# A new Saudi anti-corruption body has detained 11 princes, four sitting, dozens former ministers **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 4, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722 "2017-11-04T22:48:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/1 "2017-11-04T22:48:16Z")
**A new Saudi anti-corruption body has detained 11 princes, four sitting ministers and dozens of former ministers, media reports say.** > **[Saudi princes among dozens detained in 'corruption' purge](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41874117)** > > Billionaire businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is among dozens of senior figures detained. Any explanations? [Some of us are very cynical that Saudi Arabia suddenly became strongly anti-corruption.] ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/2 "2017-11-05T02:15:05Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > **A new Saudi anti-corruption body has detained 11 princes, four sitting ministers and dozens of former ministers, media reports say.** > [Saudi princes among dozens detained in 'corruption' purge](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41874117) > > Any explanations? [Some of us are very cynical that Saudi Arabia suddenly became strongly anti-corruption.] So far from what I have read on reddit is that the previous crown prince has been swapped out with another one, and this is more or less house cleaning to make sure the new guy does not face opposition. As well, someone fired a missile of some kind at one of the airports, which was intercepted. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/3 "2017-11-05T03:02:27Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Any explanations? When a new dictator takes over, he eliminates anyone who could pose a threat to their rule. That is why Kim Jong Un had his brother killed. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/4 "2017-11-05T15:59:45Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > When a new dictator takes over, he eliminates anyone who could pose a threat to their rule. That is why Kim Jong Un had his brother killed. This sounds correct to me. I’d be surprised if anyone were to get killed, but this is sending a message about who’s in charge. I am a bit surprised that someone as connected as Alwaleed bin Tatal was apparently caught without warning. One would think he’d have sources that would let him know to be out of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/5 "2017-11-05T17:11:28Z")
I think the King will die soon, & the Heir is getting ready. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/6 "2017-11-05T21:05:31Z")
I see another prince was just killed in Asir in a “helicopter accident.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/7 "2017-11-05T21:55:16Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I see another prince was just killed in Asir in a “helicopter accident.” Careful, **Paul.** You may be monitored, if you are still “in country”. And given how through this new fellow is, that could be bad. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/8 "2017-11-06T00:06:10Z")
Actually I am on vacation in the US just now. I will be able to vote in person for a change. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/9 "2017-11-06T00:41:07Z")
Now it’s being reported that a “Saudi-led coalition” has closed off Yemen’s ports: [https://twitter.com/JacobAWohl/status/927327495711465473](https://twitter.com/JacobAWohl/status/927327495711465473) ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/10 "2017-11-06T00:47:19Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I think the King will die soon, & the Heir is getting ready. King Salman is 81. He ascended the throne in early 2015 when his brother, King Abdullah died. It is reported he suffers from mild dementia. King Salman named his son, [Mohammad bin Salman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman), Crown Prince in June of this year. The King removed his nephew from that position at the time. Reports say the nephew was placed under house arrest and is still under confinement. Crown Prince Mohammad is only 32 and apparently working hard to consolidate power in his hands. In addition to the corruption arrests on Saturday that include the 11 princes, he has taken control of all the security services, detained dozens of hard line clerics and stripped the religious police of their powers. I’m not exactly sure what he is up to but he does seem bent on liberalizing the country to some degree. He is the one behind the policy change to allow women to start driving cars in 2018. Today’s NYTimes has a couple of interesting stories about him [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/middleeast/saudi-crown-prince-purge.html) and [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-wahhabism-salafism-mohammed-bin-salman.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/11 "2017-11-06T01:32:05Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > King Salman is 81. He ascended the throne in early 2015 when his brother, King Abdullah died. It is reported he suffers from mild dementia. > > King Salman named his son, [Mohammad bin Salman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_bin_Salman), Crown Prince in June of this year. The King removed his nephew from that position at the time. Reports say the nephew was placed under house arrest and is still under confinement. > > Crown Prince Mohammad is only 32 and apparently working hard to consolidate power in his hands. In addition to the corruption arrests on Saturday that include the 11 princes, he has taken control of all the security services, detained dozens of hard line clerics and stripped the religious police of their powers. I’m not exactly sure what he is up to but he does seem bent on liberalizing the country to some degree. He is the one behind the policy change to allow women to start driving cars in 2018. Today’s NYTimes has a couple of interesting stories about him [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/middleeast/saudi-crown-prince-purge.html) and [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/05/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-wahhabism-salafism-mohammed-bin-salman.html). :dubious: > [@](#): > > “Yea” might be turned into “Nay” and vice versa if a sufficient quantity of wordage was applied to the matter. The second was that in any argument, the victor is always right, and the third that though the pen is mightier than the sword, the sword speaks louder and stronger at any given moment. > > - Roger Fenwick, Duke of Grand Fenwick” ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/12 "2017-11-06T02:20:03Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > :dubious: I’m not sure what you are dubious about. Do you doubt the King is 81? That the Crown Prince is behind these actions? I don’t really follow what you are trying to get at. I also don’t see how anything I put in my post is at odds with what Wibberley wrote so I’m not clear why you quoted that bit. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/13 "2017-11-06T12:46:45Z")
And now a helicopter crash with another prince. Hmm. [http://bit.ly/2zmDHy3](http://bit.ly/2zmDHy3) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-saudi-anti-corruption-body-has-detained-11-princes-four-sitting-dozens-former-ministers/800722/14 "2017-11-06T13:04:50Z")
The NYT is reporting the entire Royal Family is prohibited from leaving the country. Further, I see Mutib bin Abdullah is in the cage. This is big indeed.