Saudi Arabia General Discussion Thread: Purge Time with Finn and Jake

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Surely the massive US military presence in Qatar rules out annexation?

The potential annexation wouldn't be by Iran, it would be by Saudi Arabia / UAE. I find the possibility that Trump would go along with that to be frighteningly likely. (How friendly/hostile has Al Jazeera's coverage of Trump been?) Heck, the Saudis probably got Trump to sign off (verbally, at least) on this during his visit.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

And Trump sets fire to another US alliance carefully built over years.

Guess Qatar is kicking themselves for not plastering Trump's face all over their nation and not giving him a giant glowing orb to hold. Maybe it's not too late for them to change their name to Trumpistan?

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Naturally, it won't prevent wealthy Saudis to finance terrorists with the rulers turning a blind eye.

It almost looks like the U.S. along with stronger Arab nations simply picked a little country as a fall guy to show their anti-terrorist "credentials". Not that Qataris are innocent apples, but still.

Yeah... It makes me think of a cartoon I can't find. There are a bunch of wolves in ill-fitting sheep costumes, in front of a mob of angry sheep, all pointing fingers at at one un-disguised wolf saying "he did it!"

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-ashcroft-idUSKBN1910T6

You must be logged in to read this quote.

They would be better off offering the Trump Organization a lucrative branding/management contract for a hotel and golf course complex.

I say that half in snark, half in sick seriousness.

Trump has demonstrated that he does not care about either the actual rule of law, nor about the quasi-legal SOP under which the US and its various appendages have traditionally operated. Unless Ashcroft has some relationship with Trump or his inner circle, Qatar is wasting its time.

Saudi Arabia is using Trump as a prop, and Qatar as a scapegoat, while pushing it's own agenda of Saudi supremacy in the ME.  And because the Saudi's flattered Trump (and it apparently plays well on the reality TV show Trump runs in his head) Qatar is up a creek.  This is exactly the sort of manipulation people were worried about with Trump. That it's coming from our putative ally instead of Russia doesn't make it much better.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

That's assuring.

Trump helping to destabilize the Middle East because he doesn't like the coverage he got from Al Jazeera seems par for the course.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Deposed bin Nayef confined to his palace.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/world/middleeast/deposed-saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-nayef.html

The Saudi monarchy has obviously never been democratic, but these look like the latest moves in a slow-motion coup by Salman's branch of the family.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-haj-idUSKBN1AF0L3

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Sounds to me like the Saudis don't want to negotiate...how much longer before they send troops into Qatar?

It sounds like the Saudis just want a fight with Qatar, regardless of what they do.

Picking new fights to distract from the fights they're losing is not a good strategy. Starting a war with Qatar would be like Hitler invading Spain after failing to take Moscow.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

one missile fired at a country is news now?

When the victims of America and its allies fire back, it's always been news.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Saudi Prince Mansour bin Muqrin dies in helicopter crash

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/11/06/Saudi-Prince-Mansour-bin-Muqrin-dies-in-helicopter-crash.html

Mansour bin Muqrin was the son of Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, who was the Crown Prince (heir apparent) after the death of King Abdullah and his succession by the current King, Salman. Salman removed him three months after coming to the throne.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Saudi detainees are reportedly being tortured (per the Daily Mail):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5108651/American-mercenaries-torturing-Saudi-princes.html

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Saudi Crown Prince Boasted That Jared Kushner Was “In His Pocket”

You must be logged in to read this quote.