Rumors Swirl Around the Saudi Throne

[Valin]

Via Meadia:

Jan 18, 2016

 

Unnamed U.S. diplomats are said to be speculating that the Saudi King Salman will abdicate in 2016 in favor of his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the current Defense Minister. The Sunday Times (of London) reports:

 

If true, this would be a revolution: the Saudi succession has gone from one septuagenarian to the next in a ritualized pattern for decades. Putting a young and vigorous 30-year-old in the top spot would change the way the country works and, potentially, would make the new king one of the most powerful people in the world.

U.S. officials are clearly hoping this doesn’t happen. The defense minister has been associated with the recent line of Saudi policy that has been shaking up the region, and it is predicated on a belief that, with the U.S. no longer a reliable ally, the Saudis have to take their destiny in their own hands.

 

In the opaque world of Saudi politics, it’s quite possible that these rumors are being floated by diplomats and others in the hope of forestalling the change.................................................................(Snip)

 

 

Given this administration’s record at anticipating and managing political developments in the Middle East, it seems unlikely that the White House has a clear vision and a solid plan for dealing with the new situation.

 

We do indeed live in interesting times…