Sunday, April 8, 2018

ARCHIVE: MIDDLE EAST TRANSFORMATION May 19 - April 8, 2018

Updates


April 8, 2018

'PALESTINE QUESTION' AN ANACHRONISM IN SAUDI VISION



(...) in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Abbas journeyed to Riyadh. The message he reportedly got there was a Saudi demand that Abbas accept what the United States was offering in terms of a two-state solution. They even offered serious financial support for him if he was willing to make peace and become part of an anti-Iran alliance. Abbas’s reply was that no Palestinian leader could accept such a deal. Abbas is more concerned about competing with Hamas, which is why he supported Hamas’s violent riots along the Gaza border also intended to promote the idea “return”—synonymous with Israel’s destruction—as the keynote of Palestinian demands. So when MbS spoke of a Jewish right to a “land,” he wasn’t so much speaking to Trump or Netanyahu, who realize that the Saudis look to Israel as an ally against an Iranian foe that they, as the prince stated, regard as worse than Hitler. Rather, it was a message to Abbas, Hamas and the Palestinian people emphasizing that if they are determined to persist in their century-old war on Zionism, then they can do it without any help from the Saudis (More)






April 3, 2018

(VIDEO) MBS: ISRAELIS RIGHT TO THEIR OWN LAND



Saudi Arabia's crown prince affirmed Israel's right to exist and criticized former President Obama's Iran policy in an interview published Monday, pointedly bucking other leaders in the Arab world and signaling support for President Trump's Middle East agenda. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 32, told The Atlantic that both Israelis and Palestinians "have the right to have their own land" -- a surprising assertion given that many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, do not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel. “I believe that each people, anywhere, has a right to live in their peaceful nation," he said. (...)  Prince Mohammed then took aim at Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. (...) He is the Hitler of the Middle East. In the 1920s and 1930s, no one saw Hitler as a danger. Only a few people. Until it happened." Asked about the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran -- which President Trump has long lambasted -- the crown prince sided with the current White House. (More)



(VIDEO) INTERVIEW WITH REFORMIST SAUDI CROWN PRINCE (FULL)




March 19, 2018 CBS 60 Minutes interview with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Source)

THREAD ↓




March 25, 2018

NO FATA MORGANA: FLIGHT TO TEL AVIV OVER SAUDI AIR SPACE



For some reason best known to themselves the Left and the MSM are not very enthousiastic about the wind of reform currently going through Saudi Arabia and its prospects for peace and prosperity in its wake for the entire region. Women are learning to drive a car for the first time in their lives; they are getting jobs and can go out without a male chaperon; the Crown Prince is jetting around the globe, contracting art exhibitions and theater performances. That we are not looking at a fata morgana was proved this week by the Air India flight to Tel Aviv through Saudi air space. The Saudi awakening is a reality and it is our best hope for a Sunni wide Islamic Reformation. Instead of skepticism and reluctance we should embrace it whole heartedly. That alone is why the Left and the media in their wake are already hating it. 





 March 7, 2017

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MEETS COPTIC PATRIARCH


It is hard to overstate the significance of a hugely symbolic move by the reformist (...) Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has arrived at the St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo in an historic visit to the church. Prince Mohammed was met by Pope Tawadros II, 118th and current Pope of Alexandria. Earlier in the day, the prince visited the office of the Al-Azhar Sheikh. In the evening, the Saudi Crown Prince and Sisi will see an improvisation theater show at Cairo's Opera House focused on correcting destructive ideas and fighting terrorism. (More)









Nov. 25, 2017

CROWN PRINCE MBS ON HIS SAUDI 'PERISTROIKA' 


MBS has announced his plans in the mainstream media by way of an interview with NYT. Read it all! Thomas Wictor has added his valuable comments in a 33 piece thread. 



MIDDLE EAST PERISTROIKA AND THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION

A closely related issue is, what will the Saudi led peristroika mean for the Palestinian question? The PLO may be shocked, but even in the rest of the Arab world, life moves on, eventually. The Palestinians have managed to hold the future and prosperity of the entire generations in the region hostage to their cause. They have done so since the founding of Israel. And now, finally, the jig is up! But they have no intention of giving up; not even now.

  • Although the full details of the proposed plan have yet to be made public, the Palestinians have already made up their mind: Whatever comes from Trump and his Jewish team is against the interests of the Palestinians.
  • The Palestinians' rhetorical attacks on the Trump administration are designed to prepare the ground for their rejection of the proposed "ultimate solution." 
  • Take careful note: these warning shots may well be translated into yet another intifada against Israel under the fabricated pretext that the Americans and Israelis, with the help of some Arab countries, seek to strip the Palestinians of their rights. One wonders when the world will wake up to the fact that those rights have already been stripped from the Palestinians -- by none other than their own brainwashing, inciting and corrupt leaders. (More)




Nov. 20, 2017

TRANSFORMATION OF MIDDLE EAST GATHERS PACE


While the media is focused on #MeToo and the collapse of the Democrat party, the liberalization of Saudi Arabia is quietly going apace. Yoga has been legalized (video) and the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia issued a ruling forbidding war against the Jews and proclaiming Hamas a terror group. WOW! Have you heard? 


⏩ It all hangs together with a number of other astonishing developments in the region. Washington is set to shut down the Qatar and Gaza branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as the PLO. No one ever cared that much about Palestine anyway. That's the dirty little secret of the Middle East. 




⏩ A Republican-led House panel delivered a blunt bipartisan warning to Qatar on Wednesday, backing legislation that would slap sanctions on any countries or individuals providing financial and material support to the Islamic militant group Hamas. The Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill by voice vote, setting the stage for the full House to consider the measure. The bill specifically criticized Qatar for having backed Hamas and hosting senior members of the militant group. (More)

⏩ Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Thursday called on the Hezbollah terrorist organization to disarm, warning the group that regional efforts were underway to oust them from the Lebanese government. (More) 

⏩ Tweep Thomas Wicktor has been posting very interesting, but rather speculative observations on the astonishing developments. Here a few threats necessary to understand what is going on in Lebanon. Looks like over the summer Hezbollah has covertly been neutralized. This will play out on the ground very shortly. 








Nov. 17, 2017

REPORT: MBS TO ASSUME SAUDI THRONE NEXT WEEK


King Salman of Saudi Arabia is planning to step down next week and name his son Prince Mohammed bin Salman as his successor, a source told DailyMail.com. Once crowned king, the prince will shift his focus to Iran, a long standing rival oil empire to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, the source said. (More) There are rumors of a covert visit to Israel in order to coordinate the war against Iran and its proxies in Lebanon and Syria. Tweep Thomas Wictor has interesting ideas about the ware fare strategies in the Gulf countries.






Nov. 15, 2017

(AUDIO) BANNON: SAUDI EVENTS SHOCK TO GLOBALISTS




Breitbart News Executive Chairman Steve Bannon analyzed the dramatic weekend events in Saudi Arabia on Monday’s edition of Breitbart News Daily on the SiriusXM Patriot Channel. Bannon said a driving force behind the transformation of Saudi Arabia and other major events in the Middle East is the recognition by many regional powers that “President Trump and the United States of America have had enough of it and are just not going to tolerate anymore this financing, the exporting of radical Islamic terror into Western Europe and the United States.” He recalled Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s giving a landmark speech several years ago about “how Islam had to reform itself internally to Islam, just like Christianity went through a huge reformation.” (More)



  • Dawn: Saudi crown prince’s revolution is the real Arab spring (Source)
  • Breitbart: Saudi Arabia Wants Sanctions Against Iran for Terrorism, Supporting Hezbollah (Source)




April 25, 2016 Al Arabiya interviews Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.





Nov. 6, 2017


THE SAUDI PURGE IS NOT "A COUP"


Democracy often being their moral standard sadly many on the Right are misled interpreting the events in Saudi Arabia as a coup. It's not! It is exactly the opposite. The concentration of power in one man may not seem like the paramount of democracy, it is a lot better when the people being deposed are responsible of all kinds of evil, least of which is not the covert support of radical Islamic terrorism and globalist politics on the geopolitical level! The consolidation of power in the hands of the modernist crown prince MBS sure as hell is in the interests of human rights in KSA, peace in the Middle East and the values of Liberty in general. It is estimated that some $500 billion has been taken out of the money pool that is corrupting our banks, our media, social media and covert Islamism!






Nov. 5, 2017


8 SAUDI OFFICIALS DIE IN CHOPPER CRASH


The shocking latest twist in what has been a chaotic weekend in Saudi Arabia is news that a helicopter transporting 8 high-ranking Saudi officials (including prince Mansour bin-Muqrin) has crashed in the south of the Kingdom, near the border with Yemen. Details are few for now but some headlines report that the high-ranking officials aboard included Crown Prince Mansour bin-Muqrin, deputy Emir of Asir province. There are sources saying all aboard have died. (More)









(ANALYSIS) THE GREAT SAUDI CORRUPTION PURGE


Yesterday it became clear what the effects of President Trump's deal with Saudi Arabia entail. From the part of the Saudis it comprises fighting Islamic radicalism and corruption. The purge can be seen as the consolidation of the new heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) taking charge of the modernization drive aimed at turning Saudi Arabia into a 'normal state', as he put it himself not long ago. A number of events happening yesterday are related. We string them together:

1. President Trump mysterious early morning tweet. 


2. Five days ago President Trump’s primary, and most trusted, emissary to the mid-east region, Jared Kushner, made a trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. 

3. Earlier yesterday Saudi Arabia used a US provided patriot missile defense system to intercept and strike down a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. The target of the missile was King Khalid international airport in Riyadh. (More) 




4. Former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri announced his surprise resignation on Saturday, citing a plot to kill him, and saying the climate in Lebanon resembled that before the assassination of his father Rafik al-Hariri, who was also prime minister, in 2005. He mentioned Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for their role in Lebanon and other Arab countries. (More)

5. Eleven princes, four sitting ministers and ‘tens’ of former ministers have been arrested on orders from the new anti-corruption committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Conservative Tree House has an excellent explanation. Let's start there.

Major developments happening in Saudi Arabia including the arrest of former King Abdallah chief of staff, prince Al Walid Bin Talal, and heads of the main three Saudi owned television stations. It’s important to understand the use of the word “corruption” as it pertains to the domestic consumption of news in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In these examples, “corruption” is expressed as self-interested financial corruption as in: ‘activity against the people’. However, within [Saudi] politics, adverse political action targeted against the state is framed as ‘corruption’ through internal broadcast. 
President Trump, May 2017: “Drive Them Out” … “Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.” I’ll outline some recent actions we’ve been tracking that will highlight today’s events, and yet encapsulate some larger issues. It is critically important to remember, KSA is in a state of realignment away from extremism –REMINDER– and President Trump has committed his support to the reform agents King Salman, and more importantly, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the future leader of Saudi Arabia. You can easily connect-the-dots. (More)





Sep. 12, 2017


(TERRORISM) HOW SAUDI ARABIA HAS CHANGED SINCE 9/11


Author Thomas Wiktor has a few interesting, historical observations related to the political situation in Saudi Arabia and its role in terrorism. Stringing a thread on Twitter together we learn the following. 


(5) The headline and much of the story are misleading. We're talking a total of maybe five Saudi government employees.
(6) We're told that al-Qaeda had connections to the Senior Council of Ulema, who are between 30 and 40 men. 
(7) The GOAL of 9/11 was to completely drive the US from the Middle East. 
(8) On October 23, 1983, a Hezbollah suicide bomber destroyed US Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 Americans. We pulled out. 
(9) If the US had withdrawn from the Middle East in 2001, the Saudi government would've been overthrown. 
(12) Saudi Arabia has three armed forces: the military, the internal-security troops, and the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). 
(13) To defeat al-Q!aeda, the Saudis had to UNITE their armed forces. They'd always refused to do that, out of fear of a coup. 
(14) The reason Saudi Arabia had adopted Wahhabism in the first place was a twin uprising in 1979. 
(15) The Wahhabists AND the Shia minority took up arms at the same time, November 20 to December 4, 1979. 
(16) Saudi security forces put down the rebellions, but King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud then gave in to Wahhabist demands.
(17) September 11, 2001, happened on the watch of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. TWO KINGS AGO.
(18) King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud took steps to reduce the power of Wahhabists in the kingdom. xxx













