British Colonel: Saudi King ’Will Replace MBS to Restore the Monarchy’s Credibility

Local Editor

British Colonel Brian Lees, former defense attaché to Yemen and the Saudi Kingdom said King Salman could have his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MBS], replaced to restore the Monarchy’s credibility after facing global rebuke following the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

With MBS believed to have been ordered the assassination of the dissident journalist in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, the world has reacted angrily to the murder amid weeks of repeated denials from Saudi authorities that the kingdom had nothing to do with his disappearance.

Khashoggi – a US resident, columnist for The Washington Post, and a leading critic of bin Salman -- entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain a document certifying he had divorced his ex-wife, but he did not leave the building.

Lees said in an interview on Wednesday that the crown prince's days as de facto ruler are numbered. He added that the 82-year-old monarch may now look to replace him.

“The Saudis will never admit that MBS was culpable but this does not mean that he is in the clear. I believe that the king – assuming he is in one of his ‘clear’ periods – will get rid of MBS by replacing him,” noted Lees, the author of A Handbook of the Al Saud Ruling Family of Saudi Arabia.

“He cannot do so immediately, or even in the next few months, because that would look like bowing to foreign pressure. He may use the already established device of using the special advisory council within the family to appoint a successor. This would certainly restore the credibility of the monarchy,” he stated.

“The Saudi version is not credible in the least,” said Colonel Lees. “The team visiting Istanbul were certainly not tourists and the person seen to leave the consulate in Khashoggi’s clothes was obviously not him. Even Trump now admits that this was the most inept cover-up of all times.”

“The international community’s response has been stumbling,” said Lees. “Trump has changed his mind daily but is likely to bow to Congressional pressure."

“Britain is sidelined but will hide under the European cloak. Russia and China hope to benefit, but they are not natural allies, although the Saudis will use them to threaten the West," he stated.

“The Saudis rely on the US and will continue to do so,” Lees added.

'Crown prince will be replaced with his brother, Khalid.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team