The king of Saudi Arabia has died at the overripe age of 91. You can read some primers on the Saudi Arabian monarchy and the politics of succession here and here. It is reported that Prince Salman will become the king, but it is also widely reported and has been for some time that Prince Salman is suffering from dementia.
Elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen has descended into complete chaos as its president and prime minister have resigned. The precipitating event seems to be a takeover of the capital by Iran-backed Shiite militias.
Isn’t this region fun? What will al-Qaeda in Yemen (all Sunnis) think of this latest development? Will the Shiite militias be more effective than our drone strikes in eradicating this menace?
The Saudis had already withdrawn financial support in anticipation of this turn of events, but now they are being ruled by a demented king. Of course, by most accounts he’s a pro-western kind of prince, at least by House of Saud standards. Maybe he won’t flog bloggers with such enthusiasm.
And, of course, we can’t ignore all the news Netanyahu has been making since the terrorist attacks in Paris. He had a banner day today, too.
I wonder if Iraq and Syria are faring any better?
Did the USA (with or without White House knowledge) back that Shiite takeover in Yemen? Oui’s thoughts are of particular interest.
I don’t think so. I really don’t think so.
My new diary – Saudi Palace Coup As Sudairis Consolidate Power.
Thank You
Well, the Yemen president and his cabinet were not doing a very good job running the country. But, did they leave because their benefactor, King Abdullah, died? So is Yemen a failed state now?
AFAIK we were the presidents benefactor.
But what did we get for our benefaction? Terrorists run unchecked in Yemen. Perhaps the CIA decided that a Shiite would clamp down on the Sunni terrorists.
Well personally I’ve always thought allying with the Shiites to wrangle the Sunnni’s is a better policy than the other way around. Being a minority means they need us more than the Sunnis and tend to be a bit more circumspect on the Sharia front. I mean for all the bad stuff Iran is clearly more liberal than the Saudis or Pakistan yo mention two Sunni allies.
Not only that, but even in terms of brute realpolitik, I really don’t see how an unbiased observer could deny that we have more genuine commonalities of interests with Iran than with those other countries.
Even Andrew Sullivan regularly calls Iran a natural ally.
Careful how you label the Houthi movement. You might hear talking heads call them Iran’s allies or proxies, etc. but there isn’t aYemen expert that I’ve read that will classify evidence linking Iran and the Houthis as anything better than murky. Maybe it’s there but as of now there’s little data to support it.
Some good background,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/09/26/shifting-balances-of-power-in-yemens-c
risis/
The Saudis had already withdrawn financial support in anticipation of this turn of events, but now they are being ruled by a demented king. Of course, by most accounts he’s a pro-western kind of prince, at least by House of Saud standards. Maybe he won’t flog bloggers with such enthusiasm.
Whatever makes you link lack-of-flogging to pro-western? “Pro-western” means “prefers to sell oil to US interests and for entertainment to engage with unspeakable debauchery with US oil billionaires”. It has nothing to do with treatment of serfs. Both US and Saudi oil billionaires treat serfs worse than dirt.
But this topic reminds me that there is an ongoing conversation in fantasy-author community now about how their works have promoted really bad ideas – most specifically, about how they have promoted the notions of benevolent kings and emperors and other dictators who GET THINGS DONE when in real life kings and princes and dictators are invariably really, really bad.
Saudi-US relationship turned sour after Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, giving Iran a leadership role in the region. Hillary Clinton tried to mend ties by supporting overthrow of Assad in Syria. Turkey, a Muslim Brotherhood backer, was needed for inflow of arms and jihad fighters: the Bosnian option under Bill Clinton [Brzezinski doctrine]. The division between Saudi Arabia [Salafist] and Qatar [Muslim Brotherhood] caused failure of a united Syrian National Council.
○ Saudi King Abdullah dies aged 90
○ King Abdullah pressing for war in Lebanon and Syria
○ K. Abdullah repeatedly urges US attack on Iran to stop nuclear programme | WikiLeaks |
President Hadi had slowly lost his position of power since last September as the Houthi forces moved into the capital Sana’a. Today it appears the military are backing former President Saleh and offer no or little resistance. The Houthi forces are friendly and are accessible by the press for interviews. The Yemini PM had been taken hostage to force new negotiations over power sharing. Houthi rebels replace president’s guards.
