Saudi Arabia's Missing Princes
August 15, 2017 7:00 AM Subscribe
"In the last two years, three Saudi princes living in Europe have disappeared. All were critical of the Saudi government - and there is evidence that all were abducted and flown back to Saudi Arabia… where nothing further has been heard from them."
A bit older, but The Indian Express has more on Palace Intrigues in the Desert Kingdom.
A bit older, but The Indian Express has more on Palace Intrigues in the Desert Kingdom.
PRINCE EDWARD
Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
GLOUCESTER
Where it seems best unto your royal self.
If I may counsel you, some day or two
Your highness shall repose you at the Tower:
Then where you please, and shall be thought most fit
For your best health and recreation.
PRINCE EDWARD
I do not like the Tower, of any place.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:31 AM on August 15, 2017 [13 favorites]
Say, uncle Gloucester, if our brother come,
Where shall we sojourn till our coronation?
GLOUCESTER
Where it seems best unto your royal self.
If I may counsel you, some day or two
Your highness shall repose you at the Tower:
Then where you please, and shall be thought most fit
For your best health and recreation.
PRINCE EDWARD
I do not like the Tower, of any place.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 7:31 AM on August 15, 2017 [13 favorites]
So the one prince was kidnapped by government agents and flown back to Saudi Arabia on a private plane, finally gets out, and then 10 years later accepts a free international flight in a private plane courtesy of the Saudi embassy? Another prince was relatively safe to be critical of the Saudi government in Europe but decides to leave France and visit Morocco when he gets scooped up by the local police and handed over to the Saudi authorities?
Good on these guys and anyone really to speak out against the absolute monarchy in Saudi Arabia, but they aren't exactly making it hard on the Saudi authorities to nab them.
posted by thecjm at 7:33 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
Good on these guys and anyone really to speak out against the absolute monarchy in Saudi Arabia, but they aren't exactly making it hard on the Saudi authorities to nab them.
posted by thecjm at 7:33 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
The utter abdication of the Swiss Authorities to investigate the details of foreign nationals being kidnapped and extradited from their territory speaks volumes about what they care about.
One can only imagine how much Saudi Money fills their vaults.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 7:48 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
One can only imagine how much Saudi Money fills their vaults.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 7:48 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
The utter abdication of the Swiss Authorities
It's not just the Swiss. It's baffling how so many ostensibly-free countries bend over backwards for these murderous medieval sociopaths.
Obama was dead right distancing us from the Saudis and reaching out the Iranians. Iran's got serious problems, but they are miles better than the fucking KSA. Just ask the women.
Green energy isn't just good for the environment.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:57 AM on August 15, 2017 [60 favorites]
It's not just the Swiss. It's baffling how so many ostensibly-free countries bend over backwards for these murderous medieval sociopaths.
Obama was dead right distancing us from the Saudis and reaching out the Iranians. Iran's got serious problems, but they are miles better than the fucking KSA. Just ask the women.
Green energy isn't just good for the environment.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:57 AM on August 15, 2017 [60 favorites]
Or the UK where they let a Saudi millionaire get off on a rape charge with the old "I slipped and somehow my dick accidentally got in her" excuse.
posted by Sangermaine at 8:10 AM on August 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Sangermaine at 8:10 AM on August 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
Or the UK where they let a Saudi millionaire get off on a rape charge with the old "I slipped and somehow my dick accidentally got in her" excuse.
I heard that the Metropolitan Police have, on occasion, put pressure on hotel staff who alleged abuse to not press charges, for the national interest and everything.
Perhaps once we've achieved Total Brexit and human-rights laws (boo!) no longer impinge on our national freedom, we can bring back droit de seigneur, all the better to compete for our creditors' largesse.
posted by acb at 8:17 AM on August 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
I heard that the Metropolitan Police have, on occasion, put pressure on hotel staff who alleged abuse to not press charges, for the national interest and everything.
Perhaps once we've achieved Total Brexit and human-rights laws (boo!) no longer impinge on our national freedom, we can bring back droit de seigneur, all the better to compete for our creditors' largesse.
posted by acb at 8:17 AM on August 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
So, we have Russia committing murders in London, and possibly one murder on US soil, Saudi Arabia abducting princes who come down with a case of human decency.
Anglosphere citizens: do you, or do you not, care about your nation's sovereignty?
posted by ocschwar at 8:36 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
Anglosphere citizens: do you, or do you not, care about your nation's sovereignty?
posted by ocschwar at 8:36 AM on August 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
Reminder that, currently, the leaders of the UK and US are led by people that were not elected by a majority of voters.
posted by zombieflanders at 8:46 AM on August 15, 2017 [11 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 8:46 AM on August 15, 2017 [11 favorites]
"The law, in its majestic equality, allows the rich as well as the poor to cite their export credit agreements and arms sales as mitigating factors in murder and rape charges"
posted by lalochezia at 8:46 AM on August 15, 2017 [28 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 8:46 AM on August 15, 2017 [28 favorites]
Anglosphere nations care more about money, oil, and an otherwise friendly state in the middle-east, and those things also support the nation's sovereignty.
