In a sudden move, 11 princes and 38 others were arrested in Saudi Arabia and are being questioned in the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh. Among those arrested is Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal, whose net worth is estimated at $17.2 billion by Forbes, with investments in many western companies, including Citi group. Also taken into custody were sons of the previous king, Abdullah. This coup has been likened to the use of corruption as an excuse to arrest opponents by China's Xi Jinping. Here in India our government is boasting of striking off 35,000 shell companies which deposited and withdrew Rs 170 billion after demonetization. Since over Rs 15 trillion worth of notes were suddenly withdrawn from circulation, forcing us to stand in queues for hours to withdraw our own money from banks, this is mere chump change. The arrests were apparently precipitated when Saudi defense forces intercepted a missile fired by Houthi rebels from Yemen at the international airport in Riyadh. The Houthis are a Shia group, supported by Iran, which is why Saudi Arabia launched a brutal bombing campaign against them. Not only has the bombing killed thousands of civilians but the destruction of water sources has led to a cholera epidemic. A Saudi prince, governor of Asir province, which borders Yemen, was killed in a helicopter crash near the border. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri announced his resignation while on a visit to the kingdom, saying that he feared being assassinated by Hezbollah, a Shia militia supported by Iran. His father was killed in Beirut by a car bomb in 2005. Hezbollah claimed that Hariri has been forced to resign by the Saudis. Hezbollah has been supporting the Assad regime in Syria and has been strengthened by the regime's impending victory in the civil war. It is an implacable enemy of Israel and has already threatened a war against the Jewish state. A few days back President Trump refused to certify the nuclear deal with Iran, crafted by Obama and Europe. Obama granted clemency to 7 Iranian agents accused of smuggling nuclear technology and parts to build missiles. He also paid $400 million as ransom for Americans hostages in Iran. And he is rumored to have threatened to shoot down any Israeli fighter jet targeting Iran's nuclear facilities. Israel has been running a 'Good Neighbor' program on the border with Syria to stop them helping the Hezbollah. Iran has cleverly used the Islamic State to extend its control over Syria, and Iraq, which has 1,000 mile border with Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have isolated Qatar, which is a Gulf Arab state, for supporting Iran. Saudi Arabia and Sunni Arabs are mortal enemies of the Shia Persians of Iran. Saudis are friends of the US, as is Israel. A combined Jewish and Sunni attack on Iran? Sounds ridiculous. But increasingly possible.
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