# Saudi Arabia monarchy succession crisis could lead to discord



## CougarKing (1 Jun 2014)

It would be better if the UK-educated, RSAF Tornado pilot, Muqrin got it than any of the other anti-Western crackpots who might want to get on the throne...

From Business Insider via Yahoo Finance



> *Here Comes The Saudi Dynasty Succession Crisis ...*
> Business Insider
> By Michael B. Kelley
> 
> ...


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## OldSolduer (1 Jun 2014)

This has the potential to turn into a real crap show .


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## barrister4sale (1 Jun 2014)

There are always stiff competitions to the throne. There are also differences of political opinions and religious opinions. I'd rather choose King Abdullah's successor than let Saudi Arabia fall into an Al Qaeda sympathizer prince like one of my co-workers whom I overheard discussing on how to outwit Pakistani military intelligence in his sympathies with Al Qaeda.


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## Fishbone Jones (1 Jun 2014)

barrister4sale said:
			
		

> There are always stiff competitions to the throne. There are also differences of political opinions and religious opinions. I'd rather choose King Abdullah's successor than let Saudi Arabia fall into an Al Qaeda sympathizer prince like one of my co-workers whom I overheard discussing on how to outwit Pakistani military intelligence in his sympathies with Al Qaeda.



You work with a guy who is a Prince of Saud? I got no idea who you are or what you do, but for now, I'm going to call bullshit.

Please prove me wrong.


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## barrister4sale (2 Jun 2014)

recceguy said:
			
		

> You work with a guy who is a Prince of Saud? I got no idea who you are or what you do, but for now, I'm going to call bullshit.
> 
> Please prove me wrong.



Sayed Ali and Khuram Ali who related to me their experiences of riding with their Saudi father in a convoy and hitting a cow thereby causing all the residents in India to come out with machets because the cow is sacred in India.


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## George Wallace (2 Jun 2014)

Jack Bauer?


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## PMedMoe (2 Jun 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Jack Bauer?



busconductor


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## Scott (3 Jun 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Jack Bauer?





			
				PMedMoe said:
			
		

> busconductor



Fucktarductor. And it passes autocorrect.


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## Colin Parkinson (5 Jun 2014)

My suspicion is we will see a lockdown on the kingdom, while the family knives are out, the Shia population might get restive or the Iranians will use it to stir things up in the Kingdom. I have no doubt that the family will come together if it even appears they are losing a little of their grip on power.


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## oscar2 (7 Jun 2014)

"Our (Saudi) "lost" brothers can easily be tamed. We're the only ones who have to stand up for each other. Do you think an Al Qaeda would coddle us no matter how zealous we are? My brothers cut a lot of heads off. Al Qaeda would never consider us sacrosanct"- Tariq ____, CSE and Bernie _____,.


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## Retired AF Guy (7 Jun 2014)

oscar2 said:
			
		

> "Our (Saudi) "lost" brothers can easily be tamed. We're the only ones who have to stand up for each other. Do you think an Al Qaeda would coddle us no matter how zealous we are? My brothers cut a lot of heads off. Al Qaeda would never consider us sacrosanct"- Tariq ____, CSE and Bernie _____,.



 :facepalm:


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## MP 811 (8 Jun 2014)

ha!...reading oscar2's post were highly entertaining to me.  Im in Saudi Arabia and its always enjoyable to read what people spew as fact about this place.


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## George Wallace (8 Jun 2014)

just me... said:
			
		

> ha!...reading oscar2's post were highly entertaining to me.  Im in Saudi Arabia and its always enjoyable to read what people spew as fact about this place.



For your info.....oscar2 is a habitual spammer of this site and may have some issues that require professional attention, which none on this site are qualified to give.

You may notice some of his previous incarnations on this site, such as 'barrister4sale' above, all banned.


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## daftandbarmy (8 Jun 2014)

Luckily TE Lawrence has already written the manual for working with the Saudis.... or the upper echelons of corporate North America  ;D

http://www.gwpda.org/1917/27arts.html


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## MP 811 (9 Jun 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> For your info.....oscar2 is a habitual spammer of this site and may have some issues that require professional attention, which none on this site are qualified to give.
> 
> You may notice some of his previous incarnations on this site, such as 'barrister4sale' above, all banned.



ahhhh...seen.  Thanks for the background George.


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## Retired AF Guy (22 Jan 2015)

Re-produced under the usual caveats of the Copyright Act.



> Saudi King Abdullah dies, brother Salman takes over
> 
> Thomson Reuters Posted: Jan 22, 2015 6:29 PM ET Last Updated: Jan 22, 2015 6:47 PM ET
> 
> ...



 Article Link

Well, I'm sure this will liven things up.


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## a_majoor (22 Jan 2015)

And more from the Washington Times:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/22/saudi-king-abdullah-bin-abdulaziz-has-died-91/print/



> *King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia dies*
> 
> By Dave Boyer and Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Updated: 7:44 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2015
> Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died at the age of 91, the nation's state-run television station confirmed Thursday.
> ...



One can only wonder if this will signal any changes to Saudi Arabia's current policies re: the war against ISIS, Iran or the oil war vs Russia and the West (among others).


