Gen (r) Mirza Aslam Beg |
While the courts of justice were functioning in Saudi Arabia, the crackdown in the name of corruption, in the absence of judicial process is nothing but a Coup de Grace, establishing full control of Crown Prince Mohammed over the three security services – the Military, National Guard, Internal Security and the Powerful Wahabi clerics.
Read more: Saudi Arabia intercepts missile near Riyadh
Thus the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has concentrated absolute power in his own hands that no other Saudi ruler ever attained. The old system of “distribution of the four power bases” amongst the ruling family and the clerics now stands dismantled, and at the mercy of the young ruler with ambitions such as:
- Control of the Kingdom and the press for a more open brand of Islam.
- Taming the religious establishment in quest of modernization and toleration. In so doing he is betting the Kingdom’s large youth population, which cares more about entertainment and economic opportunities than religious dogmas.
- To contain and curb the rising power of Iran.
General Raheel is in Saudi Arabia working for the “forty-nation military alliance” and General Bajwa is in Tehran, to forge unity on matters of common security interests.
The great purge appears to be a pre-emptive strike by the Crown Prince “who saw the wall coming down and managed to hurdle it.” This move has also been welcomed by President Trump and Israel, who look at it favorably, as it is a part of the alliance with the Gulf States and Egypt, who have declared Ikhwanul Muslimeen as terrorists.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia finds itself in a suffocating situation of siege, with their archrival Iran, extending its influence and hold over the arc – Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, and Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia considers it a dangerous situation which may prompt America and Israel to join Saudi Arabia, to contain and curb the rising influence of Iran. Thus it may escalate into an open conflict, which would be calamitous for the whole of the Middle East – worst than the 9/11 Crusade, which has destroyed more than half a dozen Muslim countries.
Read more: Saudi Anti-corruption move affects investors negatively
The old system of “distribution of the four power bases” amongst the ruling family and the clerics now stands dismantled.
The recent US$ 350 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia adds meaning to the conspiracy. Crown Prince Mohammed is reported to have visited Israel last September, where he was briefed about the impending revolt.
Internally, Saudi rulers would now be facing a dual threat from the marginalized royal family and the die-hard Wahabi clerics, with whom the Saudis formed an alliance in the late 19th century, and joining hands with the British succeeded gaining control over the Arabian Peninsula early 20th Century.
This alliance stands dismantled and the Wahabis now pose a greater threat to the Kingdom. They formed the third largest group of Daēsh after Iraq and Syria – approximately 10-12,000 under Ahmad Kheshgi. Now, they are scattered, with most of them driven underground, drawn to violence within the country and outside.
Read more: Gulf crisis: Is Saudi Arabia the only bad guy here?
The breaking of the alliance with the clerics and the royal family which dates back to the founding of the Saudi dynasty governed with guidance from the clerics who legitimized their rule is sure to create shock waves within the country, and likely to become dangerous with the involvement of America and Israel.
The great purge appears to be a pre-emptive strike by the Crown Prince “who saw the wall coming down and managed to hurdle it.”
At this critical juncture, Pakistan seems to be riding on two boats. General Raheel is in Saudi Arabia working for the “forty-nation military alliance” and General Bajwa is in Tehran, to forge unity on matters of common security interests.
Astute diplomacy, therefore, is needed to play a balancing role between Riyadh and Tehran, ensuring that US-Israel design of initiating open conflict, between the two rivals is prevented at all. Pakistan enjoys a privileged position with both the countries, to achieve the purpose of peace in the region and the Muslim World, as a whole.
The writer is a former Chief of Army Staff (COAS),Pakistan. He took over after death of Gen. Zia ul Haq, in a plane crash on Aug 17, 1988 and was instrumental in return to civilian rule in Pakistan. He can be reached at friendsfoundation@live.co.uk. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy.