@coluber2001,
The Daily Mail is a rag, not considered a reputable source by Wikipedia.
According to the source, the name 'Blackwater' is being circulated as providing the mercenaries. The controversial private security company, however, no longer exists under that name and is now Academi.
A spokesperson for Constellis, Academi's parent company, denied the claims. The spokesperson claims that it has no presence in Saudi Arabia and does not carry out interrogations.
'Constellis through Academi does not now or have we ever provided interrogative services,' they said.
'We do not provide security services in KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), we have no contact or connection with any government official or private party regarding this allegation.'
When asked if Academi workers were involved in any kind of violence during these interrogations, the spokesperson said: 'No. Academi has no presence in KSA. We do not have interrogators, nor do we provide any interrogators, advisors or other similar services.'
They added: 'Academi does not participate in interrogative services for any government or private customer. Academi has a zero-tolerance policy for violence. We operate legally, morally, ethically and in compliance with local and US laws.'
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.geo.tv/amp/168998
[Abusive’ counterterrorism law aims at silencing critics in Saudi Arabia: HRW/b]
The law includes penalties of up to 10 years in jail for insulting the king and crown prince
By AFP
Nov.23,2017
DUBAI: Human Rights Watch on Thursday denounced Saudi Arabia’s sweeping new counterterrorism law, saying it could further enable authorities in the ultra-conservative kingdom to silence critics.
The law, introduced earlier this month, includes penalties of up to 10 years in jail for insulting the king and crown prince as well as the death penalty for other acts of “terrorism”, according to Saudi Gazette and other local media.
“Saudi authorities are already methodically silencing and locking away peaceful critics on spurious charges,” Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East director, said in a statement.
American mercenaries are torturing Saudi princes: British media
“Instead of improving abusive legislation, Saudi authorities are doubling down with the ludicrous proposition that criticism of the crown prince is an act of terrorism.”
The new law comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the heir to the throne, consolidates power to a degree that is unprecedented in recent Saudi history.
The passage of the legislation, which replaces another widely criticised counterterrorism law introduced in 2014, coincided with a major government crackdown on the kingdom’s elites, ostensibly to fight corruption.
The new law includes “overly broad definitions” of acts of terrorism, which are not limited to violent acts, HRW said.
Saudi Arabia freezes accounts of detained princes, businessmen
“Conduct it defines as terrorism includes ‘disturbing public order’, ‘shaking the security of the community’ and… ‘suspending the basic laws of governance’, all of which are vague and have been used by Saudi authorities to punish peaceful dissidents and activists,” the statement said.
There was no immediate comment on the statement from authorities in the kingdom, which has long been criticised for its human rights record.
In May, a UN special rapporteur on human rights demanded that Saudi Arabia stop using an “unacceptably broad definition of terrorism” to target human rights defenders, writers, bloggers and other critics.
[bSAUDI PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN SAYS IRAN LEADER IS LIKE HITLER BUT TRUMP IS RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB
By Callum Paton On Friday, November 24, 2017 - ][/b]
https://www.google.com/amp/www.newsweek.com/saudi-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-says-iran-hitler-trump-right-man-job-721261%3famp=1
Thanks for keeping the thread alive. I look in every day.
Thanks, Edgar. I didn't know if anybody was keeping up with these events.
What's happening in Saudi Arabia is puzzling. When I first heard about MBS and his planned city of Neom I was optimistic, but it looks more and more like he's just another despot.
Aside from the reforms that are apparently occurring in Saudi Arabia --an attempt to drag the country out of the middle ages, socially--MBS seems to be falling back on the saber-rattling mentality of a despot. He claims to be a progressive in terms of economic development with the vision of a very expensive new city of Neom, while at the same time clamoring for war with Iran.
Wars have a way of sapping money and energy from economic development and create instability, not the reverse. And it's disturbing the way MBS is cozying up to Trump. MBS wants Trump's support--in what form is the question--and Trump wants war with Iran through Saudi Arabia. Trump also wants the Saudis to invest in America and buy American-made weapons.
It seems to me that any hope of progress through economic development and relations with Israel will dissipate and be transferred to war with Iran.
I've never liked their rulers and never believed we should be that close to them.
@coluber2001,
coluber2001 wrote:while at the same time clamoring for war with Iran.
this really distresses me. I have a number of friends in the academic community who have returned to Iran and report much progress in the direction of democracy. A war would stop that dead in its tracks IMNSHO.
@ehBeth,
Oof!
When I lived in the West Los Angeles area, there was quite a migration from Iran to that area, and some folks became friends, one couple with a cafe at Venice Beach, best coffee in town, and great croissants; others, design clients of ours... lots of talks with all of those. Now I'm reading people have gone back, which I can understand. <hoping war not to happen>
@ehBeth,
There are already proxy wars going on in Syria and the Yemen, have been for some time.
