Saudi king replaces crown prince in cabinet reshuffle

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: ALJAZEERA

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz has sacked his younger half-brother as crown prince and appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as the new heir apparent, state television said.

Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Jizan in the country's south, said the reshuffle was announced by royal decree via state television early on Wednesday.

"Salman has relieved Crown Prince Murqin from his post, which was done upon his request. Now, Mohamed bin Nayef, who is 55 and the grandson of the founder of Saudi Arabia, is appointed as crown prince and also minister of interior," Vall said.

"This is a huge change in Saudi Arabia because this is the first time that a grandson of the founder of the country, rather than a son, is appointed crown prince," our correspondent said.

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/saudi-king-salman-replaces-crown-prince-cabinet-reshuffle-150429020021160.html

[delrem]

1. I hear that Kim Kardashian was NOT amused!

[cosmicone]

2. I wonder what Murqin did

Maybe he hit on one of Salman's harem women?

[msongs]

3. "uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" nt

[wordpix]

4. Shakespearean intrigue

interesting

[bemildred]

5. Ansarullah: Yemeni Aggression Causing Storm in Al Saud Dynasty

TEHRAN (FNA)- Senior member of Yemen's Ansarullah Movement Mohammad Ali al-Emad underlined that the Saudi aggression against Yemen has widened the rifts in the Al Saud family, specially after the Saudi king's cabinet reshuffling on Wednesday.

"The decisive storm has turned into the Al Saud storm and backfired at the Saudis themselves," Al-Emad, also editor of the Yemeni newspaper al-Hawiya, said on Wednesday.

Al-Emad's remarks came after Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz relieved his younger half-brother of his duties as crown prince and appointed his nephew, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, as the new heir apparent.

The reshuffle was announced by royal decree via state television early on Wednesday.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13940209000388

[bemildred]

6. Saudi king, facing challenges in Yemen, fires his successor, foreign minister

ISLAMABAD — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman early Wednesday sacked the man he’d named as his successor, apparently for opposing the kingdom’s military campaign in Yemen, and ordered a generational transfer of power to two relatively younger princes who’ve emerged as key leadership figures during the conflict.

A statement issued by the Saudi royal court at 4 a.m. local time said 69-year-old Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz had been replaced as crown prince and deputy prime minister in response to “his desire to be relieved” from the positions he was appointed to in January, when King Salman assumed power.

The 79-year-old monarch appointed his nephew and interior minister, Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, as the new heir apparent; the king’s 30-year-old son, Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman, was named deputy crown prince.

Another casualty of Riyadh’s early morning reshuffle was the country’s foreign minister, Saud al Faisal, who lost the job he’d held since 1975; he was replaced by the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., Adel al Jubeir, who became the first non-royal to hold the post since 1962.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/29/264875/saudi-king-facing-challenges-in.html

[leveymg]

8. More splintering among an already split royal family amidst low oil prices. Reminds me of '96-'97

when Osama branched off into blacker operations from his new base in Afghanistan with the continued assistance of Prince Turki. UBL was sent to Afghanistan to coordinate Saudi aid to the Taliban. Also, his move from Sudan coincided with the loss of Saudi backed forces in South Yemen, and the unification of Yemen under President Saleh.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/international/asia/17osama.html?_r=0

State Dept. Says It Warned About bin Laden in 1996

By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: August 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 - State Department analysts warned the Clinton administration in July 1996 that Osama bin Laden's move to Afghanistan would give him an even more dangerous haven as he sought to expand radical Islam "well beyond the Middle East," but the government chose not to deter the move, newly declassified documents show.

In what would prove a prescient warning, the State Department intelligence analysts said in a top-secret assessment on Mr. bin Laden that summer that "his prolonged stay in Afghanistan - where hundreds of 'Arab mujahedeen' receive terrorist training and key extremist leaders often congregate - could prove more dangerous to U.S. interests in the long run than his three-year liaison with Khartoum," in Sudan.

(. . . )

Before 1996, Mr. bin Laden was regarded more as a financier of terrorism than a mastermind. But the State Department assessment, which came a year before he publicly urged Muslims to attack the United States, indicated that officials suspected he was taking a more active role, including in the bombings in June 1996 that killed 19 members American soldiers at the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the 1990-94 Yemen Civil War: (Wiki)

President Saleh now had control over all of Yemen. A general amnesty was declared, except for 16 southern figures; legal cases against four — Ali Salim al-Beidh, Haydar Abu Bakr Al-Attas, Abd Al-Rahman Ali Al-Jifri, and Salih Munassar Al-Siyali — were prepared, for misappropriation of official funds.

YSP leaders within Yemen reorganized following the civil war and elected a new politburo in July 1994. However, much of its influence had been destroyed in the war. President Ali Abdallah Saleh was elected by Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. However, he remained in office until 2012.