○ Yemen government resigns as prime minister warns of ‘abyss … with no law’
See my earlier diary – Houthi Rebellion In Yemen – US and the Shia/Sunni Divide.
○ Website U.S. Embassy in Sana’a, Yemen
State Department – Daily Press Briefing
○ Jen, don’t you think it’s a bit disingenuous to say President Hadi is in his home?
Provident that those two amphibious assault ships are handy, isn’t it?
Unrest in Aden as locals support president Hadi who resigned from office under pressure from Houthi rebels in Sana’a, the capital of Yemen.
○ US Moving Personnel From Sana’a to Aden
○ US pulls more staff from Yemen embassy
○ Leaked conversation shows Saleh, Al Houthi ties
Breaking News:
Ali Al Bukhiti, a spokesperson for the movement, said in an article published in Al Oula daily that the former president has contacted him more than 20 times since the movement gained control of the capital on September. Al Bukhiti said that Saleh was giving advice not commands.
“Saleh was telling me some military and political advice. He once contacted me to express his admiration for my interview with Azal TV.”
In the conversation, the former president appeared to be giving military and political commands to the Al Houthi commander to take control of seaports, airports and land crossings to prevent former president, Abd Rabbou Masnour Hadi from fleeing the country.
that makes sense is one of containment. No one knows how Islam and Modernity are going to be reconciled. I have little confidence that anything we do will do is going to materially effect the outcome in a positive way.
Sigh. During Europe’s Dark Ages of howling savagery, religious intolerance, and pervasive ignorance, the Islamic world offered preservation of the ancients’ learning, scientific advancements of their own, and tolerance (within some restrictions) of other faiths. Now that world, or some part of it, fights enlightenment as viciously as the Christian fanatics of medieval Europe. Makes one despair of the human race at times.
Interesting. Just listened to a long BBC world service interview in which the dementia angle was never mentioned. How long have those rumors been circulating?
With the latest Crown Prince, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, of KSA, the country has finally reached the the end of the line with the sons of Abdulaziz ibn Saud (1876-1953). Although the Mugrin did leapfrog over other still half-brothers in an order of succession that only insiders can understand. So, should be a while before KSA and the world sees the first grandson of Al Saud as King.
OTOH, the child of King George VI (1895-1952) has been on the UK throne since 1952. And there seems to be no public move there or in other European countries that have officially retained their Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses to dispense with the silly, archaic policy.
Probably no real push to get rid of them because they provide historical links to a nation’s past glories, roping in profitable tourist trade, plus providing a more or less stable ceremonial kingpin (sorry) around which to construct a working government, while themselves being relegated safely to the sidelines of power where they can’t do any harm. So you’ve got figureheads of the nation who can make public pronouncements in times of crisis or rejoicing without the taint of perceived political maneuvering, also handle the day-to-day PR tedium of opening hospitals, greeting winning sports teams, entertaining visiting dignitaries, etc., while the real work of running the place falls to the professional politicians.
Look at it as the division of labor for running a country, and it makes sense.
Would the structural artifacts of the past glories of those countries generate fewer tourists without a bleeping King or Queen in the country? France, Germany, and Italy seem to do fine in the tourist trade without a dynastic titled figurehead. Those countries might even do better with tourists because they could tramp through all areas of the old castles, palaces, etc that are currently restricted or off limits because the state provides the King/Queen with public housing.
If the opening of new buildings, etc. requires the presence of some public person, I’m okay with a local, state, or federal official to officiate. Or hire big entertainment names. Might be pricey on an event basis, but those Kings/Queens are pricey 24/7/365.
All valid points, but you’re not allowing for traditionalism, sentimentality, and inertia.
Can’t think of other more wrong-headed appeals to “traditionalism and and sentimentality” that are stronger than what neo-confederates espouse.
It’s bad enough in the US that we have wealth and political dynasties but they do die out over time and are replaced with others who made their own way up those ladders. Can’t imagine what it would be like to have the head of state position continuously occupied by whatever spawn emerges from a single family selected centuries ago. And pay that person a lot of money to keep the dynasty extremely well heeled and breeding that one family into perpetuity.