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## Robert0288 (22 Jan 2015)

I think we need an expert on the familial power struggle of the Saudi family to figure out which way the wind will blow.  Also it doesn't help that the new king is 79 years old either.  Might lead to a string of power change overs without any one solidifying their grasp.

Too long didn't read version:  :dunno:


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## George Wallace (22 Jan 2015)

Looks like that Region is about to destabilize very quickly, throwing what little is left of the Middle East and Southwest Asia into one large blood bath.

Posted in other thread this:



			
				Old Sweat said:
			
		

> Sorry to post this hear but I just saw a report that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has died. There is no telling what this will do to the stability of what is an already unstable and volatile region.
> 
> I was going to say that predicting what we may or may not do is a bit of a mug's game as things are changing rapidly, and now this just reinforces that. Let's watch and shoot.



Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.



> Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah dies
> BBC
> 22 January 2015 Last updated at 19:36 ET
> 
> ...




More on LINK.



AND



> Yemeni Government Collapses as President and Prime Minister Resign
> New York Times
> By SHUAIB ALMOSAWA and ROD NORDLANDJAN. 22, 2015
> 
> ...



More on LINK.



With Yemen falling deeper into chaos, the only large countries, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, are left on the Arabian Peninsula to fall under the influences of radicals.  Oman, the biggest Middle Eastern oil producer that’s not a member of OPEC, joined Venezuela and Iran in questioning the group’s decision to keep its output target unchanged even with crude prices falling.  This places them in a position to be butting heads with OPEC members, which include the Saudis.


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## Retired AF Guy (22 Jan 2015)

From Bloomberg News, re-produced under the Fair Dealings section of the Copyright Act.



> Oil Jumps as Saudi King’s Death Stokes Concern Over OPEC Policy
> By Ben Sharples and Sharon Cho Jan 22, 2015 9:08 PM ET
> 
> Oil jumped after the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
> ...



 Article Link


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## George Wallace (22 Jan 2015)

Mecca will prove to be an interesting NEWS item to keep one's eye on.  With the destabilization of so many Muslim nations in that Region now, with the various sects of Islam seeking power; will Saudi Arabia still hold the upper hand in controlling this religious site and the power that goes with it?


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## dimsum (22 Jan 2015)

Robert0288 said:
			
		

> I think we need an expert on the familial power struggle of the Saudi family to figure out which way the wind will blow.  Also it doesn't help that the new king is 79 years old either.  Might lead to a string of power change overs without any one solidifying their grasp.
> 
> Too long didn't read version:  :dunno:



From the various news articles, it seems like both King Salman and Crown Prince Muqrin are strongly influenced by the late king.  I *believe* that given the geopolitical situation (especially Yemen), the Saudi royal family will close ranks and continue as before.  For them, this is not the time to rock the boat.


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## Retired AF Guy (22 Jan 2015)

Robert0288 said:
			
		

> I think we need an expert on the familial power struggle of the Saudi family to figure out which way the wind will blow.



A BBC article from last November on possible secession issues. 



> Saudi Arabia: Why succession could become a princely tussle
> By Gerald Butt Middle East analyst
> 18 November 2014 Last updated at 12:02 ET
> 
> ...



 Article Link.   Link includes photos and secession chart.

Other articles:

 The Saudi succession: King Abdullah appoints a second in line to the throne (Economist - 05 Apr/14). Link includes more charts.

 Saudi Arabia: the coming royal succession (NOREF - Feb/14).


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## tomahawk6 (23 Jan 2015)

Salman suffers from dementia so what happens next will get very interesting.


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## SeaKingTacco (23 Jan 2015)

The fun and games in the Middle East are really going get started now as the various factions in Saudi Arabia start to jockey for control.


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## jollyjacktar (23 Jan 2015)

tomahawk6 said:
			
		

> Salman suffers from dementia so what happens next will get very interesting.



Ah, he should fit right in then.


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## Fishbone Jones (23 Jan 2015)

I hope it turns into a big power struggle and shitshow, with demonstrations, et al. While they're dealing with that, I hope ISIS takes advantage and moves on Mecca and Medina.

With any luck, they'll wipe each other out.


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## Loachman (23 Jan 2015)

And just in case nobody's worried at all...

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2015/January19/191.html

Death Of Saudi King Could Set Stage For Islamic End Times Frenzy In 2015

January 19, 2015 | Rohollah Faghihi 

In the last two years, media outlets have published conflicting reports on Saudi King Abdullah's health. Just last week, Saudi Arabia's Royal Court announced that the king has pneumonia and is temporarily using a breathing tube. 

In fact, every time the king's health deteriorates, news agencies speculate on what will become of the Saudi dynasty and its leadership after the king's death. But some Shiite scholars think differently about the matter, believing that Abdullah's death will mark the beginning of a chain of great events that will shock the world.

Some Shiite scholars believe that the Saudi king's death will signal the resurrection of the Mahdi and the beginning of the end-times.

