Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: “No one is above the law, neither prince nor minister”

High-profile Saudi princes accused of funding Al Qaeda

All were accused of funding al-Qaeda in testimony given by Zacarias Moussaoui. The jailed former member of Al Qaeda gave testimony to a US court accusing senior royals in Saudi Arabia of funding the militant group, according to court documents filed in New York on Tuesday. Zacarias Moussaoui, serving a life sentence for his role in the 11 September 2001 attacks, made the claims in testimony given to lawyers for attack victims who accuse Saudi Arabia of providing direct support to al-Qaeda.

Zacarias Moussaoui (AFP)

Moussaoui said he acted as a courier for the late al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and compiled a list of donors to the group. Moussaoui said Prince Turki al-Faisal (former intelligence chief), Prince Bandar bin Sultan (former ambassador to the US), and Prince al-Waleed bin Talal (well-known billionaire investor) all appeared on the al-Qaeda donor lists, as well as many of Saudi Arabia’s leading religious figures. [1]

The 9/11 attacks were allegedly carried out by 19 hijackers, 15 of whom were identified as Saudi nationals. Wealthy Saudis have long been accused of funding groups including Al Qaeda, although the state has always denied any direct involvement.

And President Trump apparently became aware that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) citizens have been buying off American politicians, as well as making donations.

Alwaleed bin Talal, two other billionaires tycoons among Saudi arrests

Bin Talal, Waleed Al Ibrahim, chairman of Middle East Broadcasting Center, and Sales Kamal, owner of television channel ART and founder of the Dallah al Baraka Group (DBHC), one of the Middle East’s largest conglomerates, were arrested along with Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, head of the National Guard and dozens of princes and former ministers in a new anti-corruption probe. Prince Miteb was once considered a contender for the throne.

Talal, the Arab world’s richest list with an estimated net worth of $18.7 billion, is also the second biggest shareholder of Twitter Inc.

Already viewed as the de facto ruler controlling all the major levers of government, from defense to the economy, Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed is widely seen to be stamping out traces of internal dissent before a formal transfer of power from his 81-year-old father King Salman. [2]

Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal arrested in corruption crackdown

Saudi Arabia’s royal family ousted key officials and arrested others in a sweeping anti-corruption drive. Bin Talal is a very prominent investor with stakes in companies like Citigroup, Apple and Twitter, just to name a few. He owns the second-largest amount of Twitter stock. Twitter went nuts. So did banks and media corporations. Alwaleed bin Talal also owns the New York Plaza Hotel and apparently co-owns the top two floors of Mandalay Bay with Bill Gates.

In 2015, Bin Talal announced he would donate his entire fortune to help build a “better world of tolerance, acceptance, equality and opportunity for all.” But did Alwaleed bin Talal  and others not want to give up political power in the wake of Saudi reform? It has long been postulated bin Talal and the others are the biggest funders of anti-Islamophobia groups on US Universities like Berkeley, Georgetown and Harvard.

The arrest of Bin Talal could represent a jarring turn of events as the prince has cultivated an image as the de-facto public face of Saudi finance.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

It would also be the most dramatic chapter in the evolving narrative of Bin Salman, who has steadily consolidated his authority since his elevation to Defense Minister in early 2015.

And could the upcoming Aramco listing & Bin Salman take down be linked? The anti-corruption sweep is taking place against a backdrop of reform in Saudi Arabia, and the impending launch of an initial public offering for state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco next year. The IPO is expected to be the largest in history, and Aramco is widely expected to dual-list shares on an international exchange. [3]

Saudi billionaire did help Obama into Harvard

In late March 2008, on a local New York City show called “Inside City Hall,” the venerable African-American entrepreneur and politico, Percy Sutton, told host Dominic Carter how he was asked to help smooth Barack Obama’s admission into Harvard Law School 20 years earlier.

{VIDEO LINK] – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EcC0QAd0Ug&feature=youtu.be

The octogenarian Sutton calmly and lucidly explained that he had been “introduced to [Obama] by a friend.” The friend’s name was Dr. Khalid al-Mansour, and the introduction had taken place about 20 years prior. The octogenarian Sutton calmly and lucidly explained that he had been “introduced to [Obama] by a friend.” The friend’s name was Dr. Khalid al-Mansour, and the introduction had taken place about 20 years prior. Sutton described al-Mansour as “the principal adviser to one of the world’s richest men.” The billionaire in question was Saudi prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. [4]

Hillary Clinton, The Podesta Group And The Saudi Regime: A Fatal Menage A Trois

Also interesting is the link between Alwaleed bin Talal and the Podesta Group:

The Podesta Group’s March 2016 filing, required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, shows that Tony Podesta himself oversees the Saudi account. At the same time, Tony Podesta is also a top campaign contributor and bundler for Hillary Clinton. So while one brother runs the campaign, the other brother funds it with earnings that come, in part, from the Saudis.

John and Tony Podesta have been heavyweights in DC insider politics for decades. John Podesta served as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, founded the influential DC think tank Center for American Progress (which regularly touts Saudi “reforms”), and was counselor to President Obama. Tony Podesta was dubbed by the New York Times as “one of Washington’s biggest players“ whose clients “are going to get a blueprint for how to succeed in official Washington.”

The brothers seem to have no problem mixing their roles into the same pot. Tony Podesta held a Clinton campaign fundraiser at his home featuring gourmet Italian food cooked by himself and his brother, the campaign chairman. The fundraiser, by the way, came just days after Tony Podesta filed his Saudi contract with the Justice Department, a contract that included an initial “project fee” payment of $200,000. [5]

And for fun to those looking to step into the realm of the unvetted we have this and at the same time, restricted air travel out of KSA:

 

[1] http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/high-profile-saudi-princes-accused-funding-al-qaeda-1155670434

[2] https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2017/11/05/alwaleed-bin-talal-two-other-billionaires-tycoons-among-saudi-arrests

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/04/billionaire-saudi-prince-alwaleed-bin-talal-arrested-in-corruption-crackdown-local-reports.html

[4] http://mobile.wnd.com/2012/09/saudi-billionaire-did-help-obama-into-harvard/

[5] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/medea-benjamin/hillary-clinton-the-podes_b_11779826.html