King Abdullah has passed away - PDF extends its condolences to the Saudi people

[Hindustani78]

In King Abdullah's death, India loses a 'great friend' | Zee News
Last Updated: Friday, January 23, 2015 - 17:13

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was a "great friend" of India, a country he once called his second home, as it was under his rule that the foundation for the bilateral strategic partnership was laid and ties gained momentum.


King Abdullah, 90, passed away today and was succeeded by his 79-year-old half-brother Salman as the new ruler.

"During King Abdullah's rule, the foundation for the India-Saudi Arabia strategic partnership was laid and bilateral ties gained momentum as reflected in the Delhi Declaration (2006) and Riyadh Declaration (2010)," India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hamid Ali Rao told PTI.

"He (King Abdullah) was a great friend of India," he said.

King Abdullah became the crown prince and the first deputy prime minister in 1982 when King Fahd succeeded King Khalid. He succeeded to the throne in August 2005 following the death of King Fahd.

He made a historic visit to India in January 2006 as the Chief Guest of Republic Day celebrations and the trip opened a new chapter in the Indo-Saudi bilateral relations.

King Abdullah was the first Saudi king to visit India in 51 years.

During the visit, King Abdullah referred to India as his "second home" and signed the 'Delhi Declaration', the first such bilateral document ever inked by a Saudi King which provided a comprehensive road map for bilateral relations.

The reciprocal visit by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 raised the level of bilateral engagement to 'strategic partnership' and the 'Riyadh Declaration' signed during the trip captured the spirit of enhanced cooperation in the realms of politics, economy, security and defence.

"Bilateral trade increased enormously...He (King Abdullah) signed the Delhi Declaration during his visit which elevated our relations to a new height so it was during his time that the India-Saudi Arabia relations strengthened very much," Indian Consul General in Jeddah B S Mubarak told PTI.

"He (King Abdullah) is definitely a great friend of India. He considered India to be very close to his heart. The number of Indians that we have now here -- 30 lakhs (the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia), it is all because of his policies," he said.

Saudi Arabia's new King Salman visited India last year during which the two countries signed a defence cooperation pact to take their strategic partnership further in areas of security.

In recent years, there has been significant progress in bilateral cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including energy security, trade and infrastructure development projects.


The body of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz is carried during his funeral at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque, in Riyadh on Friday. — Reuters

 

[haman10]

arabian people mourning the saudi family :

pics are posted in links due to respect to the deceased

http://8pic.ir/images/brgcft0p30hw7ol3nca0.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/k7ds1wndcqtbqru9afqg.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/r5ndq3u4dd3ylv6h4651.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/5dknbkkc0671bks5av7m.jpg

 

[al-Hasani]

arabian people mourning the saudi family :

pics are posted in links due to respect to the deceased

http://8pic.ir/images/brgcft0p30hw7ol3nca0.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/k7ds1wndcqtbqru9afqg.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/r5ndq3u4dd3ylv6h4651.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/5dknbkkc0671bks5av7m.jpg

Troll post.

Really Kurdi? Is that all you can do in this thread? To pollute it with a few (5-10) ungrateful clowns on the internet? Possibly Daesh terrorist supporters?

@WebMaster @Horus @Jungibaaz @Chak Bamu @Jango @Emmie @Manticore @jaibi @T-Faz etc.

Post of no value.

A ‘King of Hearts:’ Saudi Arabians mourn Abdullah bin Abdulaziz​

Friday, 23 January 2015

Millions of Saudis, GCC nationals, Arabs and many around the world are remembering the life and legacy of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who passed away early Friday.

In local press and on social media, the late monarch is being hailed as a “king of hearts;” remembered for his “statesmanship, just governance and leadership, with a down to earth, direct, compassionate and kindhearted character,” according to several online posts.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz was announced the seventh king of Saudi Arabia, and Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz his crown prince, and Prince Mohammad bin Nayef, the deputy crown prince. King Salman tweeted from his official Twitter account his pledge to the Saudi people: “I ask Allah to make me succeed in serving our dear people and in achieving their wishes, and that He keeps our country and nation safe and stable, and He protect it from all mischief and harm.”

Heads of state from around the world sent their condolences and many are on their way to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral.

