Saudi’s Failed Coup Reveals Chaos Behind the Scenes
Mohammad bin Salman arrives in Argentina for a meeting of world leaders. Cr: G20 Argentina
By: Nathan Matsko
Bellefonte — A recent round of arrests have shaken the Saudi Royal Family, with the accused being charged with treason for allegedly planning a coup. The arrests were ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and approved by King Salman.
Some of those arrested are high-ranking members of the Royal Family and hold important, influential offices in the Kingdom.
Prince Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, was arrested last week. His Son, Nayef Bin Ahmed, who was in charge of military intelligence operations, was also taken into custody.
Another notable arrest was that of former Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Nayef, a nephew of King Salman. Nayef was a much-respected member of the royal family, and the grandson of the Kingdom’s founder, King Abdulaziz. Prince Mohammed’s younger brother, Nawaf bin Nayef, was also arrested.
Over the weekend, Prince Mohammed Bin Saad Al Saud was also taken into custody over similar charges of plotting a coup against the Crown Prince.
These kinds of tactics are nothing new for the Crown Prince. In 2017, dozens of royal family members and Saudi businessmen were arrested and locked in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Many were allegedly subjected to torture and extortion.
This most recent move seems to be an attempt to consolidate power, silence criticism, and clear the way so that MBS’s game of thrones may come to fruition.
Two of the arrested, Prince Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz and Mohammed Bin Saad Al-Saud, were members of the Allegiance Council. This body has an incredible amount of influence in regards to deciding on a new ruler. Taking two respected, experienced members of the council off of the table makes the path to the throne all the easier for MBS.
Prince Ahmed has not been afraid to criticize the current Crown Prince in the past. Ahmed opposed MBS’s rapid power seizures and criticized his overstepping of more senior princes. Ahmed left the Kingdom for London in 2017.
After protestors confronted the Prince about the ongoing conflict in Yemen, Ahmed was filmed telling the crowd that the blame lies in the King and the Crown Prince, and not in the House of Saud itself. He returned to the Kingdom after the controversy that was sparked by the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, in an attempt to help ease tensions.
The official story seems to be that King Salman has signed off on these recent arrests. Many observers are doubtful, however, as the King’s overall health and continued bouts with Dementia are called into question. These issues, along with recent moves by the Crown Prince to clear his way to the throne, seem to be more than simple coincidence.
With the G20 summit set be held in Riyadh in November, the Arab Kingdom will be the center of the world’s attention. At the head is Mohammed Bin Salman, who seems intent on consolidating his base and getting those who oppose him out of his way. The Crown Prince seems determined in his attempts to “break the wheel”.