If the state acted on principle here, they would gain the moral high ground yes, but little of measurable value and lose so much, also of measurable vakue. I don't like it either, which is why I'm doing what I can to make my country less dependent on oil.
posted by zippy at 8:53 AM on August 15, 2017
If the state acted on principle here, they would gain the moral high ground yes, but little of measurable value and lose so much, also of measurable vakue. I don't like it either, which is why I'm doing what I can to make my country less dependent on oil.
posted by zippy at 8:53 AM on August 15, 2017
Reminder that, currently, the leaders of the UK and US are led by people that were not elected by a majority of voters.
Well, technically the leader of the UK is not elected directly by the voters. But even if you look at the popular vote for parties in UK general elections, you have to go back to 1931 before you see a 50%+ majority.
posted by Kabanos at 8:57 AM on August 15, 2017 [9 favorites]
Well, technically the leader of the UK is not elected directly by the voters. But even if you look at the popular vote for parties in UK general elections, you have to go back to 1931 before you see a 50%+ majority.
posted by Kabanos at 8:57 AM on August 15, 2017 [9 favorites]
If the state acted on principle here, they would gain the moral high ground yes, but little of measurable value and lose so much, also of measurable vakue.
I'm pretty sure the Saudis need us and our fighter planes a lot more than we need them. We're a net exporter of oil, ffs.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:21 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm pretty sure the Saudis need us and our fighter planes a lot more than we need them. We're a net exporter of oil, ffs.
posted by leotrotsky at 9:21 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Saudi oil has always mostly gone to Europe (why ship it around the world when there is a huge market much closer) but it is a world market and if Europeans didn't get it from Arabia they would get it from places like Nigeria and Venezuela that ship to the US now.
I wonder how many countries in the world earn a big chunk of their living providing sanctuary and banking services to gangsters from the Mideast and Russia and China, etc.
posted by Bee'sWing at 9:49 AM on August 15, 2017
I wonder how many countries in the world earn a big chunk of their living providing sanctuary and banking services to gangsters from the Mideast and Russia and China, etc.
posted by Bee'sWing at 9:49 AM on August 15, 2017
Mod note: comment removed, don't make every thread a 45 thread, thank you.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:14 AM on August 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:14 AM on August 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
The Saudi royal family executed a minor prince by beheading in 2016 after he killed a man in a mass brawl in 2012. This was apparently quite shocking because most members of the royal family get away with whatever, sometimes with official strong words of censure, but mostly without any real consequences. And even in cases of censure, the reprimand was usually censored from news reports. Given their recent return to capital punishment for members of the royal family after a 40+ year hiatus, I don't have high hopes for the longevity of these abducted princes.
posted by xyzzy at 10:42 AM on August 15, 2017
posted by xyzzy at 10:42 AM on August 15, 2017
One has diamonds in his pockets
That's some bread, now
This one said he wants to buy you rockets
Ain't in his head, now
posted by chavenet at 11:45 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
That's some bread, now
This one said he wants to buy you rockets
Ain't in his head, now
posted by chavenet at 11:45 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
"You know what the business community thinks of you? They think that a hundred years ago you were living in tents out here in the desert chopping each other's heads off and that's where you'll be in another hundred years, so, yes, on behalf of my firm I accept your money."
-- Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), Syriana
posted by gottabefunky at 11:53 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
-- Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), Syriana
posted by gottabefunky at 11:53 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
The present Saudi king realizes that in order for Sunni regimes to survive in countries with Shia majorities, Saudi Arabia must become a military power capable of standing up to Iran -- a role formerly played by Iraq, and we all know what happened there.
His first task is to consolidate his power in Saudi Arabia, and Western Europe and the US will be falling all over themselves to get out of his way.
posted by jamjam at 12:09 PM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
His first task is to consolidate his power in Saudi Arabia, and Western Europe and the US will be falling all over themselves to get out of his way.
posted by jamjam at 12:09 PM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Princes are particularly prone to 'accidents'. Especially when there are hundreds of them.
posted by srboisvert at 1:53 PM on August 15, 2017
posted by srboisvert at 1:53 PM on August 15, 2017
"You know what the business community thinks of you? They think that a hundred years ago you were living in tents out here in the desert chopping each other's heads off and that's where you'll be in another hundred years, so, yes, on behalf of my firm I accept your money."
-- Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), Syriana
also note what happened to the reform-minded prince in that film.
posted by lalochezia at 6:00 AM on August 16, 2017
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posted by acb at 7:10 AM on August 15, 2017 [1 favorite]