Saudi Arabia - Another Defeat In Yemen - King's Bodyguard Killed
Something curious is happening in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
For the second time in a month the Yemeni forces aligned with the Houthi surrounded and captured brigade size forces of Saudi soldiers and mercenaries. The Houthi media report that 2,400 fighters and several hundred vehicles were captured. The reports say that 500 Saudi soldiers were killed. This video shows the fighting. Another video shows several hundred prisoners being led away from the front. Here are additional pictures. Most of the prisoners seem to be poor men that the Saudis had hired. Only a few have complete uniforms. The events happened north of Kitaf near the Saudi Yemeni border and at least partially in the Najran region within Saudi Arabia. Here is a report of the previous operation. Overnight some ten short range ballistic missiles were launched from Yemen against the airport of Al Jadhea in Saudi Arabia.
The personal bodyguard of the Saudi King Salman has been killed. The official claim is that it was during a personal dispute. Conveniently the shooter is also dead. But there is more behind this:
Ali AlAhmed @AliAlAhmed_en - 2:47 UTC · Sep 29, 2019
I can now confirm the death of personal guard of #Saudi @KingSalman General Abdulaziz AlFaghem by gunfire. He is seen here with the king. He was dismissed from his post just days ago which makes his death extremely suspicious. Working on details.
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AlFegham was seen few days ago walking alone #Jeddah corniche which is not constant with his job. He doesn’t ever leave the side of the king & sleeps at the palace after the king goes to bed.I can with high certainty say that AlFegham was dismissed this month by #MBS. Details will be coming when sources are able to find info & transmit
Update: #Saudi king palace in #Jeddah is high alert & on lockdown. I know that palace & have reviewed its plans & photos from inside & had sources there since 2005 until recently. Also royal court #Riyadh is on lockdown.
AlFaghem had many secrets & had served since as personal guard of King Abduulah - from 2002- as far as we can confirm. This made him a threat to #MBS given he supervised palace guards who killed #JamalKhashoggi
I can say now, it was a political murder. The report will come out Sunday with details.
There is currently a huge fire in Jeddah near the train station which may be related to the events above.
After the attack on the oil installation the Houthi had offered a ceasefire. But Saudis only wanted a 'partial' one which the Houthi rejected.
Clown prince Mohamed bin Salman may have removed his father's bodyguard to make it easier for himself to take the throne. The recent Yemeni attack on Saudi oil installation and the defeat of at lest two brigades of Saudi troops must put a lot of pressure of him. MbS is the Defense Minister. He started the war on Yemen. He must fear for his job and position. With the king removed he would become unassailable.
Posted by b on September 29, 2019 at 15:04 UTC | Permalink
« previous pageIranian translation :-))
Saudi crown prince: War with Iran will lead to 'total collapse of global economy' ... Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) has warned that a war with Iran would entail a “total collapse of the global economy,” calling for a “peaceful” settlement with Tehran in an apparent break with his trademark bellicose rhetoric. ... “The region represents about 30% of the world's energy supplies, about 20% of global trade passages, about 4% of the world GDP. Imagine all of these three things stop,” the crown prince said.Bin Salman urged the “world” to act on easing tensions, saying further escalations in the region could push oil prices to “unimaginably high numbers that we haven't seen in our lifetimes.”
Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs of the United Arab Emirates, made similar remarks in an op-ed published by the Financial Times on Sunday.
...
Gargash, whose country is a close Saudi ally, called for talks with Iran in a bid to decrease tensions and "reduce the potential for miscalculations, missteps and retaliation on all sides".Bin Salman’s comments, along with those of Gargash, represent a stark break with their provocative rhetoric in the past against Iran.
Posted by: somebody | Sep 30 2019 10:42 utc | 102
A string of tweets along these lines by Magnier.
https://twitter.com/ejmalrai
#Iraq no longer tolerates contact between it military & the #US now that #ISIS has been removed from all Iraqi cities. Any contacts should go through the official channel.
