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The Syrian Problem: Saudi Prince Bandar and Putin meet in Moscow

Saudi Prince Bandar and Russian President Putin. The photo is old, but the two know each other.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan: From the Kingdom of the Condemned.

That the Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan was on a visit at the Russian President Putin in Moscow on 31 July 2013, according to a report by the Press Service of the Russian President, is not interesting because Thierry Meyssan is once more refuted by reality. There are a few other things that are implied by this visit.

Thereby, the information on the website of the Russian President Putin is more than just barely – there is even not a recent photo of Putin and Bandar bin Sultan together. Intelligencer among themselves.

The message reads in full:

Vladimir Putin received the Saudi Arabian Prince, Secretary of the Security and Intelligence Chief of Saudi Arabia, Bandar bin Sultan, because he has been to a visit to Moscow. They discussed numerous issues of mutual relations and the situation in the Middle East and North Africa.

While Prince Bandar, one of the most influential people not only in Saudi Arabia but also in the so-called “world politics”, meets with Vladimir Putin not for the first time: it is at least his sixth visit within the last seven years in Moscow, and it was also him who had organized the visit of Putin in Riyadh in 2007.

However, the report about the last contact is from the time before the “Arab Spring”, and since then, the situation in the region has changed dramatically: the events in Libya, Syria and Egypt, after the countries have been deprived of the opportunity to exert influence in the region, have finally made the already powerful House of Saud ​​probably to the most influential power in the Arab world.

And even if they are still maximal orientated on Washington, one will now and then, but clearly notice enough efforts for an own line, even in matters where they continue to make a common front with the Americans.

Bandar bin Sultan. Photo: president.kremlin.ru
Bandar bin Sultan. Photo: president.kremlin.ru

The most important of these fronts is currently Syria. So, no one needs to doubt that the “Syrian problem” was also the reason, which has mainly led the Saudi Prince to Moscow this time. Especially since Bandar, who has only been on journeys in his capacity as head of the Saudi Security Council in former times, is nowadays also additionally decorated with the Office of the Saudi intelligence chief, which he holds since a year.

A year ago it was also the time when the Prince has been declared dead; for several weeks, the media had back and forth chewed speculations about his death by an attack (the search requests like “bandar bin sultan death” are still very often today).

After Qatar has left the scene (for now), Saudi Arabia remains virtually the only power that directly supports the in Syria operating terrorist brigades, in addition to a patronage for the as “moderate” regarded “opposition”, which shall or is represented by the “National Coalition”.

Thereby, there is not too much doubt anymore that the war in Syria will be endured sooner or later, and the result will not just be in the favour of the opponents of Bashar al-Assad. This war must be ended, but none of the power brokers is interested in losing his face.

Qatar ends with the departure of the Emir Hamad Al-Thani, as said initially, its struggle for influence in the region.

The cessation of the financing of the Muslim Brotherhood led to a loss of its positions in Egypt and to a significant much reduced influence on the camp of the “Syrian opposition”, where a creature of the Saud has been installed at the top of the “National Coalition” since then. Qatar has also stopped the financing of Libyan Islamists, aborts its projects in Tunisia and leaves the local activated crowds to their fate.

Saudi Prince Bandar and Russian President Putin. The photo is old, but the two know each other.
Saudi Prince Bandar and Russian President Putin. The photo is old, but the two know each other.

Incidentally, an interesting fact: the new Iranian President, not yet introduced into his new office, privately meets with the former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. He personally knows Rohani, and he is incidentally also the representative for all things of the British government that are relevant to Iran. Thereby, Britain is the only Western power that has been invited to Rohani’s inauguration into office. The British have refused it.

Nevertheless, this suggests a kind of mediator who is able to serve the Americans in the manner to accompany their (hypothetical?) plan to establish Iran as a regional power.

