Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah dies at 90

crucades · January 23, 2015, 5:22am

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/22/saudi-arabia-king-abdullah-dies

The replacement

Salman is widely believed to be unwell, with speculation he is suffering from dementia or Parkinson’s disease, though Saudis deny that. He is 79, so there is bound to be uncertainty about his rule. Stability and continuity are likely to be his guiding principles, especially at a time of alarm over the rise of Isis in Iraq and Syria, turmoil in neighbouring Yemen, the kingdom’s rivalry with Iran and controversy over its resisting calls for Opec production cuts as the price of oil has plummeted.

In recent months, Salman has begun to play a more active role and has represented the country at important meetings abroad, including a high-octane Gulf summit. He also serves as deputy prime minister and defence minister.

Salman served as the governor of Riyadh province for years and enjoys a reputation for good governance. He acted as the family enforcer, discreetly settling problems with some of the thousands of royals who live in the capital. He was also active in collecting funds to support the mujahideen who were encouraged to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s – Osama bin Laden was the most famous of them – and he worked closely with the Wahhabi clerical establishment.

Salman stands to be succeeded in turn by Prince Muqrin, 69, the deputy crown prince, an RAF-trained fighter pilot and former intelligence chief whose prospects are often questioned because he was born to a Yemeni rather than a Saudi mother of “approved” tribal lineage.

So a potential crazy, expect the price of a barrel of oil to get back over that 100 buck mark again soon lol.

7_5_0 · January 23, 2015, 7:14am

Lethal weapon portrait!

SoVi3t · January 23, 2015, 8:28am

There is only one King Abdullah

http://cache.onlineworldofwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Abdullah-the-Butcher.jpg

Don_Barracuda · January 23, 2015, 4:01pm

^There are so many things wrong with that picture that I don’t even know where to start.

BB_Hoody · January 23, 2015, 7:48pm

The Fuck…>.>

SoVi3t · January 24, 2015, 5:03am

from the beginning?

I can’t be the only person who remembers Abdullah the Butcher

Rick_Ross · January 24, 2015, 5:09am

RIP Snaaake’s grandad. :’(

SNAAAAKE · January 24, 2015, 3:00pm

yeah but did he play cvs2?

otherwise no fuccs given.

Kromo · January 24, 2015, 3:23pm

Damn 2015 going hard.

RIP

crucades · January 24, 2015, 3:31pm

Saudis getting no love then? Best we could do is post a picture of hulk hogan and wonder if he was good a cvs2? Thread lock please.

Don_Barracuda · January 24, 2015, 4:00pm

I know nothing about this guy other than Saudi Arabia has a horrendous human rights record, yet is completely at peace with the west, so not sure how good a King he really was, they’ve already said with his brother taking the throne nothing is changing, **business **will carry on as usual.

pherai · January 24, 2015, 6:57pm

Im curious why you’d have love for them. Not challenging you just very curious. They seem very much like an “enemy of our enemy” type regime with regards to the west.

Serpent · January 24, 2015, 8:04pm

All kings are awful. Well, if you believe in democracy or a republic or anything like that any way.

petran79 · January 25, 2015, 2:06am

except those two

Javid · January 25, 2015, 3:54am

This guy had around 15 wives in his lifetime, even four at a time…

GHOSTMACHINES · January 25, 2015, 4:20am

I like how the Western media is doing their best to portray this piece of shit as some kind of “Progressive reformer.”

Respect? For a guy who blatantly funded terrorists? A guy who rules over a country with some of the worst human rights violations in modern time? A reactionary fossil from an era long gone? It makes no fucking sense, the hypocrisy is just too much.

crucades · January 25, 2015, 4:36am

I have no love for em, and your right with the enemy of an enemy thing. Dunno I find em interesting, they are the last true monarchy on earth and they have a sterling justice system. Also it takes balls to stand up to the entire world while forcing them to play your game. Their royal family has thousands who occupy every level of government, they have holdings all over the world, they have a culture that wouldnt look outta place 2000 years ago and yet they keep on trucking and nobody can do or even want to do a thing about it. And so one of their kings die, thought somebody woulda brought something up.

Serpent · January 25, 2015, 4:42am

crucades:

pherai:

crucades:

Saudis getting no love then? Best we could do is post a picture of hulk hogan and wonder if he was good a cvs2? Thread lock please.

Im curious why you’d have love for them. Not challenging you just very curious. They seem very much like an “enemy of our enemy” type regime with regards to the west.

I have no love for em, and your right with the enemy of an enemy thing. Dunno I find em interesting, they are the last true monarchy on earth and they have a sterling justice system. Also it takes balls to stand up to the entire world while forcing them to play your game. Their royal family has thousands who occupy every level of government, they have holdings all over the world, they have a culture that wouldnt look outta place 2000 years ago and yet they keep on trucking and nobody can do or even want to do a thing about it. And so one of their kings die, thought somebody woulda brought something up.

The reason nobody can do anything is because we protect them. As does Israel. If we left the people in the Middle East to their own devices, they could overthrow tyrants like the Saudis. It would be difficult, but an oppressed people can rise up as long as they only have their own rulers to dispose.

Unfortunately, they also have to fight the US and Israel machine, so the people just get put down like dogs. It’s sad.

SoVi3t · January 25, 2015, 4:47am

We left Iraq to itself for decades, and the people just sat around, and accepted their slavery and human rights violations. Don’t tell me uneducated nothings with no weapons or power, were going to overthrow Saddam with access to chemical weapons and worse.

Look at Syria, and Gaddafi. He was slaughtering his people when they tried to stand up for themselves, and other countries had to step in so they wouldn’t get wiped out by their leader.

And how about North Korea? We’ve let that fucking family sit around for how many decades, and the people haven’t done fuck all.

Serpent is a good name for you, because you probably have the IQ of a fucking snake.

crucades · January 25, 2015, 4:49am

The Saudis and Israelis dont have diplomacy Serpent.