PM Abdel Mahdi is purging officers with direct/regular contact with US in Iraq.
This adds to the post by arata now @93
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 30 2019 11:04 utc | 103
@82 The BBC is unimpressed with the videos so everybody can relax. There have been no Houthi victories at all. The videos 'appears to show' just a few guys shooting at vehicles and a group of men 'marching' down a dirt road.
"But the video broadcast on Sunday instead shows what appear to be rebels firing at vehicles on a road.
This is followed by footage of several burnt-out vehicles, as well as assorted light weaponry laid out on the ground and a group of men not in military uniforms marching down a dirt road."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49866677
Posted by: dh | Sep 30 2019 14:13 utc | 105
A lot of the prisoners may be Sudanese mercaneries.
Posted by: Johny Conspiranoid | Sep 30 2019 15:09 utc | 106
Apparently the US is conceding that it's defense systems are such shit that they can't protect their own most important C&C node. Of course, I suppose it could be an indicator that the US is preparing for a more imminent strike, but still, the take away is the same.
Posted by: J Swift | Sep 30 2019 15:14 utc | 107
Federico PIERACCINI weighs in:
Three Saudi Brigades Annihilated in Devastating Houthi Offensive in Saudi Arabia
This Houthi victory reminds me of Abd El Krim and the Rif Rebellion about 100 years ago:
I can recommend the book, but not the price:
Rebels in the Rif: Abd El Krim and the Rif Rebellion<\A>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rif_War
Posted by: Bemildred | Sep 30 2019 15:58 utc | 108
willie @90--
Thanks for your reply! Saudi also killed some of their own when it bombed a prison, killing well over 100 inmates, and I've seen other reports of attacks on surrendering troops--really motivational if you're wearing a Saudi army uniform.
Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 30 2019 16:17 utc | 109
Patricide from the psycho Clown Prince. The King is a walking dead man now. Poison will take him.
The strategic question is how many US troops will be needed to save the Kingdom once it all catches fire?
If the US has already tested moving its regional command HQ from Qatar to South Carolina as a test to see how they would if Iran attacked the huge base where 11,000 troops tirelessly work to keep wars going from Afghanistan to Libya, Central Asia to the Atlantic, then with their own assets at risk, would the US rush in 20,000 men to save MSB and his royal throne (oil)?
Saudi Arabia is a burden whose full weight no one knows. But it is coming.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Sep 30 2019 16:40 utc | 110
@111 I just read about that move from Qatar to S.Carolina. Seems odd somehow because the 'assets'....planes, troops etc. will still be there and vulnerable to Iranian attack.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-military-practicing-moving-middle-114913249.html
Posted by: dh | Sep 30 2019 17:01 utc | 111
@Red Ryder #111
Why again would the US intervene?
The US economy benefits from higher oil prices these days.
Furthermore, the largest customer for Saudi Arabia is China - so geo-strategically, the collapse of Saudi Arabia into a Libya-like situation hurts China more than anyone else (and helps the US economy).
Even the Saudi assets in US dollars - in a collapse situation - would be stranded by US "peacekeeping" efforts, much as Qaddafi's were.
Posted by: c1ue | Sep 30 2019 17:04 utc | 112
Bemildred @109--
Beat me at linking that article, which answers a few questions I posed earlier:
"The large-scale operation was preceded by Yemeni rocket artillery targeting Jizan airport, with 10 missiles paralyzing any movements to and from the airport, including denying the possibility of air support for the encircled troops. The Houthis also hit the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in a key operation that targeted Apache helicopters, forcing them to leave the area. Nearby military bases were also targeted so as to cut off any reinforcements and disrupt the chain of command....
"Houthi forces employed drones, missiles, anti-aircraft systems, as well as electronic warfare to prevent the Saudis from supporting their troops with aviation or other means to assist their trapped men."
