Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
addresses the Shura (consultative) Council on 25 September 2011 in Riyadh
(Photo: AFP - Ahmed Abdelrahman).
For nearly a year, an anonymous Twitter account
known as @mujtahidd has been exposing startling information regarding the internal workings and
private scandals of the Saudi Arabian ruling family.
Playfully described as the Saudi Arabian WikiLeaks,
@mujtahidd’s often sarcastic Arabic tweets have become a relentless thorn for
authorities who have been unable to silence him so far.
Many have theorized that he may be a disgruntled royal family member or at least
enjoys close ties to the family due to the well-informed nature of his tweets.
Each disclosure by @mujtahidd, presented in the form of a long monologue, has
added to the brewing discontent within Saudi society, and his popularity
continues to grow unabated. Today, he has nearly 700,000 followers – and
counting.
In his latest revelation on October 13, the Twitter activist outlined the
thought processes and various plans developed by senior royal family members for
succession after King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud.
The question of succession has exceedingly become a sensitive issue, closely watched by many within and
outside the country due to the significant importance Saudi Arabia holds for
regional and international economic and political interests. The appointment of
Salman bin Abdul-Aziz as crown prince in June did not quell anxieties, since
both he and King Abdullah are very old and have suffered substantial health
complications. Thus, the question of who will succeed them is constantly
pondered over by Saudi citizens and international observers, as it signifies
what the future holds for the state.
In this context, @mujtahidd has jumped into the fray by divulging information
regarding who is most likely to take the throne in the near future.
@mujtahidd began his October 13 exposition by noting a number of factors that
will come into play in what he sees as a battle for succession. According to
him, the current King, Abdullah, has reached the alarming age of 94 Hijri years
(91 years old) and suffers from several major diseases. Moreover, a recent
health evaluation conducted during Ramadan showed that Abdullah could experience
a massive and fatal heart attack at any given moment. This predicament has
significantly preoccupied the king – he is surrounded by medical staff around
the clock and has equipped intensive care units wherever he is to deal with any
eventuality.
In addition, the Allegiance Council is in a state of crisis, beginning with
the death of Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud in October 2011 and continuing after
the appointment of Salman bin Abdul-Aziz al-Saud as the latest crown prince this
past June.
Traditionally succession is passed along to the sons of the first king of
Saudi Arabia, Abdul-Aziz al-Saud, based on seniority. But as the decades passed,
a large number of sons waiting-in-line have become discounted for health, age,
political, or other reasons. In response to this developing issues, the
Allegiance Council was formed in 2006 in an attempt to put a ‘democratic face’
on succession and to smooth over growing internal disputes. Yet since its
inception, it was quickly marginalized in the decision making process. Salman’s
appointment, in particular, exemplified the Council’s weakness; Salman has
Alzheimer’s and in principle the Council should have disqualified him because of
that, but family politics took precedent over procedure.
According to @mujtahidd, there are no alternative mechanisms to settle
disputes within the al-Saud family other than the ineffectual Allegiance
Council. He further explained that royal family do not conduct regular meetings
to discuss and jointly settle internal concerns, let alone affairs of the
country. This subsequently has ensured a major power vacuum and augmented
fractures within the family.
@mujtahidd then proceeded to examine who of Abdul-Aziz’s surviving sons are
next in line: Talal, the interior minister Ahmed, former head of the Saudi
Intelligence Agency Muqrin, and maybe Turki II, the governor of the Riyadh
Province Sattam, and former governor of the Tabuk Province Mamdouh. The rest are
either sick or not even under consideration.
In regards to Talal, @mujtahidd claimed that Talal had ostracized himself
from most of the family with a series of blunders, especially in regards to his
stance for a popular reform of the system – a call not shared by the majority of
the family.
Muqrin, on the other hand, is “dealing with an inferiority complex due to his
darker skin” and is subservient to his brothers. Furthermore, he is afflicted by
what Americans call the two W’s, according to @mujtahidd.
As for Turki, Sattam, and Mamdouh, @mujtahidd wrote that if offered, each of
them would not reject the position of Crown Prince, yet they are not the types
to actively seek the seat.
As a result, the next in line would be Abdul-Aziz’s grandchildren.
The Next Generation of al-Saud
Here, @mujtahidd noted that according to family tradition, the grandchildren
are not automatically entitled to the ruling position, and they are expected not
to think or speak of the crown.
“[Therefore] they have no choice but to gain it [the crown] by deception or
armed force,” he wrote on his account.
According to @mujtahidd, the grandchildren who are currently aspiring for the
position and may even consider using force to gain it are: deputy defense
minister Khalid bin Sultan, deputy interior minister Mohammad bin Nayef, and
commander of the Saudi National Guard Mutaib bin Abdullah, because each of them
are in control of a military or security sector.
Meanwhile, grandchildren who may use “deception” to place themselves in a
position of power are: governor of the Mecca Province Khalid bin Faisal,
governor of the Eastern Province Mohammad bin Fahd, business tycoon al-Waleed
bin Talal, and former minister of state Abdul-Aziz bin Fahd.
In regards to Khalid bin Faisal, @mujtahidd asserted that Khalid has been in
contact with the Americans to convince them that he could bring change “along an
American path” and has coveted close ties with the al-Tuwaijri, a clan closely
aligned with King Abdullah, and with senior Westernized Saudis.
For his part, Mohammad bin Fahd had built secret ties with Shia groups and
promised them that if they supported his aspirations in any future conflict, he
will provide them with financial benefits.
Al-Waleed bin Talal has been desperately trying to convince the West that he
is the most capable candidate for them, while domestically he has been using his
money buy off support from various tribal groups and family members.
