Salman, the new Saudi king: Less reform, more religion looks likely

[muriel_volestrangler]

Yeah, the place may get even worse:

The BBC's security correspondent, Frank Gardner, says King Salman is not believed to be as personally interested in political or social reform as his predecessor.

King Salman's priority will be to maintain stability in Saudi Arabia, he says.

Karen Elliott House, author of a book on Saudi Arabia's political affairs, told the BBC King Salman "has a reputation for being more oriented towards the religious leadership of Saudi Arabia".

"You can assume there will be at least a slight accommodation to their desires for a more rigorous religion in Saudi Arabia," she said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30945925

[JI7]

1. it sounded like they were saying "Solomon" on TV

[Spider Jerusalem]

2. Salman and Solomon are the same name, etymologically

like Yusuf and Joseph, or Ibrahim and Abraham.

[ChosenUnWisely]

4. So its like John and Jack too?

[Spider Jerusalem]

5. No, it's more like John and Jean, or John and Johann, or John and Ivan (n/t)

[ChosenUnWisely]

6. OK so whats up with some one named John being called Jack

is that just a nickname or ones preference as to how they want to be called?

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. It's a nickname (like Bill for William, or Ted for Edward).

[JI7]

8. and dick for richard

[ChosenUnWisely]

9. Sometimes a Dick is just plain old dick as in dick Cheney

[ColesCountyDem]

10. He's Richard Bruce Cheney. n/t

[ChosenUnWisely]

11. but sill a Dick...a Dick by anyother name is still a Dick!

[madinmaryland]

14. What about "tricky dick" Nixon.

[ChosenUnWisely]

18. Yup he was a Dick too!

For some reason lots of Republicans are Dicks!

[ChosenUnWisely]

3. More religious, so does that mean SA will televise beheadings now?

Everyone sing along!

Give me that old time religion, Give me that old time religion...................

[loudsue]

12. And they STILL own a huge chunk of Fox news/entertainment.

So the propaganda should be more catapulted (re: bush jr.) than it has been in the past. A more "religious" SA means more extreme attacks on the USA and , well, now, France, and the other "liberal" nations.

Since the Saudi royal family brings in a couple of billion dollars a day in world-wide oil revenues, plus getting military aid from the USA, they can afford to own whichever countries --- and news agencies --- they want to.

That ruling family was responsible for 9/11, and they have made sure they were dividing Americans against each other all along the way.

[JonLP24]

16. Given that television was a very controversial addition

based on the absurd interpretation which dealt with human images (Wahabbis like to completely take out the choice in doing something "wrong" like alcohol) so if he is even more religious meaning more in line with their doctrine, there would be much less television if at all.

[Taitertots]

13. Why are Saudi dictators still called "kings"?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. Why wouldn't they be?

[JonLP24]

15. The brief impression

leaves me they would be less hypocritical (in the eyes of the Wahabbi followers) when it comes to Saudi Arabia's relationship with the west. Things would have been better if they figured out how to dig their own oil or continue to look for water (probably finding more oil instead) but now that has past, the next king will probably use the oil much more as a political weapon against us or less likely to kiss our ass depending on how much we kiss their's, depending how important Saudi oil is in the future (appearing to be much less than it was during WWII) US will start thinking about regime change.