UAE’s Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed’s Growing Influence On The U.S. (ht...
▻https://diasp.eu/p/9165414
UAE’s Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed’s Growing Influence On The U.S.
New York Times correspondent David Kirkpatrick says the UAE ruler has convinced President Trump to take an aggressive position against his enemies, including Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.
#news #npr #publicradio #usa posted by pod_feeder_v2
The Complete Mercenary
▻https://theintercept.com/2019/05/03/erik-prince-trump-uae-project-veritas
How Erik Prince Used the Rise of Trump to Make an Improbable Comeback When Erik Prince arrived at the Four Seasons resort in the Seychelles in January 2017 for his now-famous meetings with a Russian banker and UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed, he was in the middle of an unexpected comeback. The election of Donald Trump had given the disgraced Blackwater founder a new opportunity to prove himself. After years of trying and failing to peddle a sweeping vision of mercenary warfare around the (...)
#militarisation #activisme #sécuritaire #US_Defense_Intelligence_Agency_(DIA) #CIA #manipulation #écoutes #web #surveillance (...)
UAE. The Other Murderous Gulf - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
▻https://carnegieendowment.org/2018/10/30/other-murderous-gulf-pub-77606
Since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad in early October, Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and patron of Saudi Arabia’s own crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), has resembled the cat that swallowed the canary. The disastrous regional adventurism and ruthless despotism of his protégé has averted Washington’s gaze from the UAE’s own responsibility for the carnage that is roiling the region. But the UAE should not be given a get out jail free card. If the White House refuses to hold the Emirates accountable for undermining U.S. interests, Congress should use its constitutional power to step into the leadership void.
Richard Sokolsky
Richard Sokolsky is a nonresident senior fellow in Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Program. His work focuses on U.S. policy toward Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.
Throughout Yemen’s three-and-a-half-year civil war, the Emiratis have been as brutal and reckless as the Saudis. While Saudi aircraft slaughter innocent civilians at wedding halls, funerals, homes, markets, schools, and ports, UAE boots on the ground have also contributed to the humanitarian disaster. The UAE-led military offensive in and around the port city of Hodeidah has been a catastrophe: over 400,000 Yemenis have been displaced since June and the fighting has considerably worsened the country’s already alarming food crisis and famine. Human rights organizations have reported on secret UAE-administered detention facilities where torture, beatings, electric shocks, and killings have occurred. The UAE royal family has paid retired U.S. Special Forces soldiers to track down and assassinate Yemeni political figures that it believes are in league with the wider Muslim Brotherhood movement. In Aden, the UAE has organized, supplied, and paid militias to foment fractious proxy violence. Yemenis who once saw the Emirati intervention as an heroic act to defend their nation’s sovereignty from a ruthless Iran-supported militia are now depicting it as an occupation, if not colonization.
The UAE is part of the coalition of “Saudi-led” Arab countries (along with Bahrain and Egypt) that imposed a blockade against Qatar in May 2017. These nations were attempting to, among other things, end Qatar’s “terrorism,” cut its ties to Iran, get it to stop meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, and force it to pursue a less independent foreign policy. The UAE has taken an even more hardline stance against the Qataris than the Saudis, in part because it is more fanatical than Riyadh about eradicating any trace of Muslim Brotherhood influence in Qatar and the region more broadly. The boycott, which has divided America’s partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council, has been a disaster for both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, affording both Iran and Turkey opportunities to expand their influence in Doha. Nor has it worked out well for Washington, which hoped to forge a united Gulf front to contain Iranian influence. But for the UAE, the Saudis have been a useful surrogate for outsized regional ambitions; the Emiratis’ relationship with the Kingdom has allowed them to punch well above their weight. That’s not a good thing.
Saudi Arabia Planned to Invade Qatar Last Summer. Rex Tillerson’s Efforts to Stop It May Have Cost Him His Job.
▻https://theintercept.com/2018/08/01/rex-tillerson-qatar-saudi-uae
THIRTEEN HOURS BEFORE Secretary of State Rex Tillerson learned from the presidential Twitter feed that he was being fired, he did something that President Donald Trump had been unwilling to do. Following a phone call with his British counterpart, Tillerson condemned a deadly nerve agent attack in the U.K., saying that he had “full confidence in the U.K.’s investigation and its assessment that Russia was likely responsible.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had called the attack “reckless, indiscriminate, and irresponsible,” but stopped short of blaming Russia, leading numerous media outlets to speculate that Tillerson was fired for criticizing Russia.