No attack helos as it seems the decision was made to remove them from harms-way rather than commit them to battle (TOE linked below lists 94 Apaches). All Saudi pilots are Royals, so maybe they're cowards. This is the first reference I've seen to Houthi use of EW and AAA systems. As stated later in the article, the overall use of integrated forces only seems to omit conventional artillery. This TOE lists only 4 motorized infantry brigades, while the article says 3 Saudi brigades were surrounded; without more info, it's impossible to know what and how much was deployed then captured, but the losses are certainly significant. Saudi land forces along the Yemeni border have taken a beating from Houthis consistently. There were reports that some Saudi National Guard forces were also deployed as some of the captured and destroyed vehicles had their markings.
On paper, the Saudis still have formidable forces, but they seem to be geared to deal with an invasion from the North--Iraq--given the emphasis on tanks, SPA and APCs for flat desert terrain, not the mountains of the South and West. The Saudi air force doesn't seem to be employed against actual Houthi military formations as it clearly prefers to bomb essentially defenseless urban areas. Of course, recent Houthi interdiction of Southern Saudi airports may have a lot to do with that. I also see the new filming of damage as it occurred was posted above, too. MbS better beware; he may end up losing much more than mere face.
Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 30 2019 17:05 utc | 113
karlof1 @24 noted: "Any map of Yemen shows those forces [CIA/ISIS] controlling a vast area."
I would like to argue that the term "control" in this regard might not be entirely appropriate. As in Syria, lawless areas where the government has not restored civil order are all said to be under the control of whatever the dominant gang in the area happens to be, but given the lawlessness in those areas one could not really say they are "controlled" by anyone. When gangsters wreck local civil order and prevent its re-establishment, are they really controlling anything? The idea that ISIS actually controls anything anywhere is a Risk board game way of looking at geopolitics, where every marked area is under the control of one player or another. The real world's lawless areas end up defaulting to whatever gangsters happen to be there, even if those areas are mostly uninhabited wilderness and wastelands. That's not the same thing as "control".
I realize that my arguing this point might be seen as somewhat pedantic, but I think it is important in that it accentuates the scale of what the Syrian government and people have achieved, and what the Yemeni people are trying to achieve. It is easy to break a society and leave it in chaos and lawlessness. The morons from Langley do that all the time. Rebuilding order from that chaos; placing that chaos under control, is a whole 'nother matter. Saying that the lawless areas are "controlled" by the gangsters is giving the gangsters too much credit, in my opinion.
Posted by: William Gruff | Sep 30 2019 18:45 utc | 114
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49880517
Prisoner swap
Posted by: Mina | Sep 30 2019 18:46 utc | 115
Strategic analysis of the Yemen victory over the three brigades of Saudi troops. Impressive use of Russian strategy similar to that used in the DPR.
Posted by: Krollchem | Sep 30 2019 19:02 utc | 116
karlof1 @114: It's an interesting read, allowing for some embellishment here and there. I watched some of the videos too, gives a much better feel for how they operate militarily, which was a question? Given all we are told about the situation there, how is it they are holding off all these hot-shit western arms? Reading that gives me a little better idea of where the bullshit lies.
They have a dispersed style of warfare, guerillas, but very well equipped because of their inheritance from the Yemeni Army/Saleh period. Not a good army of conquest, but formidable on their own turf and clearly much more sophisticated than as protrayed. Clearly we have underestimated our overestimation of Saudi capabilities, which appear to be limited to bombing with lots of western help. The Houthis will eat them up on the ground. It seems likely (still, to me) they have been getting help, but maybe not as much as we are inclined to think. The sophistication of both recent big Houthis attacks does impress, eventually I hope we get a better picture of how that was done, and the people behind it.
Posted by: Bemildred | Sep 30 2019 19:12 utc | 117
AFAICT, there is no contemporaneous news story about AlFaghem's dismissal. It appears to have been reported only with his death and no specific date is given ("days ago").
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 30 2019 19:32 utc | 118
Apparently, over at the house of “a mutual friend“ or whatever they called it, where the shootout happened, something was amiss that money simply couldn’t fix. Makes me think it had something to do with true loyalty.