Abdullah, the 10th son of King Abdulaziz, was born Aug. 1, 1924. His mother, Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim, was a member of the Al Rashid family, longtime rivals of the Al Saud family and a historic dynasty in the Arabian Peninsula that ruled the emirate of Jabal Shammar. Abdullah ascended to the throne in 2005 following the death of his half-brother King Fahd, though power was already in his hands.

According to Shiite hadiths, after the death of a king named Abdullah in the Hijaz — a western region of present-day Saudi Arabia — no successor to the throne would be accepted, and disagreements would escalate and persist until the rise of Imam Mahdi.

The Shiites believe that divine Imams are heirs to the political and religious Ummah, or Islamic nation. These 12 imams are successors to the Prophet Muhammad and to the head of the caliphate, with Mahdi being the final Imam who disappeared, or went into occultation. Mahdi will be revealed only in the end-times, along with Jesus, to deliver peace to the world.

According to the book "250 Signs Until the Appearance of Imam Mahdi," Prophet Muhammad said: “On doomsday, a man who is carrying the name of an animal ascends to the throne, after which a man named Abdullah comes to the power. Whoever informs me of his death, I will inform him of the rise [of Mahdi]. After Abdullah passes away, for several days and months, the government will appear.”

A seminary teacher based in Qom told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, "The animal-named man can be King Fahd because one meaning of Fahd’s [name] is rapacious animal and cheetah, which matches what Prophet Muhammad said."

The Bahar al-Anvar, a book of hadiths, quotes the sixth Shiite Imam Sadegh as saying: "When Abdullah dies, people will agree on no one, and this issue will be kept alive till the rise of Imam [Mahdi]. An age of a hundred-year reign comes to an end, and an age of a [kingdom lasting] a few days and months arrives."

The Shiite scholar in Qom said, "Currently, there is a possibility of a power struggle in Saudi Arabia, as King Abdullah has tried to make up the new post of deputy crown prince. Actually, with regard to [this], if Prince Salman becomes the king and Muqrin bin Abdulaziz is named the crown prince, the next deputy crown prince will be Mutaib bin Abdullah, so we can expect tensions between King Abdullah's sons and Salman's brothers to escalate after Abdullah passes away."

In 2012, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was named crown prince, and two years later, Muqrin bin Abdulaziz was introduced as deputy crown prince.

According to Al-Akhbar newspaper, past tradition dictated that the interior minister would be the most likely candidate for second deputy prime minister, and after that, the post of crown prince. But after upgrading the status of the National Guard, which is chaired by Mutaib bin Abdullah, and turning it into a ministry on par with the ministries of defense and interior, King Abdullah’s wing in the royal family is well-positioned to be a strong contender for the throne.

The Qom seminary teacher said that according to some hadiths, leaders in the Hijaz will hide news of the king's death for 40 days. Based on Abdullah's deteriorating health situation, this could have happened by now.

Some believe that the rise of terrorist groups in the Levant, along with their black flags, is another sign of Mahdi's resurrection.

The Nahj al-Balagh, a collection of the first Shiite Imam Ali's sayings, quotes the imam as saying: “When you witness black flags, don’t move, because their calls are void and null and you shouldn’t help them. Their heart is like iron fillings, and they don’t honor their promise. Their names and monikers are taken from the names of cities.”

The Qom-based scholar explained the quotation, “Black flags can suggest the Islamic State, which is killing hundreds of innocent people in the region with brutality, and [regarding people named after cities], I can mention Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Omar al-Chechen.”

He added, “Many in the seminary of Qom believe that the rise of Imam Mahdi is imminent. Even important figures in the seminary have expressed their hope for this event to happen and has called for our readiness to help him.”

“What’s happening in the region is very similar to what our Imams have predicted about preconditions for the rise of Imam Mahdi, so the moment of truth may have come.”

Historian Muhammad Hossein Rajabi Davani told an Iranian newspaper: “With respect to promises in Shiite hadiths, we are certainly experiencing doomsday, but doomsday has no time frame and it’s not known when it begins and ends.”

Yet, certain Shiite narratives and hadiths contradict the aforementioned narratives, suggesting different signs for the rise of Imam Mahdi. Today, however, many are speculating about the events that will follow the Saudi king's death, as well as its impact on global developments. With the death of King Abdullah, according to some analyses, stability in Riyadh may come to an end, setting off a chain of prophecies and the resurrection of Mahdi.


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## jollyjacktar (23 Jan 2015)

Yes, there have been many cries of "the end of the world is coming" throughout history.  I'm sure, that one day, someone will be correct.  If Jesus is coming, we better get start to look busy...


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## CougarKing (23 Jan 2015)

To put things into context, please note an older article posted last year about how the Saudi monarchy succession crisis could lead to discord:

EDITED TO ADD: Thank you to the Mods for the thread merge.


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## CougarKing (29 Apr 2015)

Nayef to be the next Saudi king after Salman?

Canadian Press



> *Saudi king recasts line of succession to elevate counterterrorism czar, defence minister son*
> The Canadian Press
> 
> By Aya Batrawy, The Associated Press |
> ...


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## CougarKing (6 May 2015)

Salman consolidating power?

Reuters



> *King's changes make Saudi policy less predictable*
> 
> By Angus McDowall
> 
> ...


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