The London Daily Mail’s online edition on Thursday published an exclusive report claiming: “American mercenaries are torturing Saudi elite rounded up by new crown prince – and billionaire Prince Alwaleed was hung upside down ‘just to send a message.’”
“They are beating them, torturing them, slapping them, insulting them. They want to break them down,” DailyMail.com quotes its source as saying.
We have no direct-source verification of the specific claims in the Daily Mail piece. However, reports of beatings and torture of Saudi princes, former ministers, and leading businessmen held in the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton hotel and the nearby Courtyard Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter on allegations of corruption have been coming to light since at least November 10.
Cross-checking of such reports and independent verification with diplomatic sources by now provides a high degree of confidence that torture has been taking place to extract admissions of guilt and – more important – to extract funds in the billions of dollars. The Financial Times has reported that Supreme Committee investigators and interrogators are seeking up to 70% of detainees’ wealth in return for their release.
Among the individuals beaten and tortured and admitted to a hospital on November 6, according to Asia Times’ sources, was Prince Mutaib bin Abdullah, son of the late King Abdullah and deposed commander of the SANG (Saudi Arabian National Guard). The New York Times reports that as many as 17 detainees have required medical treatment.
Were “American mercenaries” involved in the “enhanced interrogations”, beatings and torture? The Daily Mail source named “Blackwater” as the private US security firm involved. That’s nonsense. Blackwater no longer exists. The firm’s assets were sold in 2010 to Forte Capital Advisors and Manhattan Strategic Ventures and renamed Academi.
Academi, through its owners Constellis, told the Daily Mail that it had no operations of any kind in Saudi Arabia. That may in fact be true. However, it is a well-documented fact that Blackwater founder Erik Prince, after he sold Blackwater, moved to Abu Dhabi in 2011 and helped develop an 800-man foreign (mainly Colombian and South African) mercenary force for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).
Prince has since moved on again and through his firm Frontier Services Group, a Hong Kong-listed company, provides logistics and security services to, inter alia, Chinese state-owned enterprises. But while Prince has moved on, the mercenary troop he helped build did not, and some of those mercenaries are now deployed by the United Arab Emirates to Yemen, where they fight side-by-side with Saudi troops in so-far-unsuccessful efforts to put down the Houthi rebellion.
One can hardly rule out that MBZ, as he is known, has lent some of his mercenaries trained in the art of interrogation to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is a well-know fact that the 56-year-old Abu Dhabi ruler has for several years been the 32-year old MBS’s principal mentor.
But alas, why really must we assume that enhanced interrogation is the exclusive bailiwick of US military or intelligence organs? MBS and his Supreme Committee may well have perfectly capable home-grown practitioners.
Barack Obama, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell: they don’t look very white to me, those bastards
Yes, all the honeymoon suites are booked and I hear they serve plenty of bottled drinks with lubricants in those rooms along with bondage wear leather whips and masks. Given the experienced CIA/Mossad analyst that are running down the halls, the reports shows that there is lots of moaning going on in each room. Prince Bin Talal being hanged upside down might be least of his problem once they start giving him Enema!!
I am sure there will be many investors lining up to purchase Aramco IPO given the royal hospitality that these Saudi investors are receiving today.
Greater Israel, coming to a Mid-East country near you. And Trump/Kushner are up to their elbows in this mess.
His biggest heaadache or rather sudden neck snap will come because of his ties to the Israelis.
Forced to sit in the comfy chair ? (Monty Python)
Happy Valentine 2018
Seems like Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh is fully booked till February 14. Wonder what that means for the current guests..
See http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/saudi-arabia/riyadh
The problems in the Middle East seem to be a never-ending story. One country after another destroyed by war. The main reason seems to be Geopolitical strategies. No one seem to have an idea what will happen. Pepe Escobar wrote there are internal problems that could result in a civil war. The princes camping out at the Ritz might mobilize. The international community are already outraged of the war in Yemen and the latest action will not help for the Aramco IPO political risk will scare a lot of investors.
The London Daily Mail? A notorious member of the British gutter press. A rabble-rouser and gossipy tabloid.
How credible can its "exclusive story" be?!
That said, with the CIA, the Mossad, MI6, etc playing in the Middle East cesspool, a blind guess or wild speculation may hit it right.
Even Blackwater Change its name ,,They still doing the same dirty Jobs,,,The Blackwater is the UAE MBZ mohammad bib Zayed Idea ,As all his personal Guards are from BW. Add to that MBZ is inflowence by Dahlan ( Ex Palestinian Gaza strong man before Hamas kicked him out ..Dahlan is Mossad assets ….
The goal is to take their cash as MBS need it to satisfy his Ego ,,Nothing to do with Corruption …
All those extorted billions are need to fund the next US-Israel-Saudi military adventure: Lebanon.
Well. These are privileged people who live their entire lifes in supreme luxury. "Torture" to them have a very different meaning than to the rest of the world.
This is a great news and I am sure Mossad is involved since a 32 year old incompetent prince or the 82 year old senile king is in no shape to orchestrate all this mayhem. These arrests and tortures is exactly what was needed to create the spark for implosion of this 4th century backward regime. The over throw of this young boy will be more damaging to US interest and Israel than the Iranian revolution and exactly what is needed to bring lasting peace to the region. The new regime will be more aligned to Qatar and Iran and vehemently opposed to Israel!!…
It seems the Donald, or his emissaries, have been in on the coup since before the beginning. Trump would certainly be in favor of torturing the prisoners, as he has stated himself on numerous occasions. He wants to treat "bad people" badly, as a matter of principle. The genocide in Yemen is only another indication of the character of the Saudi security forces and their American co-conspirators. Obviously, people like these have no hesitation about human rights violations when it comes to asserting their power and dominance of less affluent or privileged people.
Well, Blackwater or not, if MBS is doing that, he has learnt torture from US/NATO and "allies" – or masters – after 9/11… At least, those are certified; as to MBS, will see