But in the months that followed his departure, press reports strongly suggested that the countries lobbying hardest for Tillerson’s removal were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which were frustrated by Tillerson’s attempts to mediate and end their blockade of Qatar. One report in the New York Times even suggested that the UAE ambassador to Washington knew that Tillerson would be forced out three months before he was fired in March.
The Intercept has learned of a previously unreported episode that stoked the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s anger at Tillerson and that may have played a key role in his removal. In the summer of 2017, several months before the Gulf allies started pushing for his ouster, Tillerson intervened to stop a secret Saudi-led, UAE-backed plan to invade and essentially conquer Qatar, according to one current member of the U.S. intelligence community and two former State Department officials, all of whom declined to be named, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
In the days and weeks after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed down their land, sea, and air borders with the country, Tillerson made a series of phone calls urging Saudi officials not to take military action against the country. The flurry of calls in June 2017 has been reported, but State Department and press accounts at the time described them as part of a broad-strokes effort to resolve tensions in the Gulf, not as an attempt by Tillerson to avert a Saudi-led military operation.
In the calls, Tillerson, who dealt extensively with the Qatari government as the CEO of Exxon Mobil, urged Saudi King Salman, then-Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir not to attack Qatar or otherwise escalate hostilities, the sources told The Intercept. Tillerson also encouraged Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to call his counterparts in Saudi Arabia to explain the dangers of such an invasion. Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar’s capital city, is the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command and home to some 10,000 American troops.
Pressure from Tillerson caused Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the country, to back down, concerned that the invasion would damage Saudi Arabia’s long-term relationship with the U.S. But Tillerson’s intervention enraged Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and effective ruler of that country, according to the U.S. intelligence official and a source close to the Emirati royal family, who declined to be identified, citing concerns about his safety.
Later that June, Mohammed bin Salman would be named crown prince, leapfrogging over his cousin to become next in line for the throne after his elderly father. His ascension signaled his growing influence over the kingdom’s affairs.
Qatari intelligence agents working inside Saudi Arabia discovered the plan in the early summer of 2017, according to the U.S. intelligence official. Tillerson acted after the Qatari government notified him and the U.S. embassy in Doha. Several months later, intelligence reporting by the U.S. and U.K. confirmed the existence of the plan.
The plan, which was largely devised by the Saudi and UAE crown princes and was likely some weeks away from being implemented, involved Saudi ground troops crossing the land border into Qatar, and, with military support from the UAE, advancing roughly 70 miles toward Doha. Circumventing the U.S. air base, Saudi forces would then seize the capital.
Seychelles meetings probed by Mueller included several Russians : exclusive | NJ.com
▻https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/07/seychelles_meetings_probed_in_mueller_investigatio.html
Several Russians, some linked to the Kremlin, participated in meetings in the Seychelles in January 2017 and are subjects of an ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the island’s aircraft data and sources with knowledge of the meetings.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is examining a series of meetings that took place in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, as part of a broader investigation into Russian meddling. The inquiry into the meetings suggests there is growing interest by the Mueller team into whether foreign financing, specifically from Gulf states, has influenced President Donald Trump and his administration.
Much speculation has centered on one particular meeting between Erik Prince, founder of the security company Blackwater; Kirill Dmitriev, the director of one of Russia’s sovereign wealth funds; and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the effective ruler of the United Arab Emirates, also known as “MBZ.”
La presse arabe (▻http://www.alquds.co.uk/?p=976231) s’intéresse bien entendu à la présence de MBZ....
Sneak peek inside Putin’s new limo : Russian leader showcases his ride (VIDEO) — RT World News
▻https://www.rt.com/news/428525-putin-inside-new-limo
▻https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COR3yFERV5o
Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off the interior of the brand-new addition to his motorcade to Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is visiting Moscow.
Following talks, Putin invited the prince, nicknamed MbZ, to check out his car from the new ‘Kortezh’ (‘Motorcade’) project. As they approached the black limo parked near the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin told his guest the car is a little bit bigger than a Mercedes.
