The Daily Mail is reporting that SaudiKing Salman is about to abdicate in favor of his sonMohammed bin Salman. This report should be taken with the biggest grain of salt you can lay your hands on. Taking nothing away from the fine work of the Daily Mail, we should be skeptical about claims from anyone regarding something as specific as Saudi King Salman stepping down.
(If nothing else, the effect to be achieved by promoting such a rumor is motive enough for someone to do it maliciously. Might as well paint a big bull’s eye on Mohammed bin Salman.)
Nevertheless, the size of the Saudi “purge” in November 2017, which has been orchestrated by Mohammed bin Salman (AKA “MBS”), King Salman’s son by his third wife and officially Deputy Crown Prince, has argued all along for it being about more than merely modernizing the kingdom and preparing it for a bright