Education
Many are now hailing King Abdullah’s many achievements. He was a reformer who changed the face of Saudi Arabia, a statesman who “led his country to safety in turbulent times.” On Twitter, Arab media personalities summed up some of his important achievements with this tweet: “28 universities, 200,000 students on scholarships, 6 medical cities, 11 specialized hospitals, 22 general hospitals, a railway network, 11 sport cities in nine years of the reign of King Abdullah”

A prominent topic being discussed in memory of the late King is his scholarship program. Today about 200,000 Saudi students, males and females, are studying in North America, Europe, China, Australia, Japan, among other countries.

The program allowed for unconditional enrollment for whoever is willing to go and learn.

For female students, the King’s scholarship Program offered to pay for a male family companion to travel with the girl. This left many conservative parents with little excuse but to allow their daughters to go abroad and study.

On this topic, one Twitter user posted: “We will not forget the great scholarship program the greatest development project in the history of the country it would not have happened had it not been for the will of King Abdullah may Allah bestow him with mercy.”

Another emphasized the opportunity it gave to people of lower income to travel and study in the most expensive universities in the world: “you served your religion and country … hundreds of thousands of your sons [and daughters] will not forget you ... you made the scholarship available to those with limited income ... the love of your people is from heart to heart.”

Women’s rights
He has also been hailed him as a pioneer for women’s rights. In the 20 years of his political career – as crown prince first then as king – he changed laws which restricted women’s active participation in social, economic and political life.

Women entered the Saudi Shoura Council, a woman was appointed as deputy minister of education and more women than ever entered the work force.

Many have been retweeting King Abdullah’s statement on women and the need to improve their status: “A women is my mother... is my sister... is my daughter... is my wife... I was born from a woman.”

A YouTube clip of that statement was also reposted by many. Others are tweeting his picture among a group of women saying that: “King Abdullah – Allah’s mercy be upon him – was the man of bold decisions in enabling women and activating her role in many domains”

Saudis are also remembering the way King Abdullah spoke to his ministers and to the scholars of the country, as “simply but firmly.”

One of his prominent messages to the government was the notion that “the people of Saudi Arabia come first, and you have been appointed to serve them.”

Father figure
Many Saudis today are also expressing feelings towards him as a father figure, respected not just as a head of state or monarch.

Saudi writer Turki al-Hamad, wrote: “And the king of hearts has left us but he is not dead, those who die are those leave this life without a beautiful memory and King Abdullah the humane has left a lot. May Allah have mercy on Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.”

One of his speeches to the Saudi people has also had a special impact on many remembering him. It was four years ago during the turbulent times of the Arab Spring.

“Oh gracious people, Allah knows that you are in my heart; I carry you always, and I take determination and strength from you after Allah. Peace and mercy and blessing be upon you. And do not forget me in your prayers.”

The king is dead. But as –Saudi author Thamer Shaker expressed - the legacy he left in their hearts will endure.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/vie...arts-Saudis-mourn-Abdullah-bin-Abdulaziz.html

The King is dead, long live the King!

 

[Imtiaz_Sarwar]

Ina Lillah a wa ina alay a rajaoon. My deep condolences to our saudi brothers in Islam at the death of their king Abdullah. May Allah grant him place in Paradise. Ameen.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

arabian people mourning the saudi family :

pics are posted in links due to respect to the deceased

http://8pic.ir/images/brgcft0p30hw7ol3nca0.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/k7ds1wndcqtbqru9afqg.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/r5ndq3u4dd3ylv6h4651.jpg

http://8pic.ir/images/5dknbkkc0671bks5av7m.jpg

such jokes can come back and bite you very bad remember that. the same people you are targeting will return the favour if any important Iranian personality dies

 

[haman10]

such jokes can come back and bite you very bad remember that. the same people you are targeting will return the favour if any important Iranian personality dies

they did , remember when just some days ago iranian and lebense figures were killed by israel ?

they cheered up like hell , now the ball spins a million times before hitting the ground . now its their turn

i am just posting pics from saudi nationals mourning the death of their king , whats the problem with that ?
but again , i didn't post the pics out of respect

Troll post.

why troll ?

people have the right to see the whole story , from everyones perspective ! not all arabian people are saudi lovers like you and thats a fact . you can go on and start personal insults now and derail the thread

 

[al-Hasani]

they did , remember when just some days ago iranian and lebense figures were killed by israel ?

they cheered up like hell , now the ball spins a million times before hitting the ground . now its their turn

i am just posting pics from saudi nationals mourning the death of their kind , whats the problem with that ?

just search this in twitter : #goodriddance

but again , i didn't post the pics out of respect

Are you corcamparing a terrorist with a head of state? You have just proven what a ill-mannered person you are. Must be your Iranian Kurdish culture.