I also couldn’t help but notice the kind of affection and devotion which the general, that hulk of a man, displayed to the frail old king in all these photos. You know, tying his shoelaces, holding him upright by the sides of his chest and so on. Remarkable, to my eyes at least. So I’m reading “homosexual subtext” (on the general’s side).
Anyway, seems like the KSA is crumbling, and I like it. These recent major developments, which B has so excellently covered – haven’t Saudi rulers gone down for much less severe blunders in the last 30 years or so? Or is the Clown Prince™ going to hold on to power simply because he’s in a league of his own regarding ruthlessness? After all, to get rid of a ruthless ruler in such an archaic system like the KSA would require someone, well, quite ruthless himself…
Posted by: Scotch Bingeington | Sep 30 2019 21:45 utc | 119
Bemildred
The US at least since WWII has never been able to defeat a non mechanised force in hills or jungles. To fight that style of war, for the US, the cost of body bags is too high.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Sep 30 2019 21:58 utc | 120
@113
Look at a map. Saudi borders Iraq and Jordan. If SA goes to hell, the Iranians pick up the pieces. They have 40% of the population (Shias). They are sponsors of Yemen, border nation. It would become a nightmare for the Gulf States. All US bases, land and naval would be affected. The fall of the Kingdom changes everything in the ME.
And the oil would go to who came to help the Iranians, China and Russia. So the market for sales of petroleum shifts. Not just about price, it's about reserves and production.
And it creates a huge dilemma for Israel.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Sep 30 2019 23:24 utc | 121
Peter AU 1@121: That's an interesting point, I'm not sure we have ever really been good at any kind of warfare, except maybe bombing. Not that we were bad at it, just not that good. Didn't have to be. Great geographical position, no closeby enemies to worry about, had to go abroad looking for enemies. The military when I was acquainted with it (80s & 90s) was still pretty professional, competent, serious, but our War on Terror appears to have caused a lot of degradation, and waste.
The Houthis are interesting though, information can be hard to come by. They seem to have improved their English language PR operation lately too, which is helpful. I had visions of them heading to Riyadh, now that seems less a good idea, not really an army of conquest against anybody with air support, but not without defenses. Impressive watching them operate.
I've always kind of thought the Houthis would win, it's been hard to justify it, but mountain people on their own land are hard to move, many examples of that.
Posted by: Bemildred | Sep 30 2019 23:25 utc | 122
@123 The American Civil War was a pretty good effort. Infantry charges complete with swords, bayonets and rebel yells...even some cavalry charges... and no air force to spoil the fun.
Posted by: dh | Oct 1 2019 0:09 utc | 123
dh @124: I'm not saying we don't approach war with enthusiasm, it's just there are only the Revolutionary War, 1812, Civil War, and WWI and WWII where we could be said to have had peer or better adversaries, something like a real threat, most of its been colonial wars, which won't make you good at maneuver war with high rates of attrition. Lately it's been all bullshit wars, colonial wars conducted as though we had suitable enemies, which as we can see is even worse. Money pollutes everything when it becomes the objective, not a tool. During the Cold War we took what we were doing seriously, and we were better, now it's all about the graft.
Posted by: Bemildred | Oct 1 2019 1:18 utc | 124
@125 I get your point Bemildred. War just isn't what it used to be. Too many technological advances maybe. I think Special Forces guys still get to experience some excitement. Maybe drone operators enjoy the challenge but for your average soldier/sailor I imagine it's all a bit humdrum.
Posted by: dh | Oct 1 2019 1:31 utc | 125
A disturbance in the farce
Bolton explained to a luncheon hosted by the conservative Gatestone Institute "everybody in the White House had agreed on a retaliatory strike" on Iran in the wake of the Sept. 19 Saudi Aramco attacks.
This is consistent with the propaganda narrative that Trump is pro-peace. And Tucker Carlson as the voice of Trump's (supposed) "better instincts" has been established over many months.
