Middle East Breaking -- Unconfirmed rumour that King Salman of Saudi Arabia has died.

[Deleted member]

The claim came from "Mujtahid", the pseudonymous leak source in the Palace which MBS has never managed to eliminate, and is being heavily reported on by the Iranians, but not really anywhere else at the moment. This is the thread for following what, if anything, comes of this, particularly in context of the major purge of the Princes that MBS has just initiated.

 

[Scottty]

How many contenders for the throne would there be? Does the Saudi system have clear rules of succession or does the eventual winner have to eliminate some competition?

 

[PsihoKekec]

That would explain the recent arrests in the royal family. MbS must keep his father on ice a bit longer still, so he can secure the power.

 

[Emperor Tippy]

How many contenders for the throne would there be? Does the Saudi system have clear rules of succession or does the eventual winner have to eliminate some competition?

MBS would become King.

He is the acknowledged heir, has the support of the military, and has spent the past several years purging anyone likely to attempt to contest things.

 

[Cherico]

MBS would become King.

He is the acknowledged heir, has the support of the military, and has spent the past several years purging anyone likely to attempt to contest things.

Sadly Saudi culture is such a toxic mess that introducing democracy would probally result in them becoming 10 times worse.

 

[LordsFire]

Sadly Saudi culture is such a toxic mess that introducing democracy would probally result in them becoming 10 times worse.

Absolutely. And MbS is the closest thing the House of Saud has shown to being a reformer. At a minimum, he's responsive to pressure from the US; if he keeps up even the small, tiny incremental reforms he has thus far, that's probably about the best that can be hoped for in that particular climate.

Perhaps more importantly, it might start to drive a wedge between the House of Saud and the Wahhabis.

 

[Spartan303]

Who is MbS? I haven't been keeping up with the Saudis or whats going on lately.

 

[PsihoKekec]

Mohammed bin Salman, son of the current king and the true power behind the throne. The highlights of his career include quick and decisive war in Yemen, quick and decisive sanctions against Quattar, imprisoning and torturing bunch of important Saudis who were plotting against him, kidnapping some princes hiding in Europe and ordering of cutting appart a guy in Saudi consulate in Turkey, then smuggling the body parts out in the diplomatic mail - hence the nickname ''Prince Bonesaw''.

 

[Cherico]

Mohammed bin Salman, son of the current king and the true power behind the throne. The highlights of his career include quick and decisive war in Yemen, quick and decisive sanctions against Quattar, imprisoning and torturing bunch of important Saudis who were plotting against him, kidnapping some princes hiding in Europe and ordering of cutting appart a guy in Saudi consulate in Turkey, then smuggling the body parts out in the diplomatic mail - hence the nickname ''Prince Bonesaw''.

In most countries that would be the markings of an insane tyrant in Saudi arabia that's what the sane moderates look like.

 

[Deleted member]

King Salman just made a public appearance to dispel the rumour; the detained Princes are now being released, apparently after being threatened against committing a coup. It's possible that MBS had the King intentionally draw them out.

 

[Scottty]

So it wasn't yet Salman's time to...

...swim up the river.