REFLECTIONS

The Saudi Royal Family's Laundry Gets a Public Airing

Jul 20, 2017 | 01:01 GMT

Hints of discord between the new Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, became clear as far back as 2012.

Hints of discord between the new Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, became clear as far back as 2012.

(FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images)

What happens in the Saudi royal family doesn't necessarily stay within the royal family. Three stories in major U.S. news outlets -- The New York Times, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal -- emerged in quick succession over the past 24 hours, all focused on the politics of the Saudi Arabian royal family. While full of sensational details, each report relied on Saudi sources that tell roughly the same story of what transpired one dramatic night in June when King Salman deposed nephew Mohammed bin Nayef, placing son Mohammed bin Salman next in line to the throne. The factual similarities across the reports suggest they are true, and the timing of their release indicates that some royal family members and government leaders in Riyadh intended for the details to be widely known. It is highly unusual for the Saudi royal family to air dirty laundry -- let alone in such...

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