupled with Trump's 2 week walkabout amongst the worlds' worst leaders, playing golf and sharing private time, is scary. Just suppose for a second that this is a friendly social call to foreign powers that Trump is poised to attempt to impose martial law on America upon his return? He does have the short string on the armed crazies.
I know I have ptsd, not only from Harvey but the Trump administration. I can't help but see the bogeymen in the shadows...please, someone tell me I'm nuts.
59
You're not crazy.
2
Unfortunately, you're not nuts. You are simply part of the global epidemic of PTSD, Post Trumpatic Stress Disorder...
Present Trumpatic Stress Disorder
It's eerie, but I honestly believe that Mr. Trump is looking at this authoritarian crackdown with great envy, and wondering how he could do it himself here in the United States.
211
Same here. Since last November I've been wondering what he would contrive to suspend elections. Nuclear war? Domestic crisis w martial law? On RW radio I've heard calls for him to cull members of congress that are not playing his game, which seems to be going very well. The separation of powers is dwindling day by day and we creep ever closer to oligarchy.
2
Yet more palace intrigue from the the world capital of palace intrigue. What does it mean, and how does it impact America? Who can tell? As always, Saudi affairs are always opaque and inscrutable.
35
Is interesting the Jared Kushner has just finished visiting the country. Wonder what he discussed whilst there
2
If, "Saudi Arabia is an executive monarchy without a written Constitution or independent government institutions like a Parliament or courts"; and "The "king" had decreed the creation of a powerful new anti-corruption committee, headed by the "crown prince", only hours before the committee ordered the arrests"; isn't that a display of DICTATORSHIP?
Is there a divine provision or DNA that sets these Saudi "princes/kings" apart from other humans? I think not, MONEY is their DIVINITY and FEAR is their provisioning agent. The "king" despises weakness of any sort so the "prince" will show "king" all "weaklings" swiftly to seal his position.
I long to see the time when the world flourishes for the sake of enriching the garden Earth . . .
14
The difference between a dictatorship and an absolute monarchy is the name, and whether power automatically passes to the children of the current ruler. North Korea, for example, looks more like an absolute monarchy than a communist regime.
1
I agree but it isnt such a bad thing politically speaking for the rest of the world if the Saudi ruling party goes after each other for a decade or so.
1
I'm waiting for the emergence of the un-dead from the desert. This is as entertaining as Game of Thrones... "Dry wells are coming"
2
Can you imagine someone with so much sweet, delicious, liquid capital, ever being arrested for anything in the United States?
28
Do you mean Hillary and the high grade cake uranium which was sold to the Russians?
Yes, millions of Americans are still waiting on it to happen.
1
This cannot be good for America. "As president, Mr. Trump has developed a warm, mutually supportive relationship with the ascendant crown prince, who has rocketed from near obscurity in recent years to taking control of the country’s most important functions." His daddy, the king, basically pulled off a coup and is now trying to consolidate power for his 35-year old son prince.
If The Con Don likes them they cannot be good for the world at large. Sounds to me like the wrong people are "under investigation" for corruption.
150
Oops. The Prince is only 32 years old.
6
That's good. Start with the premise that you don't like Donald Trump, and reason from there. What could possibly go wrong?
3
The Bushes and most other presidents in recent history have had a cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia.