Gird your loins: Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Dies

[Onkel Neal]

What happens next?
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sa...ounces-n291766

audi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has died, state television announced early Friday. Abdullah, who took power in 2005 after the death of his brother King Fahd, was admitted to the hospital on Dec. 31, state media reported at the time.

[Schroeder]

There is usually no shortage of princes to fill the gap. I don't think a lot will change, at least not for the better but I'm a professional pessimist so hopefully I'm wrong.

[Oberon]

A quick wiki read indicates that Salman seems much like the deceased King, diplomatic, western orientated and a reformist, but not really one for political reform but economic, so don't expect much to change, if anything the conservatives might be able to push some reforms back which will annoy the increasing reform crowd in Saudi Arabia.

Time will tell... Yemen looks like it's about to break apart, probably in a civil war, so that will probably be his first diplomatic challenge to talk with the west about.

[Jimbuna]

As far as I'm aware King Abdullah was popular with the people as is Salman who has already called on the royal family's Allegiance Council to recognise Muqrin as his heir. He swiftly appointed Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef as deputy crown prince, making him second in line to the throne, and named his own son, Mohammed bin Salman, as defence minister.

I think it is unlikely their will be any major shift in Saudi current policies.

[Oberon]

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Now I get the UK's decision to lower the flags: it was out of courtesy for not decapitating Liz for her heretic behaviour!

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Now I get the UK's decision to lower the flags: it was out of courtesy for not decapitating Liz for her heretic behaviour!

That or guilt for possibly taking a few decades off his lifespan.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Oberon

That or guilt for possibly taking a few decades off his lifespan.

Now I imagine with playing on her radio.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Now I imagine with playing on her radio.

[Onkel Neal]

More news from the Middle East, the Islamic world getting ready to rumbllllleee!

Airstrike on Yemen refugee camp could portend Saudi ground incursion

At any moment, Saudi troops could march through Yemen, heating up an already intense conflict that could have ramifications across the Middle East.

On Monday, a Saudi-led coalition of nine countries continued airstrikes against Shiite Houthi rebels, who have captured key parts of Yemen and ousted that country's President, and who could spread Iran's influence in the region.

And the notion of an Iranian proxy power in Yemen is unacceptable to many -- especially Iran's staunch rival Saudi Arabia.

[Oberon]

So the push-back against Irans ambitions begins, Saudi Arabia is scared of losing its hegemony in the Middle East. Time will tell who will win out of this one, but my money is not on Saudi Arabia...

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Oberon

So the push-back against Irans ambitions begins, Saudi Arabia is scared of losing its hegemony in the Middle East. Time will tell who will win out of this one, but my money is not on Saudi Arabia...

I don't know, Saudi Arabia has had a better relationship with the U.S. and Israel the last 50 years than it has with Iran. I can't see either of them leaving the kingdom to contend with Iran on its own. In fact in my conspiratorial little brain I would even go so far as to say the three are at this very moment working together to regin in Iran.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

I don't know, Saudi Arabia has had a better relationship with the U.S. and Israel the last 50 years than it has with Iran. I can't see either of them leaving the kingdom to contend with Iran on its own. In fact in my conspiratorial little brain I would even go so far as to say the three are at this very moment working together to regin in Iran.

Definitely, the snag is how far they can go without themselves becoming stuck in the mire. Iran is pushing big in Iraq and Syria, and the US and Israel are both reluctant to get deeply involved militarily in either. So Iran is doing the ground-work while the US bombs from above.
Yemen is a different matter, Iran is a bit extended there, they might be able to push Iran out of Yemen, but Yemen is really a side-show for Iran, an opportunity for expansion if possible but the main theatre is really Iraq/Syria, and Saudi Arabia is struggling to keep up with events there.

It's really a matter of how much the US wants to stay involved in the Middle East, there's a heavy push-back against US involvement post-Afghanistan and Iraq from both the general public of the US and several of its political powerbases. Israel is going to be facing internal and external problems from its strategy with Palestine. I think the post-Gulf wars malaise is going to give Iran a lot of opportunities in the region, and I think that in the long run it's going to result in the sort of Iran that used to be called Persia back in the 1800s.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Definitely, the snag is how far they can go without themselves becoming stuck in the mire. Iran is pushing big in Iraq and Syria, and the US and Israel are both reluctant to get deeply involved militarily in either. So Iran is doing the ground-work while the US bombs from above.
Yemen is a different matter, Iran is a bit extended there, they might be able to push Iran out of Yemen, but Yemen is really a side-show for Iran, an opportunity for expansion if possible but the main theatre is really Iraq/Syria, and Saudi Arabia is struggling to keep up with events there.

It's really a matter of how much the US wants to stay involved in the Middle East, there's a heavy push-back against US involvement post-Afghanistan and Iraq from both the general public of the US and several of its political powerbases. Israel is going to be facing internal and external problems from its strategy with Palestine. I think the post-Gulf wars malaise is going to give Iran a lot of opportunities in the region, and I think that in the long run it's going to result in the sort of Iran that used to be called Persia back in the 1800s.

I believe its imperative the US stay in the middle east. If anything to maintain good order and discipline, something that region hasnt seen since Muhammad flew away on his My Little Pony to never never land. How the US stays in the game is what I think we see developing right now. Its doing so without a direct conflict. Imposing sanctions, the drop in oil prices in particular can cripple a middle eastern regime and behind the scenes support of the Saudi's

I also think the tensions between Obama and Netanyahu were staged to help Netanyahu. As well as the perception that the U.S. has strong desire to negotiate could be for the consumption of the Iranian public to show that the US is really trying to find a peaceful way and preventing Iranian officials from blaming the US for all their woes. And right now four nations US, Egypt, Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are working on a common goal. Iran maybe percieved as pushing back 'big' but it may be more akin to the actions of a cornered rat than a big gorilla.

Anyways me thinks we're there to stay I just dont see another Mission Accomplished banner being hung anytime soon.

[STEED]

King Abdullah is that a Saudi Big Mac?