“It’s very comfortable,” MbZ said sitting inside with Putin.
How WikiLeaks cables paint UAE motive for Qatar blockade
Cables show UAE ’warned’ US about Qatar long before crisis began, motives weren’t only driven by security concerns.
Andrew Chappelle by Andrew Chappelle
Al Jazeera
▻https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/wikileaks-cables-paint-uae-motive-qatar-blockade-180524174346824.html
As Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt started their campaign to isolate Qatar on June 5, 2017, accusing it of aiding “terrorism” and being too close to Iran, the messaging used by the Arab quartet struck a familiar tone.
The blockade against Qatar, now nearing the one-year mark, is often referred to as Saudi-led, but the language used by the “Arab quartet” has been consistent with private statements attributed to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (also known as MBZ), as revealed in diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in 2010 and 2011.
A review of this trove - which included secret communications from the US embassy in Abu Dhabi between 2004 and 2010, recapping dozens of meetings with top UAE officials - suggests that the UAE has been a driving force behind the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood (the Brotherhood), and shows the UAE issued a series of stark warnings to US officials about Qatar and Al Jazeera well before the blockade began.
The cables include direct quotes from MBZ on topics he has not discussed in public, providing additional context to the changing political dynamics in the Gulf. The language attributed to him in the cables suggests the UAE’s motives for the blockade are not exclusively driven by security concerns involving Qatar, but also a desire to quash dissent at home.
To date, MBZ has not delivered a single public statement about the current Gulf crisis, leaving his brother, Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (or ABZ) and other surrogates, to speak for the government.
Donc ces deux pignoufs ont fait monté le tableau à des sommes astronomiques juste parce qu’ils croyaient enquiquiner Sheikha al Mayassa ?
Two Arab princes in $450m bidding war for Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi
▻http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5554969/Two-Arab-princes-cost-450MILLION-bidding-war-Da-Vincis-Salvator-Mundi.h
Palace insiders said the purchase was on behalf of the country’s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman, whose regime was criticized for the purchase
De-facto United Arab Emirates ruler Mohammed Bin Zayed also sent a representative to bid on the painting at the Christie’s New York auction
Neither knew the other was bidding, instead they both feared losing the auction to reps from the Qatari ruling family - fierce rivals of UAE and Saudi Arabia
`-Qatar’s ruling family was offered the painting just a year earlier for $80 million
Emails show UAE-linked effort against Tillerson - BBC News
▻http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43281519
The BBC has obtained leaked emails that show a lobbying effort to get US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sacked for failing to support the United Arab Emirates against regional rival Qatar.
Major Trump fundraiser and UAE-linked businessman Elliott Broidy met Mr Trump in October 2017 and urged him to sack Mr Tillerson, the emails reveal.
In other emails, he calls the top US diplomat “a tower of Jello”, “weak” and says he “needs to be slammed”.
Mr Broidy says Qatar hacked his emails.
“We have reason to believe this hack was sponsored and carried out by registered and unregistered agents of Qatar seeking to punish Mr Broidy for his strong opposition to state-sponsored terrorism,” a spokesman for the businessman said.
He said some of the emails “may have been altered” but did not elaborate.
Saudi Arabia, UAE and a number of Arab countries cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 over its alleged support for terrorism, a claim which it denies. The unprecedented move was seen as a major split between powerful Gulf countries, who are also close US allies.
Qatari royal ’held against will’ in UAE
Nations silent on Tillerson Qatar blockade plea
The BBC has asked the Qatar embassy in Washington for a response to the accusations.
Mr Broidy’s defence company Circinus has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of contracts with the UAE, according to the New York Times newspaper.
He had recently returned from the UAE when he met Mr Trump at the White House in October.
What did the emails say?
According to a memorandum he prepared of the meeting, Mr Broidy urged continued support of US allies the UAE and Saudi Arabia and advised Mr Trump against getting involved in last year’s row with Qatar.
Mr Broidy called Qatar “a television station with a country” - alluding to broadcaster Al Jazeera - and said it was doing “nothing positive”, according to the emails.
He said he touted a regional counter-terrorism force being set up by the UAE that his company was involved with, and suggested that the US president “sit down” with Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and a top UAE military commander.
