Middle East Focus: Royal Princess of Riyadh, Royal Apologists of Acton and the Gulf………

Arabia Deserta

Royal Princess of Riyadh, Royal Apologists of Acton and the Gulf………

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

“Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Saud Bin Abdul Aziz is one of the more unlikely critics of the élite that runs Saudi Arabia. The oil state boasts a 15,000-strong royal family but it is rare for a voice from within its ranks to become part of the growing clamour for reform in the desert kingdom. As the youngest daughter of the country's second king and niece to its current ruler, she is from the highest echelons of the Saudi monarchy. Just as her privileged status gives her considerable authority in the debate about change, so this carefully dissenting royal has much to lose if her actions incur the displeasure of Saudi Arabia's ultra-conservative regime………The princess underlines that she was not forced to leave Saudi Arabia and goes out of her way to emphasise that her criticisms do not relate to her octogenarian uncle, King Abdullah, or the other senior members of the monarchy. Instead, the focus of her anger is the tier of governors, administrators and plutocrats who run the country day to day…………..”

All these critics of the royal family are the same, unless they are truly and safely out in foreign exile or in prison. Whether these critics are some rare outliers of the ruling family or some Wahhabi faux-liberal journalists or politicians on the Gulf: the story is still the same, and it is a lousy story. The problem, they all say, is not with the king, it is not with the senior princes, it is not with any princes.
The problem is not even caused by the Iranian mullahs watching from beyond all the American warships across the Persian-American Gulf, at least not this time, not yet. The problem is with the minions and retainers below those princes. If only the retainers and minions would behave like the royals, then everything would be kosher in the Kingdom without Magic. You see, it is not the system that is corrupt, not the princes, not Sultan with his $ 250 billion reported fortune, nor Bandar with his $ 2 billion bribe from BAE Systems, nor the rest of them helping loot the country while their tame Wahhabi muftis issue daily blessings to them all. The problem is with the ‘help’ these days. It is the same problem as ordinary families face: a prince can’t get decent help anymore, can’t rely on the usual minions and retainers anymore. Verstanden?
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com