Saudi King Abdullah dies at age 90

[Astronuc]

Saudi King Abdullah has died, Prince Salman successor -AP
http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-king-abdullah-died-prince-salman-successor-005248974.html

His successor was announced as 79-year-old half-brother, Prince Salman, a Royal Court statement carried on the Saudi Press Agency said.

Salman was Abdullah's crown prince and had recently taken on some of the ailing king's responsibilities. The 69 year-old Prince Muqrin, a former head of intelligence in Saudi Arabia and half-brother to both Salman and Abdullah, was announced as the kingdom's crown prince.

http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-state-tv-reports-king-abdullah-died-90-232925751.html

Saudi King Abdullah dies, new ruler is Salman - Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/us-saudi-succession-idUSKBN0KV2RQ20150122

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah dies
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-30945324

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Well this should be interesting considering he suffers from dementia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salman_of_Saudi_Arabia

 

[Dotini]

Simon Henderson, an expert on the Saudi succession at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, was interviewed
Thursday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...0e0a9c-a28e-11e4-9f89-561284a573f8_story.html
“Having a king with dementia is the last thing they need at this difficult time,” Henderson said. “Yemen is falling apart, ISIS is knocking at the door . . . this is an extraordinarily dangerous Middle East from a Saudi perspective.”

By Saudi tradition, the crown passes down among the sons of national founder King Abdulaziz bin Saud, who died in 1953. Salman would be the sixth son of Abdulaziz to be king, and few of his remaining brothers — out of at least 35 who were alive when Abdulaziz died — are believed to be healthy or qualified to assume the throne.

In an apparent bid to preempt quarrels about succession — and also secure the line for his own favored branch of the family — Abdullah last year took the unprecedented step of anointing a deputy heir, Prince Muqrin, 71, his youngest brother.

Muqrin is said to be smart and is well-liked by ordinary Saudis; he also has good ties with Saudi Arabia’s most important ally, the United States. But the choice sparked fierce opposition from some of the many excluded princes, who complained that Abdullah was defying a tradition that allows each king to name his own heir. Additionally, Muqrin’s mother was a Yemeni concubine, not a Saudi princess, and some in the family reportedly consider his lineage too impure for him to wear the crown.

By Saudi tradition, King Salman would be free to choose his own successor-in-waiting, but it is widely believed here that he would simply elevate Muqrin from deputy to crown prince.

 

[naima]

He died in the wonderful country of Raif Badawi
who is condemned to 1 000 lashes

 

[Muti]

He died in the wonderful country of Raif Badawi
who is condemned to 1 000 lashes

After "goggling" his profile over internet, I come gain to a conclusion that we have only extremists on all sides. If I think someone has drawbacks in his character I have two options. First if I really want his behavior change. If I think like this then I have one of most difficult challenge ahead me. On the other hand if I am happy in my heart that he has some drawbacks in his character and I want him remain like this then I will simply highlight his drawback to other peoples so he can never change. Raif is little unfortunate for he criticized Saudi government first without having an exit strategy. By this I don't mean all is well in Saudi Arabia. Every country has some laws like not discussing how peoples of some religion were killed by some tyrant dictator etc. Similarly we have to look what charges were framed again Raif for such an extreme sentence. We have to look did the jury look into all evidences and gave a chance to Raif for explanation/ his defense. If not then peoples supporting Raif need not to worry, such country can not exist very long...

 

[naima]

All dictators have laws. Severall have gaz and oil.
Our presidents prefer them. Even if there are in the land of Bin Laden.

Raif Badawi has to receive 50 lashes per week during 20 weeks.
You said that he has not to worry?

 

[Astronuc]

The second set of 50 lashes has been postponed twice due to Badawi's poor health. I heard that Badawi was diabetic. He is in poor health already, and worse after the first 50 lashes. It would seem unlikely that he would survive such continual brutality.

Badawi's lawyer, Waleed Abulkhair, has been jailed after setting up Monitor of Human Rights in Saudi Arabia. He is being charged for among other things "breaking allegiance with the ruler". I guess if you say something unflattering with "the ruler", then you're toast.

 

[mheslep]

The NYT published a piece on Abdullah a couple days ago from which one would gather he was the wisest of the wise, the fairest of the fair, and not the sole ruler of a dictatorial monarchy that runs a largely state owned, command economy, outlaws other religions, won't let women drive automobiles, considers homosexuality a capital offense, and whips rape victims. Behold the NYT:

...came to the throne in old age and earned a reputation as a cautious reformer
...
Yet Abdullah spoke as plainly as the Bedouin tribesmen with whom he had been sent to live in his youth.
...
He shocked the 7,000 or so Saudi princes and princesses by cutting their allowances.
...
He was described as ascetic,
...
his government spent $130 billion to build 500,000 units of low-income housing
...
He also created a Facebook page, where citizens were invited to present their grievances
...
Abdullah’s Saudi Arabia had hurtled from tribal pastoralism to advanced capitalism in little more than a generation
...
Abdullah’s greatest legacy, however, may prove to be a scholarship program that sent tens of thousands of young Saudi men and women abroad to study at Western universities and colleges.
...
Striking a balance was almost always Abdullah’s preference.
...
Abdullah may have resembled his warrior father, but he had a modern sensibility...

 

[Astronuc]

and whips rape victims.

On the other hand, from the article, "In December 2007 the Saudi King Abdullah issued an official pardon for the two victims, citing his ultimate authority to revise "discretionary" punishments in accordance with the public good, . . . " The victim was to be punished for being with a man to whom she was not married, nor a family member.

Certainly there are systemic problems which hopefully will change in time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatif_rape_case#Royal_pardon

 

[mheslep]

On the other hand, ...

Pardoning a rape victim is not on the other hand if it was done incidentally when international attention was drawn to that particular incident, and the policy continues in the country.

 

[naima]

Certainly there are systemic problems which hopefully will change in time.

That is exectly what Jews thought in the concentration camps.
So did the victims of Stalin and all who suffer in North Corea or in Syria.

 

[Astronuc]

Saudi Succession Hints at Shift in Foreign Role
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/27/w...cession-hinting-at-shift-in-foreign-role.html

Next in line, please.What's a little nepotism between family members?
http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-king-announces-major-government-shake-royal-decrees-220346263.html

 

[yaakov]

Talmud says only 39 lashes allowed...lol