Balance of Power: Saudi Turmoil Sends Shockwaves Across Middle East
Balance of Power: Saudi Turmoil Sends Shockwaves Across Middle East
(Bloomberg) -- Hopes for any semblance of order returning to the Middle East were dealt a body blow this weekend.
Islamic State has been routed from most of its strongholds, and the war in Syria finally looks like it’s winding down.
But in the region’s tumultuous tradition, it only took hours for Yemen to launch a ballistic missile at the Saudi capital, for dozens of Saudi princes and businesspeople, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, to find themselves under arrest in an alleged anti-graft sweep, and for Lebanon’s prime minister to announce his resignation while in Saudi Arabia, blaming Iran for meddling in his country’s affairs.
The events shine a spotlight on Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince and his determination to leave his stamp on the region, through an ambitious plan to wean his country off oil and a more assertive foreign policy. It also escalates the battle for influence between Saudi Arabia and Iran as they fight proxy conflicts, including in Yemen.
The potential for a Saudi-Iran conflict edged closer to reality today when the Saudis blamed Tehran for the attempted missile attack on Riyadh’s international airport on Saturday. That, they said, could be considered an act of war.
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Texas church shooting | Look for gun control advocates to question the lack of movement to ban bump stocks, which are used to modify semiautomatic weapons, after a man armed with an assault rifle killed 26 people yesterday at a church outside of San Antonio, Texas. Trump, who has opposed stricter limits on gun purchases, suggested the attacker had mental problems and said the outcome “would’ve been much worse” had it not been for an armed bystander “shooting in the opposite direction.”
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Berlusconi eyes comeback | Silvio Berlusconi’s chances of returning to power got a shot in the arm, with his center-right coalition heading for a narrow victory over the populist Five Star Movement in a regional vote in Sicily. That could give the 81-year-old former prime minister the impetus he needs to win the spring 2018 national vote and aid his bid to overturn a ban on his eligibility for public office that followed a conviction for tax fraud.
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--With assistance from Kathleen Hunter and Brendan Scott
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net.
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