It's no secret in Riyadh and across the Gulf that the new King and his Western-educated advisors are completely freaking out. They see themselves surrounded by Iran -- which, to top if off, may finally strike a nuclear deal with the "Great Satan" this summer.
They are spread out all over the Middle East still possessed by their "Assad must go" psychosis (he's not going anywhere though). They need to finance the military junta now in power in Egypt to the tune of tens of billions of dollars (Egypt is essentially broke.) To top it off, they foolishly bought Washington's fight against Russia by embarking in an oil price war which is corroding their own budget.
Substantially, what has happened so far in Riyadh is just a palace coup. Salman got rid of everyone associated with late King Abdullah. Notorious Bandar Bush -- still fresh from his spectacular Syria fiasco -- was fired from his post of Secretary-General for the National Security Council and special envoy of the King. Perhaps Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri could find him a job.
There is no evidence Salman will crack down on a rash of influential, demented clerics -- and pious wealthy donors -- who export Wahhabism as global jihad. There is no evidence that if the House of Saud is really serious about fighting ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, Salman will make the effort to cooperate with the Shi'ite majority government in Baghdad. Or at least let Iran take care of the problem (and they can, with their military advisors and support for selected militias like the Badr brigade).
There is no evidence the House of Saud will try to reach a compromise with Tehran; instead, paranoia reigns, because not only ideologically but politically they see themselves marginalized once Iran rises as a regional superpower in case a nuclear deal is clinched this summer.
Most of all, there is no evidence the "Don't Do Stupid Stuff" (Obama's own words) administration has the capability to seriously review US-Saudi relations. What is certain is that the dirtiest secret of the war on terror will remain off-limits. All the "terror" we face, real or manufactured, springs out from just one source; not "Islam," but intolerant, demented Wahhabism.
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