Nov. 6, 2017


THE SAUDI PURGE IS NOT "A COUP"


Democracy often being their moral standard sadly many on the Right are misled interpreting the events in Saudi Arabia as a coup. It's not! It is exactly the opposite. The concentration of power in one man may not seem like the paramount of democracy, it is a lot better when the people being deposed are responsible of all kinds of evil, least of which is not the covert support of radical Islamic terrorism and globalist politics on the geopolitical level! The consolidation of power in the hands of the modernist crown prince MBS sure as hell is in the interests of human rights in KSA, peace in the Middle East and the values of Liberty in general. It is estimated that some $500 billion has been taken out of the money pool that is corrupting our banks, our media, social media and covert Islamism!






Nov. 5, 2017


8 SAUDI OFFICIALS DIE IN CHOPPER CRASH


The shocking latest twist in what has been a chaotic weekend in Saudi Arabia is news that a helicopter transporting 8 high-ranking Saudi officials (including prince Mansour bin-Muqrin) has crashed in the south of the Kingdom, near the border with Yemen. Details are few for now but some headlines report that the high-ranking officials aboard included Crown Prince Mansour bin-Muqrin, deputy Emir of Asir province. There are sources saying all aboard have died. (More)









(ANALYSIS) THE GREAT SAUDI CORRUPTION PURGE


Yesterday it became clear what the effects of President Trump's deal with Saudi Arabia entail. From the part of the Saudis it comprises fighting Islamic radicalism and corruption. The purge can be seen as the consolidation of the new heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) taking charge of the modernization drive aimed at turning Saudi Arabia into a 'normal state', as he put it himself not long ago. A number of events happening yesterday are related. We string them together:

1. President Trump mysterious early morning tweet. 


2. Five days ago President Trump’s primary, and most trusted, emissary to the mid-east region, Jared Kushner, made a trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. 

3. Earlier yesterday Saudi Arabia used a US provided patriot missile defense system to intercept and strike down a ballistic missile fired from Yemen. The target of the missile was King Khalid international airport in Riyadh. (More) 




4. Former Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri announced his surprise resignation on Saturday, citing a plot to kill him, and saying the climate in Lebanon resembled that before the assassination of his father Rafik al-Hariri, who was also prime minister, in 2005. He mentioned Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for their role in Lebanon and other Arab countries. (More)

5. Eleven princes, four sitting ministers and ‘tens’ of former ministers have been arrested on orders from the new anti-corruption committee headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

Conservative Tree House has an excellent explanation. Let's start there.

Major developments happening in Saudi Arabia including the arrest of former King Abdallah chief of staff, prince Al Walid Bin Talal, and heads of the main three Saudi owned television stations. It’s important to understand the use of the word “corruption” as it pertains to the domestic consumption of news in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In these examples, “corruption” is expressed as self-interested financial corruption as in: ‘activity against the people’. However, within [Saudi] politics, adverse political action targeted against the state is framed as ‘corruption’ through internal broadcast. 
President Trump, May 2017: “Drive Them Out” … “Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.” I’ll outline some recent actions we’ve been tracking that will highlight today’s events, and yet encapsulate some larger issues. It is critically important to remember, KSA is in a state of realignment away from extremism –REMINDER– and President Trump has committed his support to the reform agents King Salman, and more importantly, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the future leader of Saudi Arabia. You can easily connect-the-dots. (More)





Sep. 12, 2017


(TERRORISM) HOW SAUDI ARABIA HAS CHANGED SINCE 9/11


Author Thomas Wiktor has a few interesting, historical observations related to the political situation in Saudi Arabia and its role in terrorism. Stringing a thread on Twitter together we learn the following. 


