Saudi Arabia: The arrest of senior princes at the behest of Saudi Arabia’s true ruler, Wali Ehad Mohammad bin Salman, has triggered a new wave within the kingdom.
For Muhammad Bin Salman, commonly known as MBS, disputes are nothing new. Ever since his subversive development began in 2015, he has shown ruthless ambition to reach the top of the political system and for this he has silenced all his opponents and critics.
Saudi Arabia detains top three members of royal family
Earlier, three members of the Saudi royal family were ambushed by MBS, including his uncle and former Interior Minister Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, and cousin Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN), a former guardian.
Earlier, in 2017, Nayef was unceremoniously ousted from his position in order to clear the way for Mohammed bin Salman to take over the Saudi throne. Prince Ahmed, on the other hand, was spending his time in London until returning home last year.
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Here the question arises as to why MBS is once again active against his rivals even when they are already weak and unable to challenge their grip on power. Only they know the real answer, because in a country like Saudi Arabia, it is almost impossible to access complete truth from government sources.
There has been no fear for MBS after international journalism and criticism came out following the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Bin Salman, known as MBS, will not wait for his father, King Salman, to die because his father’s presence gives legitimacy to the son, and he wants to use the summit in November as the stage for his accession to the throne.
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That is how MBS can do almost anything he wants, separating his barriers for power. Whether they are scholars, rivals, businessmen or domestic pressure groups, they are crushed one by one with full force of the government.
Primarily, this is the dictatorial politics but in the 21st century style. The arrested princes have been kept in a relaxed environment similar to the Ritz-Carlton of Riyadh in 2017.
By the beginning of 2017, most of the Western policymakers were in the camp of Mohammed bin Nayef and were trusted and favored by security agencies around the world. He was seen by all who met him as a competent and worthy future king. But as much as Muhammad Bin Naif was capable of handling the national security, he failed to counter the ambitions of MBS.
Saudi govt arrests 20 more princes, Arab media claims
Both of these claims have no authenticity because the most obvious answer seems to be ignored, that is, the message from Shah Salman and Wali Ehad Mohammed bin Salman for the rest of the Saudi royal family to remain within their limits.
It was a disciplinary initiative aimed at gaining loyalty and convincing everyone that Muhammad Bin Salman is undoubtedly Saudi Arabia’s boss.