But that contrasts sharply with the "locked and loaded" tweet as well as the thrust of Trump's rhetoric and actions while in office, including and his willingness to assist Netanyahu/Israel (Jerusalem, Golan Heights, occupying Syria, ending US participation in JCPOA, etc.)
If we assume that Trump was ready willing and able to attack Iran, then what really prevented the attack from happening?
The death of King Salman's bodyguard may provide a clue.
Saudi Arabia never said that Iran attacked their oil facilities. They said that "Iran bears responsibility" or some weasel words to that effect. This, despite USA insisting that that attack originated from Iran!
Could it be that it was King Salman that refused to name Iran as the attacker? Is that why General AlFaghem is dead? Is the King now under house arrest?
Why haven't we heard from the King? Why hasn't he issued a statement about the death of his personal bodyguard? Would he really be silent about the death of his long-time bodyguard? Even in the face of rumors that MbS was behind it?
I don't buy the BS that the King is suffering from some sort of mental deficiency. He's always seemed to have his faculties as far as I could see.
Has the King made any public appearances lately? If not, why not?
The King's last tweet was on September 23rd, Saudi Arabia's National Day. He's not a prolific tweeter by any means but he has 7.8 million followers.
<> <> <> <> <>
If the above speculation is true, the last obstacle to a war with Iran has been neutralized.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 1:43 utc | 126
@126 I should add that if the US ever does get into a war with either Russia or China it will probably go nuclear very fast. There won't be much time for heroics.
Posted by: dh | Oct 1 2019 1:50 utc | 127
Americans, even the special forces like the beefy look. Goodfor weight lifting but no good for covering country on foot. Once you start looking special forces from other countries tend to be more wirey. Those Houthi fighters would be able to cover a lot of rough ground in the heat.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 1 2019 2:01 utc | 128
Houthi say they had assistance from Saudi's with the hit on Aramco and we take it for grated the help was provided by the Shia of the area. Those caught in this trap seem to have been set up by the Saudi military, or factions within the military.
That opens the possibility of similar help in the strike on Aramco.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 1 2019 2:07 utc | 129
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 1:43 utc | 127
General rule is that guys with trophy wifes are not war mongers ....
Posted by: somebody | Oct 1 2019 2:12 utc | 130
The 1st anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi's death is 2 October.
The killing of AlFaghem so close to this milestone creates additional unwanted publicity. Another mysterious death! Suspicion is already falling on MbS.
If AlFaghem's killing was related to Kashoggi's murder (which is hinted at by those that say that he "knew too much") then why not kill him weeks or months before or after the anniversary?
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 2:35 utc | 131
@ 132 jr... maybe it wasn't as premeditated and pre planned as you are implying...
@ 127 jr quote "I don't buy the BS that the King is suffering from some sort of mental deficiency. He's always seemed to have his faculties as far as I could see." my neighbour down the hill from where we live died sept 20th - 10 days ago..he was 98... he was mentally very sharp.. what happened in the last few months was a noticeable slide.. it does happen, so it is hard to know with the king just where he is at for us outsiders... but, your speculation is as valid as someone with an opposing view in this instance.. in other words - you might be right and you might be wrong!
Posted by: james | Oct 1 2019 2:54 utc | 132
Only a couple of days after AlFaghem's killing(!), intelligence appears that implicates Iranian leadership in ordering the attack on Saudi oil infrastructure.
NCRI: ‘Reliable sources’ say Khamenei ordered, Rouhani authorized Aramco attack:
The US Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) shared detailed intelligence purported to show the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched the attack from Iranian territory, and that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ordered the attack and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani approved it.. . .
Jafarzadeh said the information comes from the MEK [Mujahedin-e Khalq] network inside Iran.
“The sources are inside the regime and within the IRGC and they are completely reliable,” said NCRI-US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English.
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Will Saudi's now agree with USA and authorize/demand an attack on Iran?