Also the millions upon millions of Arabs and Muslims worldwide that are mourning do not care about your view. If you have nothing to say then leave this thread. Your "opinion" and trolling is not appreciated here nor appropriate.

such jokes can come back and bite you very bad remember that. the same people you are targeting will return the favour if any important Iranian personality dies

Well said brother.

@Horus please clean this thread.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

they did , remember when just some days ago iranian and lebense figures were killed by israel ?

they cheered up like hell , now the ball spins a million times before hitting the ground . now its their turn

i am just posting pics from saudi nationals mourning the death of their king , whats the problem with that ?

but then you are following the footstep of the trolls?
and by the way No sane Saudi will do such a disrespectful thing like you are suggesting.
stop linking too many cakes you will get sugar .
poisoning

Are you corcamparing a terrorist with a head of state? You have just proven what a ill-mannered person you are. Must be your Iranian Kurdish culture.

Also the millions upon millions of Arabs and Muslims worldwide that are mourning do not care about your view. If you have nothing to say then leave this thread. Your "opinion" and trolling is not appreciated here nor appropriate.

definitely Not appropriate.

whatever the poltical differences. the deceased king and his life is a matter with Allah Subhan Ta'allah.
lets pray for his forgiveness and maybe we will earn some forgiveness too.

Amen

 

[haman10]

Also the millions upon millions of Arabs and Muslims worldwide that are mourning do not care about your view.

was that conducted by gallop ? i would have LOLed that but i'm a good guy

Are you corcamparing a terrorist with a head of state?

they were for sure less of a terrorist compared to your loss see ? tit for tat

but then you are following the footstep of the trolls?
and by the way No sane Saudi will do such a disrespectful thing like you are suggesting.
stop linking too many cakes you will get sugar .
poisoning

cannot simply care less about your views . i am simply posting another perspective of arabs themselves .

these cakes are not MINE , they are made by arabians themselves .

no forum rules are broken

 

[al-Hasani]

but then you are following the footstep of the trolls?
and by the way No sane Saudi will do such a disrespectful thing like you are suggesting.
stop linking too many cakes you will get sugar .
poisoning


definitely Not appropriate.

whatever the poltical differences. the deceased king and his life is a matter with Allah Subhan Ta'allah.
lets pray for his forgiveness and maybe we will earn some forgiveness too.

Amen

King Abdullah donated money when Iran was hit by an earthquake in Bam some 10 years ago.

Iran praises Saudi aid following recent earthquake in Bam - SAMIRAD (Saudi Arabia Market Information Resource)

Saudi King orders cancer treatment for Iranian child | Riyadh Connect

What a "devil"!

was that conducted by gallop ? i would have LOLed that but i'm a good guy

they were for sure less of a terrorist compared to your loss see ? tit for tat
cannot simply care less about your views . i am simply posting another perspective of arabs themselves .

these cakes are not MINE , they are made by arabians themselves .

no forum rules are broken

So you are comparing Hezbollah members with a head of state? Nice logic. Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist group by numerous countries of the world.

Anyway congratulations. You succeeded with derailing the thread. Well done.

I am not a "Saud lover" (nonsense wording as well) but I respect a great man who did a lot for KSA and the Muslim world.

 

[Falcon29]

A Saudi Palace Coup

King Abdullah's writ lasted all of 12 hours . Within that period the Sudairis, a rich and politically powerful clan within the House of Saud, which had been weakened by the late king, burst back into prominence. They produced a palace coup in all but name.

Salman moved swiftly to undo the work of his half-brother. He decided not to change his crown prince Megren,who was picked by King Abdullah for him, but he may chose to deal with him later .However he swiftly appointed another leading figure from the Sudairi clan. Mohammed Bin Nayef, the interior minister is to be his deputy crown prince. It is no secret that Abdullah wanted his son Meteb for that position, but now he is out,

More significantly, Salman, himself a Sudairi, attempted to secure the second generation by giving his 35- year old son Mohammed the powerful fiefdom of the defence ministry . The second post Mohammed got was arguably more important. He is now general secretary of the Royal Court. All these changes were announced before Abdullah was even buried.

The general secretaryship was the position held by the Cardinal Richelieu of Abdullah's royal court, Khalid al-Tuwaijri. It was a lucrative business handed down from father to son and started by Abdul Aziz al Tuwaijri. The Tuwaijris became the king's gatekeepers and no royal audience could be held without their permission, involvement, or knowledge. Tuwaijri was the key player in foreign intrigues --to subvert the Egyptian revolution, to send in the troops to crush the uprising in Bahrain, to finance ISIL in Syria in the early stages of the civil war along his previous ally Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

The link between Tuwaijri and the Gulf region's fellow neo-con Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, was close. Tuwaijri is now out, and his long list of foreign clients , starting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi may well feel a cooler wind blowing from Riyadh. Sisi failed to attend the funeral on Friday. Just a question of bad weather?

Salman's state of health is cause for concern, which is why the power he has given his son is more significant than other appointments announced. Aged 79, Salman is known to have Alzheimers, but the exact state of his dementia is a source of speculation. He is known to have held cogent conversations as recently as last October. But he can also forget what he said minutes ago, or faces he has known all his life, according to other witnesses. This is typical of the disease. I understand the number of hospital visits in the last few months has increased, and that he did not walk around, as he did before.

So his ability to steer the ship of state, in a centralised country where no institutions, political parties or even national politics exist, is open to question. But one indication of a change of direction may lie in two attempts recently to establish links with Egyptian opposition figures.

I am told that senior advisers to Salman approached an Egyptian liberal opposition politician and had a separate meeting with a lawyer. Neither of them are members of the Muslim Brotherhood but have working contacts with it. Talks were held in Saudi Arabia in the last two months about how reconciliation could be managed. No initiative was agreed, but the talks themselves were an indication of a more pragmatic, or less belligerent, approach by Salman and his advisers. It was understood that these meetings were preparatory to a possible initiative Salman may announce once he was in power.

The policy of the late King was to declare the Brotherhood terrorist organisation on a par with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Even before the Sudairis made their move, a power struggle within the House of Saud was apparent. Early on Thursday evening, rumours on twitter that the king was dead flooded the internet, which is the primary source of political information in the kingdom. There were official denials, when a Saudi journalist on al Watan newspaper tweeted the information.

The palace's hand was forced when two emirs tweeted that the king was dead. MBC TV network cut broadcasting and put the Koran on screen ,a sign of mourning, while national television kept on with normal programming. This was a sign that one clan in the royal family wanted the news out quickly and the other clan was stalling for more negotiations.

The need for a change of course is all too apparent. On the very night in which the royal drama was taking place, a political earthquake was taking place in Saudi Arabia's backyard, Yemen. President Abd Rabu Monsour Hadi, his prime minister and government resigned after days of virtual house arrest by Houthi militia. Hadi's resignation leaves two forces in control of the country both of them armed to the teeth : an Iranian backed militia which gets its training from Hezbollah, and al Qaeda, posing as the defender of Sunni muslims.

It is a disaster for Saudi Arabia and what is left of the ability of the Gulf Cooperation Council to make any deal stick. Their foreign ministers met only the day before. Yemen's former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was levered out of power three years ago and who according to leaked telephone calls, advised the Houthis on how to grab power, is now calling for fresh elections, and there were already calls on Thursday night for the south to split away from the North. Yemen,in other words, has officially become the Middle East's fourth failed state.

The meteoric rise of the Houthis in Yemen was not the result of spontaneous combustion. It was planned and plotted months ago by Saleh and the United Arab Emirates. Saleh's son, the Yemeni ambassador to the UAE, was a key figure in this foreign intrigue, and as I reported before, he met an Iranian delegation in Rome. This was picked by US intelligence and communicated to Hadi. The year before, the then Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar flew a leading member of the Houthi delegation via London for a meeting. Incredible as it seemed, the Saudis were re-opening contact with an Iranian backed Zaydi or Shia sect with whom they had once fought bitter wars.

The Saudi/Emirati plan was to use the Houthis to engage and destroy their real target which was Islah, the Islamist party and chief representative of the Sunni tribes in Yemen. As elsewhere in the Arab world, the entire focus of Abdullah foreign policy after 2011 , was to stop the Arab spring in its tracks in Tunisia and Egypt and crush all forces capable of mounting an effective opposition in the Gulf States. Everything else, including the rise of Saudi's foremost regional rival Iran, became subservient to that paramount aim to crush democratic political Islam.

The Yemen plan backfired when Islah refused to take up arms to resist the Houthi advance. As a result, the Houthis took more control than they were expected to , and the result is that Yemen stands on the brink of civil war. Al Qaeda's claim to be the only fighters prepared to defend Sunni tribesmen, has just been given a major boost.