The final grandson in this game of thrones not backed with arms is Abdul-Aziz
bin Fahd. He, @mujtahidd claimed, suffered a great loss after his expulsion from
the cabinet in June 2011, but may be able to turn the balance back in his favor
due to his immense wealth.
At this point, @mujtahidd paused to emphasize: “In truth, the Sauds consider
that the matter will only be resolved by family members or by the Americans.
Popular will is secondary and should not be included in the calculations of the
conflict.”
After highlighting these issues, the Twitter insider moved on to speculate
over what the future can hold in this upcoming struggle.
The best-case scenario, he suggested, was that current Crown Prince Salman
dies before King Abdullah and a new crown prince who is in good health, mentally
sound, and deserves to do the work is selected. Another scenario, he pointed to,
with the caveat that it is “impossible,” is that King Abdullah immediately
replace Salman as crown prince.
However, @mujtahidd argued, what is more likely is that King Abdullah will
die before Salman, resulting in a country being led by an individual who is
practically unaware of his surroundings or is at least unable to command.
@mutahidd then mused whether Salman’s sons would be able to maintain control
and ensure the allegiance of other members of the family during Salman’s rule.
He predicted that loyalty will initially be expressed in order to maintain the
rank-and-file buttressed by silence from the rest of the world. But after the
honeymoon period, confrontations are to be expected, he wrote, because the
senior members of the family would never accept Salman’s sons controlling
matters from behind the curtains.
Without a collective decision-making process or the absence of a neutral
influential party, a solution is impossible. Therefore the important question,
@mujtahidd stressed, “is not what the shape of the conflict is but who is
eligible and who is preparing for the battle from now?”
To this proposed question, @mujtahidd asserted that the only powerful contenders
to the throne are those who have control of an armed force, such as Mutaib bin
Abdullah, Khalid bin Sultan, and Mohammad bin Nayef.
The Three Armed Princes
@mujtahidd claimed that Khalid bin Sultan had been outspoken about his
aspirations to the throne since he was appointed minister of defense, after his
father was anointed crown prince. Even after the death of his father, Khalid
continued to vocalize his ambitions and successfully persuaded King Abdullah to
allow him to keep his position in the ministry. Through the ministry, Khalid was
able to build his influence and garner troops that may be unleashed should he
seek to conduct a coup.
Yet @mujtahidd discounted Khalid’s chances, noting that those who know Khalid
know that he is suffering from grandiosity and he is more likely to be thinking
beyond his actual means.
The Twitter insider added that Khalid is weaker than his competitors as an
individual, and is weaker in terms of his control over the army and the amount
of loyalty he has nurtured. This weakness stems from the fact that Khalid and
his uncles have pocketed a large amount of funds allocated for the military,
which resulted in it being ill-equipped and ill-trained for such a brazen
endeavor.
Next up is Mutaib bin Abdullah. @mujtahidd noted that Mutaib may be smarter
than Khalid and can easily exploit the latter as a liaison officer with the
Americans. Also, Mutaib had devised a more thorough plan with the al-Tuwaijri
clan to garner support. @mujtahidd claimed that the plan, which had immense
support from the Americans, was to basically adopt a constitutional monarchy
under Mutaib, with Khalid al-Tuwaijri, currently the president of the Royal
Court and private secretary to King Abdullah, placed as prime minister.
Al-Tuwaijri is key to the plan because he has many allies within the numerous
ministries.
Moreover, the National Guard under Mutaib’s leadership is crucial to the
implementation of the plan because of its ability to conduct urban warfare and
its personnel, which are already guarding vital sites such as state radio and
television, and other sensitive spots.
But @mujtahidd considers the third contender, Mohammad bin Nayef, the best
bet for six simple reasons.
First, Mohammad has his hands in all the security sectors that can be called
upon in case of a conflict. Secondly, the internal security forces under
Mohammad’s administration are bolstered by the fact that they are capable and
allowed to be anywhere under the pretext of protecting security, including
conducting manhunts, raids, searches, and arrests. Thirdly, the security forces
have a larger presence than the National Guard and army and are better trained
and organized. Fourthly, if the security services are spread out across the
cities, their presence would not be regarded as abnormal or cause any panic
compared to the army and National Guard. Fifthly, Mohammad bin Nayef is
considered to be more serious than the other two contenders, and is more active
in terms of preparing for the future. Finally, @mujtahidd claims that Mohammad
had won over much of the royal family because of his effective suppression of
the opposition and is considered by many within the family as a “strongman” –
which, in the family’s logic, is necessary to maintain absolute control over the
country and its destiny despite the bloody repression.
Added to this, @mujtahidd notes that Mohammad bin Nayef has a more direct
connection to the Americans than Mutaib, due to his conduct and successes in the
“war on terrorism.”
The “war on terrorism” has allowed Mohammad bin Nayef the ability to
distribute his forces everywhere to ensure command and control and to be able to
maintain a close ear to the ground. The campaign has also taught Mohammad how to
gain official authorization and consent from all factions within the ruling
family to mobilize his forces and commit arrests whenever he likes.
@mujtahidd opines that all Mohammad bin Nayef would need is a few bombs
exploding across the country, accompanied by ready-made propaganda to hype up
the impact of the bombings, to make his move. The twitter activist explained
that even though previous bombings in the country were not made under the
direction of the interior ministry, some were made with their awareness and were
not stopped because it allowed Mohammad’s influence to grow within the
family.
@mujtahidd concluded his long account by explaining that he was motivated to
report these issues in light of a lack of popular activity for change at the
moment. But, he added, popular action is inevitable and will surprise the
al-Saud, and ultimately overcome any of the contenders’ ambitions.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
Uprooted Palestinian 
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