The Arab monarchies were not able to fulfil their task, which has been set on them as an instrument, to sweep away the worldly ruled states in the Middle East in a final and satisfactory manner. Even in those countries where a regime change was possible, the Islamists have failed to maintain the power. Thereby, the chaos has meanwhile reached a far too little-to-control level. It’s time to replace the instruments and to get rid of the old. And the most prominent candidate for such dumping is and remains Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom has been allowed to operate, in a foreseeable hopeless direction, within Syria: the change of power in Qatar and the discontinuation of the financing of the Islamists give Emir Tamim, however, the status of a non-participant in all the regional bloodshed – Qatar thus bears no responsibility anymore for the failure of the “Arab Spring”.

In contrast to the House of Saud. And they have certainly no desire on paying the bill, without enjoying the promised benefice. It is likely to assume that the activated regional “rebels” will declare the Saud as an enemy, should the House of Saud also simply discontinue their support for them. From love to hate is no huge gap. So, what could Bandar want in Moscow?

Well, it is possible that he offers variants on how the House of Saud could be able to withdraw from this matter, and what role Russia could play in this. Anyway, there is no one who would better fit for such negotiations as Bandar bin Sultan. In a purely psychological manner, it is easier for Vladimir Putin to speak with intelligencer than with politicians, who are continually producing platitudes; this is an open secret.

Bandar can certainly so and so: come along directly as well as bluntly. What is important is that he has influence in the Kingdom. Of the ten thousand of Al-Saud, there are not many, maybe a few dozen, who have influence.

That is probably also the reason that he has been the target of attacks or why it is said that he has been it for at least three times, whereby the last attack on him came in very convincing. The rumours of his death were actually persistent till now.

Bandar bin Sultan traditionally represents the interests of Saudi Arabia in the United States, where he has enough relationships in order to know them “all”. It is quite possible, that he will visit Mr Obama soon and that he, before the appointment for Geneva II is publicly announced, will certainly once again be a guest of the Russian President.

Source: apxwn

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2 Comments

  1. Arklight

    The entire ‘regime change’ apparatus in the ME has acquired a certain odor, which is growing from a light scent borne upon the breeze into a nearly ever present odor of – – um – – increasing unease. KSA and USA partners are backing away, rather like people do from tainted sushi. The paragraph about the US and KSA attempting to set up Iran as a regional power is a bit muddy, but I’d think that such a result would be the absolutely least desirable, from the standpoint of both USA and KSA; no matter, Iran IS a regional power, gaining more economic force every day, not to mention military, which is already formidable. KSA, I think, is operating on a shoe string what oil it has left is sour, heavy crude and there is much better quality oil to be found in less contentious places. The US is floating upon a sea of oil – – the entire continental Us – – and natural gas, plus low sulfur coal. What we are lacking is refineries, with Marathon Oil being the only oil company to build a new refinery in 30 years, in North Dakota; once that is in production, I’d not bet against Marathon reaching an accommodation with another State to build another new one in – – um – – 2-4 years. Probably engaged in getting the preliminaries out of the way, even today. The US has no need of the liquid asphalt from Canada; let Canada sell to the Chinese. KSA is losing oil market share, and without that revenue the kingdom will collapse.
    If anyone cares for my opinion, I think that KSA and the US have cornered themselves, and are in a ‘go for broke’ situation, and are in a situation where there is no measure too extreme, barring direct involvement in the rat work by either sovereign nation. Neither country can afford to be buying weapons for third parties, weapons which just get confiscated or destroyed when SAA discovers them. Neither country can afford to train foreign young men to wage a guerilla war in urban settings where the SAA and NDF are becoming so proficient at killing them; actually, I think that the ‘training’, probably, consists of 40 hours of lectures and weapons instruction, then off to Syria to meet a miserable death in a strange land, with no one to know what became of them, nor to grieve for them. Just more dead thugs thrown into a trench and covered over with a couple feet of dirt. Wasted lives and empty treasuries. What a shame.

    Well, I’m sure y’all have heard enough from me for now; well done SAA and NDF, drive on and good hunting.

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