It is too early to tell whether King Salman is capable of , or even is aware of the need for changing course. All one can say with any confidence is that some of the key figures who stagemanaged the Kingdom's disastrous foreign intrigues are now out. Meteb's influence is limited, while Tuwaijiri is out.

It is in no-one's interests for chaos to spread into the Kingdom itself. Maybe it is just co-incidence that Abdullah died almost on the eve of the anniversary of the January 25 revolution in Egypt. But the timing of his death is a symbol.The royal family should learn that the mood of change, that started on January 25 is unstoppable. The best defence against revolution is to lead genuine tangible political reform within the Kingdom. Allow it to modernise, to build national politics, political parties, real competitive elections, to let Saudis take a greater share of power, to free political prisoners.

There are two theories about the slow train crash which the Middle East has become. One is that dictatorship, autocracy, and occupation are the bulwarks against the swirling chaos of civil war and population displacement. The other is that dictators are the cause of instability and extremism.

Abdullah was evidence in chief for the second theory. His reign left Saudi Arabia weaker internally and surrounded by enemies as never before. Can Salman make a difference ? Its a big task, but there may be people around him who see the need for a fundamental change in course. It will be the only way a Saudi King will get the backing of his people.

...............

 

[al-Hasani]

A Saudi Palace Coup

King Abdullah's writ lasted all of 12 hours . Within that period the Sudairis, a rich and politically powerful clan within the House of Saud, which had been weakened by the late king, burst back into prominence. They produced a palace coup in all but name.

Salman moved swiftly to undo the work of his half-brother. He decided not to change his crown prince Megren,who was picked by King Abdullah for him, but he may chose to deal with him later .However he swiftly appointed another leading figure from the Sudairi clan. Mohammed Bin Nayef, the interior minister is to be his deputy crown prince. It is no secret that Abdullah wanted his son Meteb for that position, but now he is out,

More significantly, Salman, himself a Sudairi, attempted to secure the second generation by giving his 35- year old son Mohammed the powerful fiefdom of the defence ministry . The second post Mohammed got was arguably more important. He is now general secretary of the Royal Court. All these changes were announced before Abdullah was even buried.

The general secretaryship was the position held by the Cardinal Richelieu of Abdullah's royal court, Khalid al-Tuwaijri. It was a lucrative business handed down from father to son and started by Abdul Aziz al Tuwaijri. The Tuwaijris became the king's gatekeepers and no royal audience could be held without their permission, involvement, or knowledge. Tuwaijri was the key player in foreign intrigues --to subvert the Egyptian revolution, to send in the troops to crush the uprising in Bahrain, to finance ISIL in Syria in the early stages of the civil war along his previous ally Prince Bandar bin Sultan.

The link between Tuwaijri and the Gulf region's fellow neo-con Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, was close. Tuwaijri is now out, and his long list of foreign clients , starting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi may well feel a cooler wind blowing from Riyadh. Sisi failed to attend the funeral on Friday. Just a question of bad weather?

Salman's state of health is cause for concern, which is why the power he has given his son is more significant than other appointments announced. Aged 79, Salman is known to have Alzheimers, but the exact state of his dementia is a source of speculation. He is known to have held cogent conversations as recently as last October. But he can also forget what he said minutes ago, or faces he has known all his life, according to other witnesses. This is typical of the disease. I understand the number of hospital visits in the last few months has increased, and that he did not walk around, as he did before.

So his ability to steer the ship of state, in a centralised country where no institutions, political parties or even national politics exist, is open to question. But one indication of a change of direction may lie in two attempts recently to establish links with Egyptian opposition figures.

I am told that senior advisers to Salman approached an Egyptian liberal opposition politician and had a separate meeting with a lawyer. Neither of them are members of the Muslim Brotherhood but have working contacts with it. Talks were held in Saudi Arabia in the last two months about how reconciliation could be managed. No initiative was agreed, but the talks themselves were an indication of a more pragmatic, or less belligerent, approach by Salman and his advisers. It was understood that these meetings were preparatory to a possible initiative Salman may announce once he was in power.

The policy of the late King was to declare the Brotherhood terrorist organisation on a par with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Even before the Sudairis made their move, a power struggle within the House of Saud was apparent. Early on Thursday evening, rumours on twitter that the king was dead flooded the internet, which is the primary source of political information in the kingdom. There were official denials, when a Saudi journalist on al Watan newspaper tweeted the information.

