Thursday, July 26, 2018

Meanwhile, Saudis Stuck On Oil Thanks To MbS Crackdown

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) has a plan to get Saudi Arabia off oil, with an immediate push to create 1.2 million private sector jobs by 2020.  However, as Juan Cole reports, his political crackdown last year in which over 300 people were tossed in jail  for various supposed crimes, with many of them now having frozen bank accounts and other restrictions placed on them, has somewhat scuttled this project badly.  700,000 foreign workers have left,and foreign direct investment has fallen from $7.42 billion in 2016 to $1.32 billion in 2017.  Oooops!  This is not the way to  wean the nation off oil.  Nobody wants to invest because they fear MbS will go on another rampage, seizing money and putting people in prison.

Of course, it is now clear that Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, encoureaged MbS in his coup against his cousin, former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.  They also supported his stupid war in Yemen and initially encouraged him in his campaign against Qatar, still ongoing although a total flop, although on that one Trump has figured out that the largest US air base in the Persian Gulf, al-Ubeid, is there, so he has lost his enthusiasm for this particular stupid project of MbS's.  Unfortunately, there is little prospect this 32 year old leader will be removed from power any time soon.

Barkley Rosser

6 comments:

Barkley Rosser said...

Of course they have been at it with US support for three years and not gotten very far, despite their clearly deadly efforts, and a huge escalation under MbS. The stupidity is that he thought his escalation was just going to bring it to a quick end in his fsvor. Nope.

Anonymous said...

The war on Yemen is criminal and genocidal, and to fail to understand that shows no understanding or concern for the Yemeni people. Yemen has been ceaselessly-wantonly under attack, Yemen is besieged and sheer deprivation, along with the continual bombing, is being used as a weapon against the Yemeni people. Understand now?

Anonymous said...

Stupid is not the proper term for a person acting as a war criminal.

Anonymous said...

The entry you wrote is important. I only wished to be sure that having at least mentioned Yemen, the tragedy of the war that has been waged on Yemen would be pointed to. The war being waged on Yemen by Saudi Arabia and abettors is beyond conscience.

Anonymous said...

https://www.salon.com/2016/10/27/famine-looms-in-yemen-as-u-s-backed-saudi-bombing-intentionally-targets-food-production/

October 27, 2016

Famine looms in Yemen, as U.S.-backed Saudi bombing intentionally targets food production
U.N. warns “an entire generation could be crippled by hunger,” as war leaves 14 million Yemenis short of food
By BEN NORTON

[ The United Nations has repeatedly reported on the terrifying food shortage in Yemen, expressly caused by the Saudi siege. The war being waged on Yemen is not new, the terrible results are being recorded. ]

Anonymous said...

https://twitter.com/FAIRmediawatch/status/1021504129154342913

FAIR @FAIRmediawatch

ACTION ALERT: It’s Been Over a Year Since MSNBC Has Mentioned US War in Yemen
https://fair.org/home/action-alert-its-been-over-a-year-since-msnbc-has-mentioned-us-war-in-yemen/ …

2:15 PM - 23 Jul 2018