All Things Saudi

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:02 pm

I figured they neede their own thread. After denying anything to do with death of Kashoggi’s death/disappearance, the govt is preparing a statement saying that he died in an “interrogation gone wrong”. Hmm, how could an interrogation go wrong unless he was not being interrogated but tortured. This is going to get interesting. Sad for the guy that was killed - he seemed to honestly care about his country and seeker genuine reform.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:10 pm

Holy crap! I hadn't heard that they were going to release such a statement.

Wow...just...wow. I honestly have to wonder if their prince is going to remain so after this has run its course.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:16 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:10 pm Holy crap! I hadn't heard that they were going to release such a statement.

Wow...just...wow. I honestly have to wonder if their prince is going to remain so after this has run its course.

The prince killed or imprisoned all his notable opponents fairly recently, so yeah, pretty sure he's here to stay. Not like anyone else in the Saudi government has any love for the killed dissident / reporter.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:18 pm

hepcat wrote:Holy crap! I hadn't heard that they were going to release such a statement.

Wow...just...wow. I honestly have to wonder if their prince is going to remain so after this has run its course.

As I read more about the crackdown against critics and dissidents in Saudi Arabia I think his job will be quite secure. He's just conforming to the status quo when it comes to autocratic leaders in that neck of the woods.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:18 pm

If the trend of financial institutions pulling out of Saudi events and business deals continues, that might not be such a sure thing. It's not like there aren't 247 other princes waiting in the wings.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:19 pm

They're using the new GOP strategy of just pretend like it's normal and in 24 hours something more ridiculous will come to light and no one will be talking about the journalist you "accidentally" killed (and dismembered) during some routine questioning.

gameoverman · Post by **gameoverman** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:19 pm

Their lies are so transparent I wonder why they think anyone would believe them. People won't accept lies from their leaders.

It's obvious that they were going to deny any responsibility until it turned out there might be evidence that is out of their control. So then the next best thing is to admit it happened, but blame it on some rogue minions. Remember when those two guys tried to whack Christopher on The Sopranos, in an attempt to curry favor with Richie? The Saudis remember that episode.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:21 pm

If only this egg on Trump's face resulted in even the slightest embarrassment for him. But it won't.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:21 pm

hepcat wrote:If the trend of financial institutions pulling out of Saudi events and business deals continues, that might not be such a sure thing. It's not like there isn't 247 other princes waiting in the wings.

True but Saudi money is so pervasive that it will be interesting to see who blinks first. And The Leader made it quite clear that he values the lucrative arms contracts we have with the Saudis.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:26 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:18 pm If the trend of financial institutions pulling out of Saudi events and business deals continues, that might not be such a sure thing. It's not like there aren't 247 other princes waiting in the wings.

I would reply to you, but due to this post Mohammed Bin Salman has already had you killed. I am sorry for your passing.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:32 pm

This is like when Putin was exposed and finally ousted from power after he killed a journalist and those other 200+ journalists.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:37 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:32 pm This is like when Putin was exposed and finally ousted from power after he killed a journalist and those other 200+ journalists.

Right, this is exactly my point. Bin Salman, at the end of the day, is ruling through fear. If any of his rivals could have stopped him based on the merits, they would have when he, you know, had them all imprisoned or killed. Killing a dissident, and killing a dissent brazenly, is not going to diminish his ability to rule through fear - generally speaking the effect is the opposite.

This may wind up causing financial hits to the kingdom, but especially with Trump in power in the U.S., there's ample reason to expect those effects to be transitory.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:37 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:32 pm This is like when Putin was exposed and finally ousted from power after he killed a journalist and those other 200+ journalists.

Trump sent in Junior investigate. Putin says he didn't do it and all they talked about was adoptions.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:38 pm

How will Trump respond?

1) Unfortunate accident - Sad!

2) Harsh words!

3) Takes credit for admission because he sent Pompeo.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:39 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:38 pm 3) Takes credit for admission.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:41 pm

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:37 pm This may wind up causing financial hits to the kingdom, but especially with Trump in power in the U.S., there's ample reason to expect those effects to be transitory.

It may be a bigger deal but I think it is fair to assume nothing meaningful will happen. Still, MBS was courting foreign investment because they needed it and more importantly foreign expertise to build the capabilities they wanted to around tech. That may very well dry up. If so, there may be pressure to oust him. Though it is probably a very low chance of such.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 5:10 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:41 pm
El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:37 pm This may wind up causing financial hits to the kingdom, but especially with Trump in power in the U.S., there's ample reason to expect those effects to be transitory.
It may be a bigger deal but I think it is fair to assume nothing meaningful will happen. Still, MBS was courting foreign investment because they needed it and more importantly foreign expertise to build the capabilities they wanted to around tech. That may very well dry up. If so, there may be pressure to oust him. Though it is probably a very low chance of such.

The foreign investors undeterred by what MBS has already done will not be deterred by this. A few might pull out of his Davos-in-the-Desert, but they'll be back when the heat is off.

Investors gonna invest. It's not like there are very many stable, fabulously wealthy oligarchies with U.S. patronage to choose from.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:40 pm

Saudi petrodollars are embedded in quite a few universities, hospitals, museums. Some institutions are big enough to divest like in the apartheid years but other places really could use the money. And after sucking at the teat of the House of Saud for so long I think it would be difficult to give that up.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:50 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:38 pm How will Trump respond?