Someone has to be the bad guy. Trump and Israel seem to want that to be the Saudis.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 2:59 utc | 133
Recall that "intelligence" for the Iraq War was largely provided by the Iraqi National Congress, a dissident group headed by Ahmed Chalabi:
The CIA was largely skeptical of Chalabi and the INC, but information allegedly from his group (most famously from a defector codenamed "Curveball") made its way into intelligence dossiers used by President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to justify an invasion of Iraq. "Curveball", Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, fed officials hundreds of pages of bogus "firsthand" descriptions of mobile biological weapons factories on wheels and rails.[23] Secretary of State Colin Powell later used this information in a U.N. presentation trying to garner support for the war, despite warnings from German intelligence that "Curveball" was fabricating claims.[23] Since then, the CIA has admitted that the defector made up the story, and Powell said in 2011 the information should not have been used in his presentation.[23] A later congressionally appointed investigation (Robb-Silberman) concluded that Curveball had no relation whatsoever to the INC, and that press reports linking Curveball to the INC were erroneous.[24]The INC often worked with the media, most notably with Judith Miller, concerning her WMD stories for The New York Times starting on 26 February 1998. After the war, given the lack of discovery of WMDs, most of the WMD claims of the INC were shown to have been either misleading, exaggerated, or completely made up ...
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Now we have MEK providing damning intelligence that could lead to war.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 3:18 utc | 134
@Red Ryder #122
Sorry, but I cannot see the Iranians having any desire to occupy Saudi Arabia. Besides the Sunni-Shia thing, Iranians are Persians while Saudis are Arabs.
Having SA descend into a Libya like chaos would be perfectly fine by Iran.
As for the US intervening: The US didn't intervene in Libya with less than 6.5 million people.
I don't see any American appetite for the deaths resulting from intervening in a nation of nearly 33 million people in (self inflicted) chaos. Nor would Israel - their population is all of 8.7 million.
Nor do I see the US as necessarily being viewed as a "honest broker" by any side in Saudi Arabia, after years of machinations on behalf of one prince or another.
The reality is that the "Gulf States", as you put it, is almost 100% Saudi Arabia. The UAE has a population of 9.5 million, Oman 4.6 million. Syria, Yemen and Qatar aren't going to help. Jordan has 9.7 million but has no money or oil. Note Iran's population of 81 million in contrast.
If anything, I'd see China being the most interested party - China's strategic interests are such that they might be willing to accept the price to intervene.
Not that I necessarily see Saudi Arabia descending into a Libya situation - but you never know when that much money and power are at stake.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 1 2019 4:18 utc | 135
@135 jackrabbit.. i thought the whole world knew MEK are a terrorist group with full support from cia-m16 and mccains grave? i guess not..
Posted by: james | Oct 1 2019 5:07 utc | 136
dh @126: I think it was the advent of things like chain shot and grape shot what changed things. We got much much much better at killing around 1800, and it changed everything. Prior to that things like Gettysburg did not happen, killing was a lot of work. Then it got very easy. Now we can wipe ourselves out with a push of a button. Now that's real progress, isn't it?
The military likes big beefy grunts because they make them carry 80-100 lbs or more of "equipment", batteries are a large part of it too thanks to all our high-tech gear. You notice the Houthis don't carry any more crap them they have to, but then they walk to get where they are going.
---
I think JR's question as to where the King is needs to be answered. He was around, now he isn't, and MbS was all of a sudden giving interviews on TV.
