A 4 a.m. communique from Riyadh on Wednesday detailed one of the most momentous political shake-ups in the history of Saudi Arabia. King Salman, who took office in January, in a stroke transferred power to a new generation, offered appeasement to the kingdom’s religious conservatives, reinforced his regime’s pro-American and anti-Iranian character, and underlined its intention to act boldly both at home and abroad.
These developments would be more encouraging if they were accompanied by signs the new leaders were likely to accelerate the glacial movement by the previous king, Abdullah, toward a more inclusive political system and increased civil rights, including for women. Unfortunately, the signs point to the opposite. King Salman has already taken steps to appease religious conservatives, including restoring power to the reactionary religious police. Last week’s reshuffling ousted the only female member of the cabinet, a deputy education minister.
– From the Washington Post article: Shake-up in the House of Saud
Unless you’ve been living under a geopolitical rock for the past several months, you’ll be aware that Saudi Arabia has a new king. Specifically, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was crowned the head monarch on January 23, 2015 following the death of the prior king. If you were hoping to see a pivot away from medieval cruelty, oppression and general societal backwardness you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Although Salman immediately reshuffled the cabinet following his succession, it’s his more recent maneuverings that have caught the attention of many. Specifically, he appointed his nephew, and 55-year-old Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef, as new heir-presumptive, while naming Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince, or second in line to rule.