The palace's hand was forced when two emirs tweeted that the king was dead. MBC TV network cut broadcasting and put the Koran on screen ,a sign of mourning, while national television kept on with normal programming. This was a sign that one clan in the royal family wanted the news out quickly and the other clan was stalling for more negotiations.

The need for a change of course is all too apparent. On the very night in which the royal drama was taking place, a political earthquake was taking place in Saudi Arabia's backyard, Yemen. President Abd Rabu Monsour Hadi, his prime minister and government resigned after days of virtual house arrest by Houthi militia. Hadi's resignation leaves two forces in control of the country both of them armed to the teeth : an Iranian backed militia which gets its training from Hezbollah, and al Qaeda, posing as the defender of Sunni muslims.

It is a disaster for Saudi Arabia and what is left of the ability of the Gulf Cooperation Council to make any deal stick. Their foreign ministers met only the day before. Yemen's former strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was levered out of power three years ago and who according to leaked telephone calls, advised the Houthis on how to grab power, is now calling for fresh elections, and there were already calls on Thursday night for the south to split away from the North. Yemen,in other words, has officially become the Middle East's fourth failed state.

The meteoric rise of the Houthis in Yemen was not the result of spontaneous combustion. It was planned and plotted months ago by Saleh and the United Arab Emirates. Saleh's son, the Yemeni ambassador to the UAE, was a key figure in this foreign intrigue, and as I reported before, he met an Iranian delegation in Rome. This was picked by US intelligence and communicated to Hadi. The year before, the then Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar flew a leading member of the Houthi delegation via London for a meeting. Incredible as it seemed, the Saudis were re-opening contact with an Iranian backed Zaydi or Shia sect with whom they had once fought bitter wars.

The Saudi/Emirati plan was to use the Houthis to engage and destroy their real target which was Islah, the Islamist party and chief representative of the Sunni tribes in Yemen. As elsewhere in the Arab world, the entire focus of Abdullah foreign policy after 2011 , was to stop the Arab spring in its tracks in Tunisia and Egypt and crush all forces capable of mounting an effective opposition in the Gulf States. Everything else, including the rise of Saudi's foremost regional rival Iran, became subservient to that paramount aim to crush democratic political Islam.

The Yemen plan backfired when Islah refused to take up arms to resist the Houthi advance. As a result, the Houthis took more control than they were expected to , and the result is that Yemen stands on the brink of civil war. Al Qaeda's claim to be the only fighters prepared to defend Sunni tribesmen, has just been given a major boost.

It is too early to tell whether King Salman is capable of , or even is aware of the need for changing course. All one can say with any confidence is that some of the key figures who stagemanaged the Kingdom's disastrous foreign intrigues are now out. Meteb's influence is limited, while Tuwaijiri is out.

It is in no-one's interests for chaos to spread into the Kingdom itself. Maybe it is just co-incidence that Abdullah died almost on the eve of the anniversary of the January 25 revolution in Egypt. But the timing of his death is a symbol.The royal family should learn that the mood of change, that started on January 25 is unstoppable. The best defence against revolution is to lead genuine tangible political reform within the Kingdom. Allow it to modernise, to build national politics, political parties, real competitive elections, to let Saudis take a greater share of power, to free political prisoners.

There are two theories about the slow train crash which the Middle East has become. One is that dictatorship, autocracy, and occupation are the bulwarks against the swirling chaos of civil war and population displacement. The other is that dictators are the cause of instability and extremism.

Abdullah was evidence in chief for the second theory. His reign left Saudi Arabia weaker internally and surrounded by enemies as never before. Can Salman make a difference ? Its a big task, but there may be people around him who see the need for a fundamental change in course. It will be the only way a Saudi King will get the backing of his people.

...............

A lot of nonsense in that article. Middle East Monitor is a media with a clear agenda. Most of their news about KSA is propaganda or negative. I recall them being pro-Assad as well.

 

[Dubious]

INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAYHI RAJEEOON

 

[Echo_419]

RIP a India has lost a great friend today

 

[Falcon29]

A lot of nonsense in that article. Middle East Monitor is a media with a clear agenda. Most of their news about KSA is propaganda or negative. I recall them being pro-Assad as well.

I think it is informative. Tells people what Sudaires are. I didn't know what they were either. He is one of better journalists there. I wouldn't call it coup but it's informative. MME is usually anti -Assad. Many journalists write opinion pieces there though.