HomeWorld News
'Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is no less extreme than his father’
Published time: 27 Nov, 2017 15:42
© Fayez Nureldine
AFP
The Saudi crown prince is not a moderate leader, he cannot afford to be, as he has to move quickly to save Saudi Arabia from its impending economic and strategic disaster, says Gregory Copley, of the International Strategic Studies Association.
Saudi Arabia hosted an Islamic Counter-Terrorism Summit on November 26 in Riyadh which is already being described as a meeting of an 'Arab NATO.'
The coalition consists of 41 countries and aims to unite them in fighting terrorism in the Arab world. However, all the members have Sunni-Muslim dominated governments what is leading to suspicions it's really an alliance against Iran - the regional Shia-Muslim leader.
The summit was opened by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). Who is described in the mainstream media as a “revolutionary” politician and a “new hope” for Saudi Arabia? However, Gregory Copley, President of the International Strategic Studies Association says the Saudi royal might not be the reformer he appears to be.
RT: Media outlets call Prince Salman a moderate leader and one who can bring about change in Saudi Arabia. How much change can we expect to take place in the country?
Gregory Copley: We are already seeing massive change taking place in Saudi Arabia. Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not what you would call a moderate leader. He has been excessively zealous in acquiring power. His move from deputy crown prince to the crown prince was taken fairly ruthlessly; he really controls the w risks. He knows that he has to move very quickly if he is to save Saudi Arabia from its impending economic and strategic disaster. So, he will not be moderate; he cannot afford to be moderate. The question is will his plan work or will he inspire a degree of backlash which might topple his grasp for the throne itself and will Saudi Arabia survive that.
RT: The crown prince promised to turn Saudi Arabia to moderate Islam. But there is widespread concern that such reforms would be approved by the conservative community of the country.Will the fundamentalists try to interfere in this plans?
GC: There is no question the fundamentalists will try to interfere with the plans of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, he has hitched his star in a sense to the US government, to Donald Trump, as his only major global ally and President Trump has insisted that Saudi Arabia abandon its financing of terrorism and abandon its proselytization of extreme versions of Wahhabis Islam. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman will have to pursue that line; he will face opposition; he is trying to quell that opposition right now. But the question remains whether he can survive this politically or, in fact, physically, will there be attempts on his life.
RT: Despite, bin Salman being labeled as a progressive, his stance on Yemen or Iran appears to be as tough as his father’s. Do you expect any change on that front?
GC: Crown Prince Mohammed is not any more or less extreme than his father King Salman is on Yemen or the issues in Syria and Iraq. In fact, the policies attributed to the King were those designed by the [MbS] in recent years. The then deputy crown prince was in charge as the Minister of Defense, for example, of proselytizing the war in Yemen. He started the war on Yemen, and that precipitated the massive financial and economic disaster which is facing the kingdom right now, compounding the decline in oil prices and the massive overspending of the country. What we’ve seen, in essence, in the last couple of years is a 40 percent reduction in Saudi Arabia’s foreign exchange reserves …In essence, he has got four or five years of foreign q measures to curtail Saudi Arabia’s massive expenditure. The first thing, he is trying to do is to wean Saudi Arabia off its dependency on oil and gas. He is trying to wind down the cost of military operations in Yemen and elsewhere. The reality is that he can’t really control the war in Yemen now, but he is trying to step back from it. That is unlikely to happen. But what we will see is a result which is worst for Saudi Arabia than when he started the war a couple of years ago. Yemen will divide into two parts. The northern part will be implacably hostile to Saudi Arabia in the future. And basically Saudi Arabia will still be in a poor financial situation…
© Autonomous Nonprofit Organization “TV-Novosti”, 2005–2017. All rights reserved.
@coluber2001,
In view of how everything is kicking off in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, coupled with arrests and torture domestically, do you think this desert city is still on the cards?
Personally I think the main beneficiaries of any asset seizure will be western arms companies.
The West backed the wrong horse years ago.
Iranian women.
Saudi women.
@izzythepush,
"Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Makes His Move - Pacific Standard
Political poise is more important considering that the U.S. has already helped to set the stage for turmoil: Last spring, it closed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $100 billion, three times the gross domestic product of Yemen, where Saudi warplanes have been dropping bombs since 2015."
How does Saudi Arabia build a progressive city and pay for a war too? On paper. A paper city. It looks like the $100 billion in seized assets from assets from Saudi princes and businessmen is going straight to the armaments manufacturers instead of Neom.
So the U.S. gains money from Saudi Arabia for armaments, but what does Saudi Arabia gain from U.S. support?
@coluber2001,
America is still the most powerful country on Earth. The Saudis get a great deal from that, not least the security of being under America's nuclear umbrella.
Saudi businessmen have access to the American stock market, and real estate. There's loads of prime property in London, owned by Saudis, left to rot until the market picks up.
Then there's the West's muted response to human rights abuses committed by Saudis, contrast that to countries like Cuba and Myanmar.
Selected Answer