“I offered that MBZ [the crown prince] is available to come to the US very soon and preferred a quiet meeting in New York or New Jersey. President Trump agreed that a meeting with MBZ was a good idea,” Mr Broidy wrote in an email.
He also said he advised the president on Mr Tillerson - who was “performing poorly and should be fired at a politically convenient time”.
Mr Tillerson had criticised the blockade of Qatar and called for it to be eased, in comments that contrasted with Mr Trump’s support for the move.
Mr Tillerson spent most of the first year in his position embattled and weakened.
Last autumn, in a rare move for the soft-spoken secretary, the state department held a press conference in which Mr Tillerson pushed back against reports he had called the president “a moron”.
Who did Mr Broidy email?
He emailed a detailed account of his meeting with the president to George Nader, a Lebanese-American businessman with decades of experience serving as an interlocutor between the Middle East and Washington.
Sources familiar with the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and possible links between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, tell the BBC that Mr Nader has become a person of interest and has been questioned in recent weeks.
Investigators questioned Mr Nader and other witnesses on whether there were any efforts by the Emiratis to buy political influence by directing money to Mr Trump’s presidential campaign, according to a New York Times report.
What else was in the leaked emails?
Mr Broidy also detailed a separate sit-down with Mr Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, according to the emails.
After Mr Broidy criticised Qatar extensively to Mr Kushner, “Jared’s demeanour was very passive and pleasant but he seemed to not want to engage on this issue,” he wrote to Mr Nader.
Kushner Companies - owned by the family of Jared Kushner - is reported to have in April 2017 sought financing from Qatar for its flagship property at 666 5th Avenue, New York.
However, Mr Kushner has maintained that he has had no role in his family’s business since joining the White House last year.
Has anyone else claimed to have been hacked?
UAE ambassador to Washington Yousef al-Otaiba - who in diplomatic circles is known as the most effective and influential ambassador in Washington - has himself been a recent victim of email hacking.
It’s well known in Washington that Mr Otaiba and Mr Kushner have enjoyed close relationship.
Industry experts looking at both hacks have drawn comparisons between the two, showing reason to suspect links to Qatar.
“This is rinse and repeat on Otaiba,” a source familiar with the hack told the BBC.
The UAE has also been known to use similar tactics, and was accused of hacking Qatari government websites prior to the blockade, according to the FBI.
Un titre bien plus éclairant que celui du New York Times, qui de plus consacre les premiers 2/3 de l’article au rôle de « l’Américain d’origine libanaise » George Nader, alors que celui d’Elliot Broidy est de loin plus important.
Mueller’s Focus on Adviser to Emirates Suggests Broader Investigation - The New York Times
▻https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/03/us/politics/george-nader-mueller-investigation-united-arab-emirates.html
Donc efforts couronnés de succès, Tillerson viré.
▻https://seenthis.net/messages/676185
The Angry Arab News Service/وكالة أنباء العربي الغاضب: Saudi and UAE media are celebrating the firing of Tillerson
▻http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2018/03/saudi-and-uae-media-are-celebrating.html
Arabic press review: How this da Vinci ended up in Abu Dhabi’s Louvre
▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/arabic-press-review-yachts-da-vincis-779640225
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ) traded a 26-room luxury yacht to Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) for a Leonardo da Vinci painting - and the world’s most expensive - which the Saudi crown prince bought in December, Arabi21 reports.
Sources told Arabi21 that the yacht, named Topaz, was originally owned by the crown prince’s brother Mansour bin Zayed and is worth $450m. According to specialist websites, the famous yacht is 147 metres long, and can sleep 52 people.
In exchange for Topaz, MbS gave MbZ “Salvator Mundi”, the $450m da Vinci painting which caused an uproar when The New York Times revealed that the Saudi crown prince was the buyer last year.
Arab Neoconservatives and Peace in the Persian Gulf – LobeLog
▻http://lobelog.com/arab-neoconservatives-and-peace-in-the-persian-gulf
Recent years have seen a rise of what could be described as Arab neoconservatives: ambitious leaders such as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed. Their distinctive feature is a heavy reliance on military power to re-shape the political map of the Middle East in their favor, with the overarching aim of pushing back against Iran, a policy they share with the original, American neoconservatives.