Send mainstream media "journalists" on all expense paid trips to cover the story inside the Saudi Consulate.

Jolor · Post by **Jolor** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:05 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:38 pm How will Trump respond?

1 Express full confidence that the crown prince will 'severely punish' the rogue interrogators who "went too far; it's a horrible thing."
2 Take credit for pushing for "the need to get to the bottom of what happened".
3 Reaffirm importance of the relationship with Saudi, mention that he gets along well, and that he has made the US respected again because "everybody could get away with anything under Obama; stuff you never even heard about believe me."

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:32 pm

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:19 pm

em2nought wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:50 pm
malchior wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:38 pm How will Trump respond?
Send mainstream media "journalists" on all expense paid trips to cover the story inside the Saudi Consulate.

They’re safe. Your kind never pays for anything.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 12:51 am

Just an accident I am sure. Nothing nefarious.........

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 12:58 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:19 pm They’re safe. Your kind never pays for anything.

My kind doesn't pay full price for anything, I usually use a coupon.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:13 am

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:32 am

He probably saw the interrogation team coming and ran.

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:08 am

Holman wrote: ↑Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:13 am

"No need to take up your valuable time, Mr. Secretary! We just issued one of these and the rogue criminals will be rounded up soon!"

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:10 am

5 minutes to pick up Trump's cash payment for his "rogue killer" comment, and 10 minutes to figure out how to work the revolving door in the lobby.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:16 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:10 am 5 minutes to pick up Trump's cash payment for his "rogue killer" comment, and 10 minutes to figure out how to work the revolving door in the lobby.

To be fair on those 10 minutes, it was 5 minutes figuring out how to get in - and 5 minutes getting out. It wasn't like he stood there for 10 solid minutes looking stupid.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:53 am

In other news, this gem just came flying from the orange fingers of the Cheeto in Chief.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:00 am

hepcat wrote: ↑Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:53 am

In other news, this gem just came flying from the orange fingers of the Cheeto in Chief.

None at all.

President-elect Donald Trump registered eight companies during his presidential campaign that appear to be tied to hotel interests in Saudi Arabia, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Trump registered the companies in August 2015, shortly after launching his presidential bid, according to The Post.

The companies were registered under names such as THC Jeddah Hotel and DT Jeddah Technical Services, according to financial disclosure filings.

The names of the companies registered appeared similar in pattern to how Trump named other companies connected to hotel deals registered in foreign cities, according to the Post. Trump names companies after cities in the state in which he is dealing with. Jiddah, also spelled Jeddah, is the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, located on the Red Sea coast about 60 miles west of Mecca.

What a comically pathetic dipshit. I'd be entertained if he wasn't in charge.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:22 am

Release the tax returns and prove it, Jackass in Chief.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 11:31 am

Whatevs.

At an Alabama rally in 2015, Trump said, “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.

I mean I suppose he may have some shell companies to keep him at arm's length. But he does make and take money from them, no doubt.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 1:25 pm

Odd. There's barely even a mention of the Saudi incident on Fox News. But they do headline Trump's tweet with "horseface" front and center.

I wonder why that is?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:20 pm

He is, without a doubt, the single dumbest president we've ever had. And I'm taking into account presidents from movies and TV...including Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford.

Hey, let's let the murder suspect investigate his own suspected crime!

The Kushners and the Trumps must be shitting bricks over the potential loss of revenue and bribes they''ll experience if they don't squash this ASAP.

I wonder what the going price for a U.S. President is these days?

$iljanus · Post by **$iljanus** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:43 pm

hepcat wrote:Odd. There's barely even a mention of the Saudi incident on Fox News. But they do headline Trump's tweet with "horseface" front and center.

I wonder why that is?

The Ministry of Information decides what's relevant to the American people.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:04 pm

Trump has essentially already declared that he does not care about Saudi Arabia killing the guy. He'll make whatever series of public announcements needed to create a smokescreen of caring, and may even impose some sort of punishment on Saudi Arabia, but then make sure that any such punishment is gutted out of public view.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:15 pm

Seriously. The man was a legal permanent resident of the United States and the PotUS just shrugged his shoulders and said, "What are you going to do, right?"

I'm also just seeing now that after it was announced that Turkish officials could come and inspect, there were Saudi cleaning crews immediately filmed by the press entering the facility? These are not the actions of a government concerned with someone finding out the truth. Instead they're demonstrating now not-worried they are.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:26 pm

The good news is that the Turkish government, by and large not being the biggest fans of the Saudi government, seem to be happy to get to the actual truth here. Obviously the Turkish government is also terrible, but they're probably the better bets to get to the bottom of this.

Jolor · Post by **Jolor** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 6:53 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Oct 16, 2018 5:15 pm Seriously. The man was a legal permanent resident of the United States and the PotUS just shrugged his shoulders and said, "What are you going to do, right?"

I'm also just seeing now that after it was announced that Turkish officials could come and inspect, there were Saudi cleaning crews immediately filmed by the press entering the facility? These are not the actions of a government concerned with someone finding out the truth. Instead they're demonstrating now not-worried they are.

I think you always want your place to look its best when you have company coming. It's just part of being a conscientious host.