Support NeoGAF

[TheRealTalker]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Wednesday appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, placing him firmly as first-in-line to the throne and removing the country's counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to Washington from the royal line of succession.

In a series of royal decrees carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the monarch stripped Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who had been positioned to inherit the throne, from his title as crown prince and from his powerful position as the country's interior minister overseeing security.

The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman already oversees a vast portfolio as defense minister and head of an economic council tasked with overhauling the country's economy. He had previously been the second-in-line to the throne as deputy crown prince, though royal watchers had long suspected his rise to power under his father's reign might also accelerate his ascension to the throne.

The young prince was little known to Saudis and outsiders before Salman became king in January 2015. He had previously been in charge of his father's royal court when Salman was the crown prince.

The Saudi monarch, who holds near absolute powers, quickly awarded his son expansive powers to the surprise of many within the royal family who are more senior and more experienced than Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS.

People speculated that this would happen but for it to be so soon.

The former Crown Prince was quite close to the CIA and Pentagon... I wonder how Washington will take the news.

 

[maabus1999]

Pretty amazing news to be honest, especially for how much is actively going on in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

This could go either way in regional stability too.

 

[How About No]

Do you want Scars? This is how you get Scars

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Pretty amazing news to be honest, especially for how much is actively going on in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

This could go either way in regional stability too.

Article seems to imply MBS is friendly with Trump and has already been working to reverse some of the comparatively "cold" aspects of the Obama administration.

 

[Beer Monkey]

Article seems to imply MBS is friendly with Trump and has already been working to reverse some of the comparatively "cold" aspects of the Obama administration.

Trump loves a good tyrant.

 

[NYR]

Article seems to imply MBS is friendly with Trump and has already been working to reverse some of the comparatively "cold" aspects of the Obama administration.

Yep.

 

[Amalthea]

lol at Trumpys body language here. Especially the hands.

 

[TheRealTalker]

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The Latest on Saudi Arabia’s King Salman appointing his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince (all times local):
https://apnews.com/bdb283ffeed4493c...n=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP
7:35 a.m.

Saudi King Salman has issued an order for high-ranking royals to pledge their allegiance to his son, 31-year-old Mohammed bin Salman, at a ceremony in Mecca.

The order, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, said the meeting would take place after a special prayer Wednesday night amid the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Mecca is home to Islam’s holiest site, the cube-shaped Kaaba.

The order comes immediately after King Salman issued series of royal decrees stripped Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was first in line to the throne, from his title as crown prince and from his post as the country’s powerful interior minister overseeing security.

The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed, who also serves as defense minister and oversees a vast economic portfolio, had previously been second in line to the throne.

___

7:20 a.m.

Saudi state television says 31 of 34 royals supported Saudi Arabia’s King Salman appointing his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince.

State television flashed the news across its broadcasts early Wednesday morning.

That came after a series of royal decrees stripped Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was first in line to the throne, from his title as crown prince and from his post as the country’s powerful interior minister overseeing security.

The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed, who also serves as defense minister and oversees a vast economic portfolio, had previously been second in line to the throne.

___

6:55 a.m.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has appointed his 31-year-old son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince, removing the country’s counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to Washington from the royal line of succession.

In a series of royal decrees issued Wednesday and carried on the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the monarch stripped Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who was first in line to the throne, from his title as crown prince and from his post as the country’s powerful interior minister overseeing security.

The newly announced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as defense minister and oversees a vast economic portfolio, had previously been second in line to the throne, though royal watchers had long suspected his quick rise to power might accelerate his inheriting of the throne.

.

 

[NYR]

lol at Trumpys body language here. Especially the hands.

Ha, I just picked the first pic from google, but there are better handshake pics.

 

[Blues1990]

lol at Trumpys body language here. Especially the hands.

He definitely comes across as a bitter old prune, which is a nice change of pace for the jerk looking so insensitively smug 90% of the time.

 

[Valhelm]

God help us. Mohammed bin Salman is a Silicon Valley salafist, an incredibly hard-line aggressor who wants to turn his enemies' countries into lakes of molten glass while also courting Western investment.

Here he is with the Zucc.

 

[KillLaCam]

God help us. Mohammed bin Salman is a Silicon Valley salafist, an incredibly hard-line aggressor who wants to turn his enemies' countries into lakes of molten glass while also courting Western investment.



Here he is with the Zucc.

For some reason this is worse to me than seeing him with Donald

 

[TheRealTalker]

More
Joyce Karam Retweeted
Mohamed bin Nayef pledges allegiance to new #Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in Safa Palace, Mecca

صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير محمد بن نايف بن عبدالعزيز يبايع صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير محمد بن سلمان بن عبدالعزيز وليا للعهد في قصر الصفا بمكة.

.

Mohamed bin Nayef was the former crown prince

 

[Lagspike_exe]

Fully expected considering the Prince was running the defense department. Unfortunately for Saudis, his only achievement was being the youngest defense minister in the world and he even managed to lose two wars in two years.

 

[FreedomFighter]

The former Crown Prince was quite close to the CIA and Pentagon... I wonder how Washington will take the news.