Je vois passer ceci. Quelques reprises (dont Jerusalem Post), mais qui toutes se contentent de cette unique source. Avec de grosses pincettes donc… Jordan’s King arrests brothers and cousin in suspected Saudi-led coup | Al Sura English
▻http://al-sura.com/jordans-king-arrests-brothers-and-cousin-in-suspected-saudi-led-coup
King Abdullah spared no time in arresting both his brothers and cousin; Prince Faisal bin Hussein, Prince Ali bin Hussein and Prince Talal bin Muhammad after Jordanian intelligence services alerted the King that there was communication between the brothers and cousin and Saudi and Emirati leaders; Mohammad bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed. The shock house arrest of the King’s siblings comes as the Middle East faces a renewed ‘revolutionary’ movement in several countries. Leadership among the MENA states has looked towards Saudi Arabia for explanations for it’s belligerency towards the governments despite showing good working relations otherwise. Long standing allegiances with Qatar were seemingly thrown aside in moments when Saudi Arabia launched an economic blockade against long time ally Qatar. Many blame Saudi Arabia’s young Mohammad bin Salman for these poor choices in relations.
▻http://www.vetogate.com/3012478 Pour eux cela vient du Daily Express (le lien ne fonctionne pas) et cela contredirait l’explication reprise partout selon laquelle la mise à la retraite des deux gus serait une manière de montrer que la famille royale donne l’exemple...
▻http://www.raialyoum.com/?p=804188 : article allant dans le même sens, une histoire fabriquée de toutes pièces par une pseudo opposition aux USA.
King sends letters to princes Feisal, Ali, Talal after retirement from army | Jordan Times
▻http://jordantimes.com/news/local/king-sends-letters-princes-feisal-ali-talal-after-retirement-army
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday voiced his gratitude for Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal, Prince Ali and Prince Talal for their distinguished military services in three letters after they were referred to retirement from the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF).
In his letters, the Monarch expressed his sincerest appreciation of the military services of the three princes, adding that the services at the JAF have been such a great honour for the Hashemite Royal family, a Royal Court statement said.
The King also noted that modernising the armed forces and improving their capabilities to enable them to carry out their responsibilities has been among his key priorities, adding the JAF is currently undergoing a comprehensive restructuring and development process, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of operation units, cutting down expenses and re-organising the army’s command structure for the coming years, the statement said.
Addressing the three princes, the King said: “As institutionalism is the basis of the JAF’s work and the main pillar upon which the modernisation, development and restructuring process is rested, it has been required that you are sent to retirement just like your high-ranking brothers in the army.”
King Abdullah expressed his pride in the services of Prince Feisal while he was serving as commander of the Royal Jordanian Air Force and assistant for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, granting him the honorary rank of lieutenant general at the JAF.
The King expressed his pride in Prince Ali’s services in the Special Forces and Royal Guards, and granted him the honorary rank of major general.
His Majesty also expressed his pride in Prince Talal’s services as a military secretary to His Majesty the late King Hussein and an officer at the Special Forces, granting him the honorary rank of major general.
Communiqué de la cour ce samedi, pour démentir :
Rumours and misleading claims have been circulated over the past few days by a number of online outlets and social media websites, spreading lies about Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, and Prince Talal bin Muhammed.
The Royal Hashemite Court will pursue legal measures against those who spread lies and false claims against Their Royal Highnesses the Princes and members of the Royal Hashemite Family, as the fabricated news circulated recently is aimed at undermining Jordan and its institutions.
Our loyal people do not fall for such lies, which can never damage Jordan’s national unity and the deep-rooted relationship between Jordanians and the Royal Hashemite Family.
His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), had sent Their Royal Highnesses letters in appreciation of their service after they were referred to retirement from the JAF.
Their Royal Highnesses had been exemplary officers of the Arab Army, loyal to Jordan and the Hashemite Throne
▻https://rhc.jo/en/media/news/statement-royal-hashemite-court-2
Farsnews
▻http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960418000768
A leading Egyptian newspaper released a number of documents proving that Saudi Arabia’s new Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his counterpart in Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan have long been supporting the ISIL and al-Qaeda terrorist groups’ global operations.