Posted by: Bemildred | Oct 1 2019 12:07 utc | 137
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood#Saudi_Arabia
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia helped the Brotherhood financially for "over half a century",[190][191] but the two became estranged during the Gulf War, and enemies after the election of Mohamed Morsi. Inside the kingdom, before the crushing of the Egyptian MB, the Brotherhood was called a group whose "many quiet supporters" made it "one of the few potential threats" to the royal family's control.[192]"
"Sahwa figures published petitions for reform addressed to the royal government (in violation of Wahhabi quietist doctrine). After the overthrow of the Morsi government in Egypt, all the major Sahwa figures signed petitions and statements denouncing the removal of Morsi and the Saudi government support for it.[196]
In March 2014, in a "significant departure from its past official stance" the Saudi government declared the Brotherhood a "terrorist organization", followed with a royal decree announced that, from now on,...."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_Khashoggi
"Appearing on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV's programme Without Borders, Khashoggi stated that Saudi Arabia, to confront Iran, must re-embrace its proper religious identity as a Wahhabi Islamic revivalist state and build alliances with organisations rooted in political Islam such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and that it would be a "big mistake" if Saudi Arabia and the Muslim Brotherhood cannot be friendly.[48]
Khashoggi criticized the Saudi war on Yemen, writing "The longer this cruel war lasts in Yemen, the more permanent the damage will be."
.................
Qatar and Turkey are Muslim Brotherhood and on good terms with Iran. There seems to have been a substantial section of muslim brotherhood in Saudi Arabia that had to keep their heads down when MB was declared a terrorist organisation. This group I think would now be trying to bring the monarchy down.
We may have to wait for awhile to see if Salman reappears as there are always rumors of MBS or the king being dead when they haven't been seen for awhile, but the bodyguard being away from the king and then being shot, especially with the drone strike and recent Yemeni win at the border having Saudi assistance.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 1 2019 13:39 utc | 138
james @137
I think many know of the connection. However, I don't think the public is aware of this.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 13:40 utc | 139
@138 re beefy overloaded grunts I suppose the thinking is 'bigger is better'. It's interesting to watch old WW2 footage. The US troops landing on Okinawa for instance were quite skinny guys......I doubt if today's soldiers would make it off the beach. What happened? Too many Big Macs?
Posted by: dh | Oct 1 2019 13:54 utc | 140
james @133: maybe it wasn't as premeditated and pre planned as you are implying
That's possible. Perhaps most likely. But even so, it seems that the risk of war has increased with his death.
But that begs the question of what prompted his killing.
That AlFaghem "knew too much" is a truism. People in that position are trusted to know a lot of embarrassing info. Although I don't know him, I don't see someone like AlFaghem talking to the press or leading a revolt. Instead, he might be a key person if the King had decided to demote MbS due to the many failures - especially the Yemen War.
Demoting MbS would make it much more likely that a peace is made with Houthi and war with Iran is averted.
Remember, it was King Salman that went to Moscow in fall of 2017. In contrast MbS is enamored with the West and influenced by people like Jared.
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 1 2019 13:58 utc | 141
There was also this piece in the wiki article on the Muslim brotherhood
"The Brotherhood's English-language website describes its principles as including firstly the introduction of the Islamic Sharia as "the basis for controlling the affairs of state and society" and secondly, working to unify "Islamic countries and states, mainly among the Arab states, and liberate them from foreign imperialism".[25]"
US has a base just 70km from Mecca.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/taif.htm
https://east-usa.com/us-military-bases-in-saudi-arabia.html
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Oct 1 2019 14:24 utc | 142
dh @141: I think the defense bidness happened, so we got sold lots of cool hi-tech stuff to help our "warfighters" fight see, excuse me help them be more "lethal", and lots of electronic shit of all sorts so the generals can always know what everybody is doing see. The standard US diet is a different issue, but not irrelevant, and the lifestyle, those skinny kids on the beach did real physical work and didn't get many BigMacs.
This appears relevant to the thread:
Israel and the West Do Not Have the Means to Counter Iranian Technology/A><
Posted by: Bemildred | Oct 1 2019 14:24 utc | 143
@142 jackrabbit... i agree it is a good question - what prompted or was behind the killing of the kings bodyguard.. it is a good question and we don't have a clear answer, other then speculation.. i agree with your characterization of mbs here too.. however, the cia wanted someone else to run ksa.. maybe they have worked around this? i think ksa is on its way to imploding.. i am not sure who is going to pick up the pieces..
