About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

14 Replies to “Brad Johnson explains two events from Turkey this week”

  1. He is saying the same thing Yucki did, Turkey is using the journalist to try and make trouble between the US and Saudi.

    • No,to quite.

      This ‘journalist’ is the, de-facto, head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Saudi Arabia and he was tortured/killed in the power struggle between the MB and the Wahabis – both of whom pretend to play nice with Westenism, but plan no such thing.

      The Turks, while aware of the conflict and playing a blind eye to it, are ensuring that the fallout does not harm them. If it were not for the ‘journalist’ having recorded and uploaded his torture and murder to the cloud and thus blowing the whistle on the whole event, the Turks would likely not have said/done anything.

      That is a significantly different analysis than saying that the Turks are trying to make trouble between the US and Saudi.

      • I didn’t know the journalist was heading the MB in KSA. That’s highly relevant information. It also explains why he was living in MB-friendly Turkey.

        And I do agree with Erdogan attempting to disrupt good USA-KSA relations.

        • Exactly. Safe.

          hehehe.

          He wasn’t heading the Saudi MB – too small potatoes. But he IS a key operative outside the Kingdom.

          Writing for the Washington Post, an MB/CIA organ. He’s got contacts everywhere, a voice in the right places. Including Iran. Plugged into the Qatari trillion$, their vast network of D.C. lobbies, think-tanks throughout the West.

          He’s described over the years in American intelligence reports as close to the most powerful Princes, editor of a govt-mouthpiece newspaper. Positive mentions.

          John [Abdul] Brennan was CIA chief in Saudi. The embassy there was/is solid MB. There has to be somebody REALLY powerful, quiet for the time being.

          The Kingdom plays both sides: al-Q and sorta-MB outside the Kingdom. Just NEVER bring it home.

          That’s part of the problem in Yemen, and the MAJOR dispute with the UAE. The latter is absolutely anti-MB: like Egypt, the Emir sees political Islam as an existential threat.

          For Saudi it’s Iran; the MB can be used, as can al-Qaeda. They’re fighting different wars in Yemen.

      • Of course the Turks knew! Got to admire how they set it up to perfection.

        The Saudis were careless – unforgivably stupid! – to attempt executive-level wet-work in an unfriendly capital that has a sophisticated intelligence service.

        It was a magic moment for the enemy. The Turks played it to perfection, mobilized the very same folks that brought us the Arab Spring. When the Turk is in a box, he gets handed this gift.

        There’s the {US/ Turk/ Saudi} + {PTrump/ MbS/ Sultan-Erdogan} dynamics, Round 2 of sanctions on SWIFT transactions scheduled for Nov. 4, and our midterm election on Nov.6.
        ………..
        AND => The immediate situation on the two battlefronts in Syria that hang in the balance: Idlib and Manbij. Right now.

        Reprieve for the Turk quagmired in Idlib, possible foul-up for THE critical eastern shore of the Euphrates, Manbij. That's where the Kurds take their stand with our support, or we fold and give Iran a "Land Bridge" to the Med.

        ......This gets too complicated for here...
        ………..
        Every succession in these sheikdoms copes with “sibling rivalry” the old-fashioned way: murder, or abject submission [play dead convincingly]. The al-Saud clan is huge; factions wield power via alliances outside the Kingdom. The individual is really quite insignificant.

        King Faisal was was assassinated; a prince tried to murder the late King Abdullah when he was Crown Prince. It’s their way. aloha-snackbar

        This isn’t about “dissidents” or “journalists”. Not “modernization”, “women’s rights”, or – heaven forbid – “freedom of speech”.

        You’ll find Saudis blathering such kafir nonsense around the world. In languages _other_ than Arabic, of course: nothing means anything unless it’s in Arabic. The rest is written off as practical taqiyya.[*] And no Muslim Arab country is going to give a Saudi that platform. Simple.

        A high-profile Saudi like this one has to aligned with a faction that threatens the monarchy. In practical terms, that’s Iran or the Muslim Brotherhood. Both, when they’re working together. (The many faces of the MB include al-Qaeda, Inc.) These people aren’t engaging in political debates.

        Four self-exiled Saudi “dissident” princes were disappeared from Europe in the last few years. Some noise in MB-connected circles like the BBC, but easily muffled. The getaways were fairly smooth, a private plane from Paris to Cairo is diverted, Welcome to Riyadh. Morocco – who knows? The Kings – professional courtesy.

        The executioners blundered so badly, I’m shocked. The King must’ve delegated this one to the Crown Prince. How arrogant to pull it in Turkey! And what ghastly timing!

        This Khashoggi critter is a piece of work. More about him elsewhere.
        ….
        [*] See Mj. Coughlin. When they say “human rights”, they mean “shariah”. “Racism” is defamation of Islam. “Terrorism” is the killing of a Muslim, etc.

          • Question. Is Erdogan smart and experienced enough and MbS inexperienced enough that signals were sent that Turkey would cover for Saudi grabbing the guy and then Erdogan stabbing MbS in the back?

