MONUMENTAL CHANGES IN SAUDI – AT 10:31 A.M. ET:  We generally think of Saudi Arabia as one of the most backward nations of the Mideast, the home of radical Islam, the banker for terror groups.  Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on 9-11 came from Saudi Arabia.

But change is in the air.  A new guy is in charge and he wants to move his country past terrorism and nuttiness and into the 21st century.  It won't be easy, and he isn't a softie.  From Reuters: 

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s future king has tightened his grip on power through an anti-corruption purge by arresting royals, ministers and investors including billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal who is one of the kingdom’s most prominent businessmen.

Prince Alwaleed, a nephew of the king and owner of investment firm Kingdom Holding, invests in firms such as Citigroup and Twitter. He was among 11 princes, four ministers and tens of former ministers detained, three senior officials told Reuters on Sunday.

The purge against the kingdom’s political and business elite also targeted the head of the National Guard, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, who was detained and replaced as minister of the powerful National Guard by Prince Khaled bin Ayyaf.

The allegations against Prince Alwaleed include money laundering, bribery and extorting officials, one official told Reuters, while Prince Miteb is accused of embezzlement, hiring ghost employees and awarding contracts to his own companies including a $10 billion deal for walkie talkies and bulletproof military gear worth billions of Saudi riyals.

The allegations could not be independently verified and members of the families of those detained could not be reached.

COMMENT:  Big stuff, especially the part about Alwaleed.  He's well known here.  His name is on a lot of buildings and institutions within American universities.   I recall that one year he spent more money in one week buying influence in the United States than the entire annual budget of the "powerful" Israel lobby.  He has real power in American banks and companies.

As the lefties like to say, you've got to break some eggs to make an omelet.  A lot of eggs are being broken in Saudi Arabia. 

November 6, 2017