Posted by: james | Oct 1 2019 16:55 utc | 144
@Bemildred #138
I can't say I agree. Keep in mind that battles prior to 1800 were smaller because populations were smaller plus transport dictated that armies just couldn't be very large.
Yet most of the bloodiest battles in history are actually before 1500: Siege of Baghdad by the Mongols, Genghis Khan taking down the Jin empire, China attacking Korea, 2 Chinese kingdoms duking it out (Qin vs. Zhao), and the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Plenty of people died, just more by disease and starvation than by bullet, arrow, sword or spear.
Posted by: c1ue | Oct 1 2019 17:25 utc | 145
I found this story (dated October 1 2019): King Salman offers condolences to family of Maj. Gen. Al-Fagham
Related:
Saudis mourn Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz Al-Fagham, who protected their king from harm
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 2 2019 0:14 utc | 146
Despite the laudatory news article which describes AlFagham as being something of a beloved national hero, King Salman has still not tweeted since September 23 (Saudi Arabia's National Day).
Posted by: Jackrabbit | Oct 2 2019 0:18 utc | 147
There appears to be a few Canadian LAV’s captured by the Houthi. We in Canada are in the midst of a federal election. I wonder how much traction this story will get? (Spoiler, none I suspect.) Don’t expect anyone will want to spoil the party by ending the 15 billion arms deal to the KSA. Maybe a few crocodile tears then send the story down the memory hole. Haven’t seen any story on my public broadcaster regarding this game changing defeat the Houthi gave the Saudi’s. Spilt Saudi oil is more precious than spilt Yemeni blood. Who said war was a racket??? The article does mention the Canadians are owed a billion for product delivered. A sign of a lack of spare cash to pay for war toys or perhaps just another day in corrupt inept KAS.
Posted by: Tom | Oct 2 2019 2:51 utc | 148
@ Tom 148
There appears to be a few Canadian LAV’s captured by the Houthi
Trudeau had a classic response on why a C$15bn sale to the Saudi killers last year was progressive: --He had little choice.
“So I am asking the prime minister, what does he think about Canada potentially being complicit in international human rights violations?” Laverdière asked. “How can we say Canada’s foreign policy is progressive and feminist when we continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia?”
Trudeau responded by arguing that his government had little choice but to respect the contract signed by the previous government. “Permits are only approved if the exports are consistent with our foreign and defence policies, including human rights,” said Trudeau. “Our approach fully meets our national obligations and Canadian laws.” . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Oct 2 2019 3:07 utc | 149
Don Bacon #149 Trudeau's response is another example of "Canadian Values". /sarc off Little choice for voters up here in the federal election. The Conservative foreign policy will look like a doubling down of the Liberals and the Greens and NDP are vague.
Posted by: Tom | Oct 2 2019 8:02 utc | 150
Pepe Escobar's "MBS must shelve his vicious war in Yemen" contains some excellent info into the complexity of Ansarallah and a look into the very longstanding past of Yemen's tribes and their interaction with regional history. As I wrote earlier, there's a long and sordid history between Yemeni tribes and the al-Sauds few are aware of. As usual, Pepe's Beirut contacts have provided rich information that I hope goes beyond this article.
Posted by: karlof1 | Oct 2 2019 15:39 utc | 151
R&U have some good coverage of Operation Victory from God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G20rDb5S5o4
From this footage it looks like a comprehensive defeat for the Saudi clan. Lots of US/UK/Euro weapons captured intact and in place. The Iranian techs will be all over this gear and fair play to them. If anyone who has ever had the misfortune of living and working in the KSA they will know the vast majority of those who hold the reins of what they like to call Saudi Society are aware that they are living on borrowed time... although they're too lazy, stupid, arrogant, greedy and entitled to do anything about it. What goes around comes around... I for one will be cheering the Houthi's on!
Chop Chop square awaits!
Posted by: Carnyx | Oct 3 2019 21:03 utc | 152
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Saudi Crown Prince warns of escalation
Posted by: somebody | Sep 30 2019 10:39 utc | 101