          • Richard-
            The Turk has highly professional intel. The Apple watch audio-thing is probably a cover for Turks bugging the Embassy somehow. They would’ve known what was happening almost immediately. That’s all fishy.

            In any case, why not start a search when the “fiancé” set off the alarm? What was going on between the 2 countries in the interval? Who would have signals intel?

            We still don’t KNOW that it’s MbS.
            Could be. He’s arrogant even reading the lines Jarred’s PR people write for him. No body, no crime. What could possibly go wrong?

            He was not educated in the West, unlike most royals of his generation. Less aware of WaPo sensitivities than anybody who spent 5 minutes at Georgetown U.

            It’s looking like a blow to PTrump to commentators in the region (and me). MbS is nothing more than PT’s investment. Too much prestige, too weak a vehicle.

            The parties complaining loudest – by far – are PT’s domestic enemies. That’s very important.

            It could be a rival faction in the Kingdom. Instigate a change in the line of succession to the throne.

            Khashoggi, the perfect choice for sacrificial lamb by elements more aligned with Iran and the MB than the faction MbS represents. Like our CIA and the folks who sent pallets of cash to mullahs and brought us the glorious Iran Deal.

            He knew an awful lot about heavy hitters. Might’ve been called to testify in the 9/11 survivors suit against the Kingdom.

            I really hope the grownups in Saudi stop acting stupid. Cut the blustering tone: it’s massively counterproductive with PT. If it doesn’t end up a knock-out, it should be a wake-up call for everybody.

  2. There are clearly serious implications for Israel. So there’s _lots_ of background on this “martyr”.

    Like Wikileaks documents his travels and interviews with Osama Bin Laden. A man he admired as the “’Che Guevara’” of the Arab world. Identifies as a Muslim Brother in his youth.
    https://preview.redd.it/b59rmh7aezr11.png?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dc17b0b1df76be93a8083f2416d3a51f3bd0b9c0

    Relationships with some of the most powerful Princes in the Kingdom – one branch of the al-Faisal family fires him, another hires him. American intelligence operatives in Saudi (CIA- John Brennan) keep notes on this “Islamist intellectual” from a prominent family, cultivated ties.

    Arab Spring – “Post-American revolution[!]” Terrific!
    He’s running Prince Alwaleed’s wannabe- al-Jazeera, 24-hr news. BUT aware of need to be “pragmatic” in reporting on Egypt: Saudi will have to “have good relations” there no matter how things shake out.

    Greatly disappointed with MbS: “Khashoggi was particularly critical of Riyadh’s approach to the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam. He felt the crackdown on more Islamist views was problematic. He also voiced consistent critique of the rumors that the kingdom was growing closer to Israel.”

    He was quoted, referring to PTrump’s “Deal of the Century”:
    The way I read it is the Saudis want to establish a relationship with the Israelis in order to benefit from Israel’s overwhelming power in the Middle East in order to drive the Iranians out of Syria…
    https://www.jpost.com/International/How-the-missing-Saudi-writer-could-affect-Israel-569258?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    Early Israeli reaction Oct. 12:
    Khashoggi and the Jewish question
    “It is certainly not in our interests to see the status of the Saudi govt diminished in Washington.”

    https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Khashoggi-and-the-Jewish-question-569256

  3. Yochanan Visser summary:
    ANALYSIS: Did Saudis assassinate critical journalist in Turkey?
    Evidence mounts that Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in the Saudi Consulate.
    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/253145
    …….
    We may be screwed.

    The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act:
    ____”This act requires the President to determine whether a foreign person or body is responsible for gross human rights violations.

    ____”The law also requires the Trump Administration to report back in 120 days with a decision on the imposition of sanctions on whoever was responsible…”

    Saudis have contracts with the U.S. worth $110 billion.
    They’ll buy from China or Russia.

    Journalists are defending their partiality for Khashoggi, one guy, and not the hundreds jailed in Turkey and murdered there and elsewhere. They’re saying, “Well, we knew him. He was our friend.”

    Seth Franztman asks:
    Do some countries get away with human rights abuses simply because major newspapers aren’t exposed to them via having personal friends as victims? Is the answer here that we need more Yemenis as journalists so that people can express more empathy?
    https://twitter.com/sfrantzman/status/1051336129134424064

  4. Adm. James [Ace] A. Lyons puts things in perspective. Excellent.

    Shared Interests but Not Shared Values – Khashoggi Disappearance
    https://townhall.com/columnists/admjamesalyons/2018/10/13/shared-interests-but-not-shared-values–khashoggi-disappearance-n2528071
    …..
    We’ve got to stay focused. We share interests with this vile theocracy that are vital.
    “Resolving the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi and ensuring appropriate punishment of those involved—even if at the top levels of the Saudi regime—nevertheless must be handled separately from maintaining our shared interests in eliminating the Iranian theocracy. This is key!”