(5) The headline and much of the story are misleading. We're talking a total of maybe five Saudi government employees.
(6) We're told that al-Qaeda had connections to the Senior Council of Ulema, who are between 30 and 40 men. 
(7) The GOAL of 9/11 was to completely drive the US from the Middle East. 
(8) On October 23, 1983, a Hezbollah suicide bomber destroyed US Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 Americans. We pulled out. 
(9) If the US had withdrawn from the Middle East in 2001, the Saudi government would've been overthrown. 
(12) Saudi Arabia has three armed forces: the military, the internal-security troops, and the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG). 
(13) To defeat al-Q!aeda, the Saudis had to UNITE their armed forces. They'd always refused to do that, out of fear of a coup. 
(14) The reason Saudi Arabia had adopted Wahhabism in the first place was a twin uprising in 1979. 
(15) The Wahhabists AND the Shia minority took up arms at the same time, November 20 to December 4, 1979. 
(16) Saudi security forces put down the rebellions, but King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud then gave in to Wahhabist demands.
(17) September 11, 2001, happened on the watch of King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. TWO KINGS AGO.
(18) King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud took steps to reduce the power of Wahhabists in the kingdom. xxx
















Background

(TERRORISM) WHY THE TRUMP DEAL IS DIFFERENT




May 21, 2017 President Trump addressing the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In what way is the Trump deal different from the globalists' ideas? The globalists are dumping taxdollars, for example in the Palestinian hellhole, thinking that combating poverty will deter young Muslim men from choosing the path of terrorism. It won't of course, when the indoctrination and tribalist mentality continue. The deal that Trump offered Muslim nations on Sunday from the pulpit in Saudi Arabia, is different. President Ttump says, if you disavow terrorism, we will help you combatting it and will cooperate with you to make your country prosperous in the process. It's isn't a pay-off, it is a trade between equal traders. This is why President Trump could say, we are not here to dictate how you must live. The globalist idea is top down and is for this fact alone, not attractive. What's more, causality matters. Globalists are habitually reversing cause and effect. They think the cause will emerge once you mimic the effects! Much trouble is rooted in that fallacy.



TRUMP SPEECH CHANGES TERRORISM PARADIGM

Today President Trump gave his much anticipated speech at the Arab Islamic American Summit on cooperation against terrorism. Over 50 Arab leaders were in attendance, representing 1,5 billion Muslims (only Morocco and Sudan cancelled). The importance of the speech cannot be overestimated. Full transcript. The effort includes the establishment of the Global Center to Combat Extremist Ideology, which serves as a hub against cyber terrorism. 

President Trump is conceptualizing the fight against radical Islamic terrorism differently from what has been Western doctrine in the past 40 years. Islamic terrorism is not "the West's fault", blowback from Western colonial history. The fight against terrorism does not bread more terrorism.

President Trump does not blame the Islamic ideology as such, but he does lay the responsibility firmly at the feet of Muslim nations when it comes to combating extremism. Ignoring the root of Jihad in Islam does not persuade Muslims of the attractions of Western culture. 

Muslims must change their attitude towards religiously inspired conquest themselves if they want their children and grandchildren to prosper. Casting terrorism as stealing the beauty, dreams and prosperity from generations of childreb is a powerful argument. 

This is to be the new standard for the relationship between the West and the Islamic world. The speech was conciliatory in tone, but did not mince words. The message that peace is a prerequisite for prosperity is clear. He called on the summit to support life, rather than death as the barbarians do.

"Drive them out of your Holy Land, and drive them out of this Earth". The speech is a call to the Muslim world to unite against common enemies of humanity and strengthen the partnership. The onus is now clearly on Iran as the state sponsor of terrorism.


US, Saudis issue joint terrorist designation

On May 19, 2017 the United States and Saudi Arabia issued a first-of-its-kind joint terrorism designation on Friday in combating the financing of terrorism. The move freezes the assets of Hashem Safieddine, a leader of the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. The announcement was made on the cusp of President Trump's first overseas trip since taking office, a nine-day itinerary that will begin in Saudi Arabia and continue through Israel and Europe. It's symbolic of a broader effort to arrange an "Arab NATO" to counteract Iran, backed by American arms deals to the Saudis.

"The Safieddine designation is also consistent with the U.S. government's ongoing effort to expose and apply pressure against the actions of Hezballah, which is supported by the foremost State Sponsor of Terrorism, Iran," the State Department emphasized. "Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system." The State Department also gave the leader of an ISIS-affiliate in the Sinai peninsula a terrorist label. (More)


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