As of 2007, a group called the South Yemen Movement calling for the secession of the south and the re-establishment of an independent southern state has grown in strength across many parts of south Yemen, leading to an increase in tensions and often violent clashes.

[bemildred]

9. It's not a good sign.

I would not even want to guess how it will pan out, but ISIL is setting up shop on their southern border now, the Saudis, and Yemen is awash in weapons. The Houthis meanwhile do not seem intimidated.

Iran is frothing at the mouth too, but they do that, I don't think they really want to interfere, this is going great from their point of view.

[fasttense]

7. Oh those royals, you got to be amazed by their soap opera lifestyles.

This one hates that one. That one hates this one. That one murders thousands. This one starts an unnecessary war. They all serve each other arsenic, then marry some more girls. It's just a fascinating lifestyle. Much more interesting than democracy.

[Jesus Malverde]

12. You missed all the trips to London and Paris whee they spend most of their time..nt

[byronius]

10. Monarchy: insect logic writ large.

Capitalism: insect logic masked by propaganda.

[happyslug]

11. bin is generally translated as "Son of" thus the new crown prince is Mohamed son of Nayef

Last edited Wed Apr 29, 2015, 07:34 PM - Edit history (1)

bint is "Daughter of".

Ibn is used if the name starts a sentence, but if the name is in the middle of end of a sentence bin is the proper translation. Thus, bin and ibn means the same thing, "son of" but the later is proper only if you start a sentence with the name.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/07/abu_ibn_and_bin_oh_my.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_name

Thus who is Nayef? He was the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 2011 to 2012. He had been Secretary of the Interior from 1975 till his death in 2012. He is also one of the Sudairi Seven, seven brothers who are the sons of King Saud I (family name Abdulaziz ibn Abdul) AND Hassa bint Ahmed Al Sudairi. King Saud I is known by that name outside Arabia, but inside Arabia he is known as Abdulaziz bin Abdul.

The Sudairi Seven are (some are deceased) the single most powerful group of sons of King Saud I in the Saudi royal family. To a degree for the reason they are NOT trusted. They not NOT have a reputation for corruption, but unlike former king Abdullah also have no reputation for Honesty.

Nayef. as head of the Department of the Interior, was succeeded by his son, Muhammad bin Nayef, the newly named Crown Prince.

The present king,Salman bin Abdulaziz is also a member of the Sudairi Seven.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayef_bin_Abdul-Aziz_Al_Saud

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudairi_Seven

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussa_bint_Ahmed_Al_Sudairi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Saud

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_bin_Nayef

Saudi Arabia follows the French Practice of the Duties of the Secretary of the Interior, i.e. control over ALL INTERNAL SECURITY FORCES, i.e the police and any other NATIONAL law enforcement agencies.

Thus you have one of the remaining Sudairi Seven appointing the son of another member of that clique to be his successor.

Thus the present head of the Department of the Interior (which includes any national police) is the successor to the present King of Saudi Arabia.

Muqrin was one of the youngest sons of King Saud I (Muqrin MAY be the youngest son, but who are the sons of King Saud I is NOT entirely known to this day by people OUTSIDE the House of Saud) but his mother was from Yeman. Muqrin is known to be honest, and a major supporter of the late king Abudullah (and this may be way he was removed, when Abudullah died in January, that shifted the power structure within the House of Saud).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muqrin_of_Saudi_Arabia

Muqrin was also a Pilot in the Saudi Arabia Air Force,

On top of this King Saud I's brother's children and grandchildren have a say in the succession, but what your guess is as good as mine. Several of the granddaughters of King Saud I's brother have married grandsons of King Saud I, complicating the situation (Counsin Marrying is the norm in the Middle East).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Succession_to_the_Saudi_Arabian_throne#The_question_of_succession_in_Arabia:_1920-1953

More on King Saud I's brother:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_bin_Abdul-Rahman

One of Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman's sons married the daughter of King Saud I (a full sister of later King Faisal, king 1964-1975) and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisal_of_Saudi_Arabia

Another son of Muhammad married the Sheikha bint Abdulaziz, a daughter of King Saud I (through given the lack of openness the House of Saud in known for, this MAY be a different Sheikha for all I can tell).

The ins and out of the House of Saud takes more then a quick review but you can read the following to get a feel for the House of Saud:

http://books.google.com.tr/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lfU5ldbBOasC&oi=fnd&pg=PA9&dq=abdul+illah+bin+abdulaziz+and+saudi+succession&ots=glrD_TsC_e&sig=19MkgjBRP5HAjILZc5QgQ58jXNE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Jesus Malverde]

13. Great post...thanks