Seriously? Washington is ecstatic! They love this kid. They're giving him all kinds of support (weapons, intelligence, logistics, etc.) for his waste of time bombardment in Yemen - despite their utter inability of neutralizing the Houtis - so they're literally just terrorizing civilians there with staunch US support. They thought this would be over right after it started. His demands to Qatar pretty much backfired already. This dude is as reckless as they come and this will end in disaster. Can you imagine this guy in charge of Saudi's Wahabi/Salafi/takfiri terror factory? Shit.

But this is "good" news as MBS will be the one to accelerate the collapse of the House of Saud. That can't come soon enough.

 

[ClosingADoor]

So they just appoint whoever they want as successor? There aren't any rules for this in following seniority, oldest son, whatever? Sounds like a recipe for a ton of angry faces.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

Ha, I just picked the first pic from google, but there are better handshake pics.

Salman be like:

 

[Preezy]

Do you want Scars? This is how you get Scars

lmao

 

[Ryuuroden]

Seriously? Washington is ecstatic! They love this kid. They're giving him all kinds of support (weapons, intelligence, logistics, etc.) for his waste of time bombardment in Yemen - despite their utter inability of neutralizing the Houtis - so they're literally just terrorizing civilians there with staunch US support. They thought this would be over right after it started. His demands to Qatar pretty much backfired already. This dude is as reckless as they come and this will end in disaster. Can you imagine this guy in charge of Saudi's Wahabi/Salafi/takfiri terror factory? Shit.

But this is "good" news as MBS will be the one to accelerate the collapse of the House of Saud. That can't come soon enough.

Sounds fantastic, please remind me how collapses of other monarchy's in the middle East went.

Spoiler

/s

 

[MastaKilla]

This guy is a piece of shit who is responsible for war crimes in Yemen essentially. He's also ejaculating alll over himself at the thought of war with Iran.

This has to be in relation to the recent beef and blockade against Qatar. The guy he's replacing wasn't great but he was much more moderate.

 

[MastaKilla]

Sounds fantastic, please remind me how collapses of other monarchy's in the middle East went.

Spoiler

/s

Well that's because outside influences like Saudi saw a democratic middleeast as an existential crisis and did whatever they could to make sure everything went to shit. Don't let that lead you to believe that oppressive monarchies are the right option.

 

[andythinkpad]

Succession war incoming? I heard the old crown prince fucked up the yemen war.

 

[7aged]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social




People speculated that this would happen but for it to be so soon.

The former Crown Prince was quite close to the CIA and Pentagon... I wonder how Washington will take the news.

Yeah, everyone speculated the plan was for the son to be installed as the next king, but nobody expected it to be this quick and easy.

Pretty amazing news to be honest, especially for how much is actively going on in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

This could go either way in regional stability too.

The last 2 or so years have completely upended assumptions in Saudi. The accepted wisdom was that things were done by consensus within the family with different branches holding different portfolios.

This is all blown out of the water now.
We've gone from glacial inertia to a full on rollercoaster.

So they just appoint whoever they want as successor? There aren't any rules for this in following seniority, oldest son, whatever? Sounds like a recipe for a ton of angry faces.

The old system was the oldest capable brother, but with the aging monarchy, the late King Abdullah created the "allegiance council" formed of senior members representing the branches of the family. They are supposed to decide on succession.

But that was put into question as soon as he died, when Muqrin was replaced as crown prince.

 

[Snwaters]

I'm guessing that part of this guy's appeal is that he's so young? So when the current King dies, he's not replaced with another old man who will be dead in a few years, but with someone who can be there for 'decades? That kind of long term stability? We'll see how that works.

 

[GSG Flash]

This guy is a piece of shit who is responsible for war crimes in Yemen essentially. He's also ejaculating alll over himself at the thought of war with Iran.

This has to be in relation to the recent beef and blockade against Qatar. The guy he's replacing wasn't great but he was much more moderate.

This

This spoiled brat is the reason for a lot of the instability in the region right now, mainly stemming from Yemen. Thanks to him, tens of thousands of innocent Yemenis have been killed and millions are now refugees in their own country with nowhere to go. Both his Yemen and Qatar decisions have backfired so far, this moron is going to turn out to be a disaster for SA.

 

[AAK]

Both his Yemen and Qatar decisions have backfired so far, this moron is going to turn out to be a disaster for everyone and everything.

Fixed. Once this guy takes over, It's going to be a real ugly next 40 years.

 

[FreedomFighter]

Fixed. Once this guy takes over, It's going to be a real ugly next 40 years.

He won't last anywhere near that long. He'll be the architect of his own demise. Just watch.

He's already bitten off more than he can chew twice. He'll definitely do it again... and the consequences will be dire.

 

[Valhelm]

Sounds fantastic, please remind me how collapses of other monarchy's in the middle East went.

Spoiler

/s

Much better? Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and potentially Iran would be substantially less liveable were they still under the monarchical yoke.

The Hashemites and other Western-backed royal families weren't much more than middlemen for European domination. In Egypt for instance, Fuad and Farouk intervened to dissemble social democratic institutions set up by parliament and often infringed on Egyptian democracy at Westminister's behest.