“A leaked document in Qatar’s embassy and a letter to Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on October 26, 2016, show Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed’s support for certain key al-Qaeda members in the Arabian Peninsula,” Arabic language al-Badil newspaper wrote.
(...) The Henry Jackson Society — a right-wing think tank — said that overseas funding primarily from the governments and private charities of Persian Gulf countries has a “clear and growing link” to the onslaught of violence the UK and other western states.
The group estimated that the Saudi government and charities spent an estimated $4 billion exporting Saudi Arabia’s strict interpretation of Islam, known as Wahhabism (also practiced by ISIL and other terrorist groups), worldwide in 2015, up from $2 billion in 2007. In 2015, there were 110 mosques in the UK practicing Salafism and Wahhabism compared to 68 in 2007. The money is primarily funneled through mosques and Islamic schools in Britain, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is good news for Israel and U.S.
Saudi crown prince Bin Salman agrees with U.S. on Russia, Assad, Iran and ISIS and according to some reports, he’s also met with top Israeli officials
Zvi Bar’el Jun 21, 2017
read more: ►http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/.premium-1.797007
New Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s appointment as Saudi Arabia’s heir apparent was only a matter of time. The “boy,” who will mark his 32nd birthday in August, has been leading the country de facto anyway. He already calls the shots on foreign policy. Many expect that in the not-too-distant future, King Salman, who is ill, will step down and hand the scepter to his son.
Bin Salman has been undergoing training for the throne since Salman’s coronation two and a half years ago, both through foreign missions carried out on behalf of his father, and also through the war in Yemen that – as defense minister – he planned and carried out (albeit not particularly successfully).
>>Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro: The impulsiveness of the king-in-waiting should worry Israel and the U.S.
Before the new crown prince’s advent, his cousin, Mohammed bin Nayef, had been in charge of relationships with Washington, especially with the CIA. In short order, Nayef was pushed out and the Americans understood exactly who the strong man in town was.
Bin Salman became the contact not only between the kingdom and Washington, but also with Russia: the new heir met with President Vladimir Putin several times to coordinate policy on Syria and Iran.
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Until now, Mohammed bin Salman has been good news for Israel and the United States, as his firm anti-Iranian positions make him an important partner – and not only in the struggle against Iran. Bin Salman agrees with America on the need to thwart Russian influence in the region; to topple President Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria; and to act firmly against ISIS and other radical organizations, from the Muslim Brotherhood to Hezbollah. During the last two years, several Arab websites have reported that bin Salman also met with top Israelis.
File photo: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the White House on March 14, 2017.NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP
>> Cluster bombs and yachts: 5 things you should know about Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince
According to these reports, one such meeting took place in Eilat in 2015; another on the margins of the Arab summit in Jordan this March, and there are regular meetings between Saudi and Israeli officers in the joint war room where Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United States coordinate. What is not yet known is to what extent Bin Salman can and might want to advance the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, and whether he can turn around relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
In a series of tweets this week, the Saudi blogger known as “Mujtahidd” revealed a “plot” by Crown Prince bin Salman and the heir to the Abu Dhabi throne, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to stage a coup in Qatar.
Mujtahidd – many of whose tweets have proven accurate, and who apparently relies on whispers from the Saudi Arabia monarchial court – wrote, among other things, that the two heirs intended to send Blackwater mercenaries (of Iraqi notoriety) to Qatar, together with forces from the UAE, to seize the government. After that, somebody from the ruling Al-Thani family who would be loyal to them would be appointed. Thusly, according to Mujtahidd, the two thought to reduce the crisis and bend Qatar to Saudi Arabia’s will. Based on these tweets, it was the United States that pressed, indirectly, to torpedo the notion.
By the way, this information has not been verified, and there is no certainty that these tweets rely on any actual fact. But what is unquestionable is the depth of relations between the two young heirs, a relationship that has created an axis of youth confident of the global mission – or at least Arab mission – placed on their shoulders, and confident that none but them are suited to run the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 19, 2017. HANDOUT/REUTERS
This is a new generation that includes the ruler of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, 37. It is a generation that came late to the Gulf states, having been predated by youthful leaders in Morocco, Jordan and Syria.
