Deposing Saudi Arabia's Prince- More Then One Way to Skin A Cat

After yesterday’s report: Foregone Conclusion: CIA says MBS Ordered Khashoggi Assassination & Another Wife Appears. 

 I got thinking about the CIA “concluding” MBS was responsible for the killing of Khashoggi. One can’t help but notice that the CIA is hard selling a concept of tyrannical/dictatorial leadership.  

" the agency’s assessment of the prince as the country’s de facto ruler who oversees even minor affairs in the kingdom"

Rest assured if the CIA/Central Intelligence Agency states that MBS is guilty and a tyrant... this is the foundation for which all future plans concerning Saudi Arabia will built upon.

 This determination, as questionable as it is, indicates very clearly, in my opinion, that the days of MBS ruling in Saudi Arabia are numbered.  Last night hubby and I were discussing this subject and my husband said... ‘makes you wonder about that earlier attempt on his life’ Referring to the reports of an assassination attempt on Mohamed Bin Salman earlier this year.Rethinking that incident sure gave me a couple of aha moments!

Let’s go back to May 2018: Media speculates about ‘possible death’ of Saudi crown prince Saudi Arabia: Where is bin Salman, Attack at National Guard Facility etc.,

Saudi Arabia was putting out reports stating that Bin Salmon was not dead. These rebuttals came out after the incident at the palace, which resulted in MBS being absent  from the public eye for weeks. The absence raised questions:

"On April 21, heavy gunfire was heard around the royal palace in Riyadh""International media on Thursday claimed that Saudi Crown Price Muhammad Bin Salman has gone missing since April 21 attack on the royal palace in Riyadh""Questions arose regarding the whereabouts of the crown prince, who usually has a high media profile and is regularly seen meeting fellow leaders and chairing events""Saudi authorities have released new video footage of Mohammed bin Salman amid conspiracy theories alleging the crown prince has been dead for more than a month"

At the time of this news I asked three questions:

  • Are we dealing with infighting and power grabbing?
  • Is this related to Yemen?
  • Are these some bigger geo political moves at play?

Clearly bigger geo-political moves are at play.. Relating to all of the above questionsIncluding new leadership in Saudi Arabia... if it can be had?Aha moment # 1: External factions working in partnership with internal playersWas the April attack on MBS, internal but aided by external factions?Much like the attempted assassination of Erdogan?That was an inside job, with lots and lots of outside support. The April attack on MBS? Was it more of the same? Factions inside Saudi Arabia, allied with outsiders, took their best shot/s at MBS and he survived !  Which would have been a problem... Requiring alternative solutions.SereneCan’t discount that concept as a possible reality. It’s certainly been done before.  Erdogan survived the assassination attempt and the US/UK/Israel has been gnashing their teeth ever since.Perhaps this possibility of yet another assassination attempt is the reason MBS is reported to stay on his secure yacht? Bin Salman Stays on His Very Secure Yacht- SereneAha # 2: Internal partners strategically located in the Saudi Consulate

When we consider the very real possibility that other nation states can and do have influence in certain Saudi circles. Friends in all the right places. Contacts.  Dual agents and the like.  

We then have to think beyond the idea of those insiders not just being connected to an attempted assassination of MBS. Indeed, we have to also mull over the real possibility that some well placed friends/contacts/agents were operating in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. (This is NOT a stretch of the imagination considering the nature of reality in the world of covert ops and operatives) When Mr Khashoggi entered the consulate, certain connected persons,  took the opportunity to ‘take him out’ in order to frame MBS. This could have been a dual purpose hit as well. Since Khashoggi, who was obviously a CIA asset, could have become a liability.

*Recall the early news reports claiming the US had advance knowledge regarding Saudi plots against Khashoggi : Intercepted communications- Saudi’s are said to Have Lain in Wait for Khashoggi

“Before Khashoggi’s disappearance, U.S. intelligence intercepted communications of Saudi officials discussing a plan to capture him, according to a person familiar with the information. The Saudis wanted to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and lay hands on him there, this person said”

Perhaps US officials were privy to advance knowledge of an action they might just have been involved in? Perhaps the person/s who sent the 'kill team' to Turkey were the same person/s who sent a "kill team" to Mohammed Bin Salmon's palace in April?There is more then one way to skin a cat just as there is  more then one way to overthrow a leader.