Arab leaders like Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and King Abdullah have felt the whip of Saudi foreign relations. Both have been lashed over their “behavior” – and they were punished, too. Saudi Arabia cut off the oil supply to Egypt six months ago because of Cairo’s support for the Russian proposal on Syria, and because what Saudi Arabia felt was Egypt’s retreat from the proposal to return the Sanafir and Tiran islands in the Red Sea to it. Saudi Arabia also suspended aid to Jordan until recently because Jordan refused to let Gulf forces operate from its territory against Syrian forces.
Mohammed bin Salman, newly appointed as crown prince, left, kisses the hand of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, June 21, 2017./AP
But the hardest blow was suffered, of course, by Qatar, which was declared non grata by the Gulf nations, Egypt, Yemen and Jordan, which turned the terrestrial and aerial blockade of the Gulf state into an economic one.
The new crown prince was the living spirit behind all these decisions, which required no more than a formal nod from his father.
The appointment, which has passed without opposition so far, and with the overwhelming support of the Allegiance Council (which, under the constitution, has the power to approve the appointment of heirs) is not expected to cause any new jolts in the kingdom.
Potential opponents have already been “summoned for a chat” in the king’s court. The new interior minister, Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, is another youngster, just 34, and is very close to Mohammed bin Salman. From now on, he will be the one responsible for managing the struggle against internal terrorism. He will also be the crown prince’s partner in oppressing subversion.
To gratify the subjects ahead of the change, King Salman announced the extension of Id al-Fitr (to mark the end of Ramadan) by another week. He also returned all the financial emoluments that were recently taken away from government and army officials. A pay raise is a time-honored way of maintaining quiet calm in the Saudi kingdom.
Farsnews
▻http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950825000724
Extrait d’une dépêche qui accompagne la sortie d’un rapport par the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Juste après l’élection de Trump et peu avant le départ d’Obama, comme ça tombe bien !
Mohammed bin Salman’s ascension has been surrounded by a great deal of palace intrigue, including the grumbling protestations of royals angry about the prince skipping the lines of succession.
Saudi Sources revealed in late June that Saudi Arabia’s young deputy crown prince is being advised by the UAE on how he can win backing from the US and ascend to the throne by the end of the year.
Two “well-placed Saudi sources” have said that de facto UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan is advising Mohammed on a two-pronged strategy to become Washington’s preferred choice as the next Saudi ruler.
The first Saudi source said bin Zayed has told bin Salman that he must “end the rule of Wahhabism” if he wants to be accepted by the Americans.
Wahhabism is the radical ideology dominating Saudi Arabia which has inspired Takfiri groups such as ISIL and al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front to wreak havoc in the Middle East.
Bin Zayed has also told bin Salman that he must open a “strong channel of communication” with Israel if he is to be Washington’s preferred candidate to be king.
Muslim Brotherhood review: A tale of UK-UAE relations | Middle East Eye
▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/muslim-brotherhood-review-tale-uk-uae-relations-378120043
The UK government published on Thursday the main findings of a review into the Muslim Brotherhood, bringing an end to a story that has been riddled with controversy and raised questions about the influence of foreign interests on British officials.
The review, led by the former UK ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir John Jenkins, has not proscribed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, but Prime Minister David Cameron has said membership of the group was a “possible indicator of extremism”.
This outcome will likely fall far short of the expectations of the United Arab Emirates, which is known to have played a key – if not crucial – role in the commissioning of the report.
While other Gulf states, principally Saudi Arabia, have been said to have played a role in the review being commissioned, this is ultimately a tale about the most powerful man in the UAE and how his politics has driven British-Emirati relations over the past five years.
In November, the Guardian reported that the UAE had lobbied Cameron to crack down on the Brotherhood in exchange for lucrative arms and oil contracts.
According to the report, several high-profile Emirati figures were involved, but the key lobbying figure was Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, popularly known as MbZ in the Gulf.
MbZ is widely accepted as being the de facto UAE president, with incumbent Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan rarely seen or heard amid rumours he is seriously unwell.
MbZ’s personal vendetta
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The Emirati plan for ruling Egypt
▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-emirati-plan-ruling-egypt-2084590756
A top-secret strategy document prepared for Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan reveals that the United Arab Emirates is losing faith in the ability of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to serve the Gulf state’s interests.
The document, prepared by one of Bin Zayed’s team and dated 12 October, contains two key quotes which describe the frustration bin Zayed feels about Sisi, whose military coup the Crown Prince bankrolled, pouring in billions of dollars along with Saudi Arabia. It says: “This guy needs to know that I am not an ATM machine.” Further on, it also reveals the political price the Emiratis will exact if they continue to fund Egypt.
Future strategy should be based on not just attempting to influence the government in Egypt but to control it. It is summarised thus: “Now I will give but under my conditions. If I give, I rule.”
Could Egypt and the UAE be about to part ways with Salman’s Saudi Arabia? | Middle East Eye
▻http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/could-egypt-and-uae-part-ways-salmans-saudi-arabia-729379076
“Unlike Egypt and the UAE, Saudi’s [current] leadership understands you can’t just cut off the Brotherhood,” an unnamed Qatari source told Reuters. “An ideology can’t be removed by force. That’s why communication is essential.”
While Isa was scornful of Saudi Arabia, he reserved special praise for the UAE, another close ally of and lucrative donor to the Sisi government.
He described the UAE as an “important, respected and great country with a wonderful people.”
The UAE too has been linked with criticism of the new Saudi government under King Salman, again in an indirect way, this time through an Emirati news site considered close to the country’s rulers.
The Erem News Agency recently criticised King Salman’s appointment of Saudi Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef as deputy crown prince, which makes him second in line to the throne.
According to Erem, the decision to appoint bin Nayef was taken “against the advice of the Allegiance Council,” the body set up by the late King Abdullah to determine succession in the kingdom.
“The person who fills the role [of deputy crown prince] should be chosen based on a decision by the council,” the article says.
However, it goes on to note that “it is very unlikely that Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef was chosen with the agreement of the Council of Allegiance.”
Rumours of emerging discord between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have been fuelled by the fact that neither the UAE’s Vice President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan nor Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum attended King Abdullah’s funeral in Saudi Arabia last month.
Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Mohammed bin Zayed had ordered only the rulers of three emirates – Sharjah, Ajman and Ras al-Khaimah – to go to Abdullah’s memorial.
According to Al-Akhbar, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed was angered by “the developments that took place […] on the morning of King Abdullah’s burial.”
“The first batch of royal orders were contrary to bin Zayed’s wishes, who received a painful blow with the appointment of Mohammed bin Nayef as deputy crown prince, the expulsion of Khalid al-Tuwaijiri from the Royal Court, and the exclusion of Mut’ab bin Abdullah (the late king’s son) from the first three positions,” wrote Duaa Sweidan.
The Emirati crown prince is said to have had a long-term spat with Mohammed bin Nayef, due at least in part to comments bin Zayed made about the late father of Saudi Arabia’s new deputy crown prince.
In a meeting with US officials prior to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, bin Zayed suggested Nayef bin Abdulaziz al-Saud had ape-like qualities.
“MBZ took a dim view of some of the senior Al-Saud – sardonically noting that Interior Minister Nayef’s bumbling manner suggested that ‘Darwin was right’,” read the diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks.
In the midst of speculation that Egypt and the UAE now have strained ties with Saudi Arabia, it is unclear whether financial support from the wealthy Gulf monarchies will continue to shore up Egypt’s finances.
Kuwaiti and Emirati officials denied on Friday that they will deposit $10 billion in Egyptian accounts. It had been reported locally in Egypt this week that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait would make the deposits prior to a March investment conference in Sharm el-Sheikh that it is hoped will bolster Cairo’s struggling economy.
UAE pays Hamas hush money after attempting to facilitate Dahlan’s return
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Certainly, readers can be struck by such a paradox, and may not grasp why the UAE – a part of the anti-Muslim Brotherhood alliance – would fund Hamas, even if it did so through the security portal (ousted Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan is currently a security adviser for Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed).
According to sources close to Hamas, “the UAE money is the price it paid to cover up the scandal of having sent an intelligence delegation to Gaza, along with its medical personnel, for security reasons that include delivering money to Dahlan supporters in order to cause unrest.”
“Millions of dollars were seized from the UAE delegation which were brought to support some parties affiliated to Dahlan,” the sources told Al-Akhbar, without revealing the exact amount.