Following is the text of the interview:

Q: There are reports of talks between the UAE and Iran and Saudi Arabia’s willingness to talk with Iran on behalf of the US. These reports refer to the recent agreement between Tehran and Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia’s willingness to negotiate with Iran. Is this initiative designed by the US?

A: I think the UAE is talking to Iran because it wants to withdraw from the Yemen debacle and slowly reduce its collaboration with MBS. But if Saudi Arabia is talking with Iran, I think that it is a Saudi initiative. They don’t want to be seen as talking with Iran so they may be saying it is on behalf of the US. I think it would be very dangerous for the US, and indeed for the region, if Saudi Arabia was so designated by the US. Saudi leadership is out of control and they represent the personal interest of MBS. They could say and do things that brings the region into armed conflict.

Q: Following the US embargo on Iran’s oil, some have speculated that the market vacuum is being mainly supplied by Aramco. Can Aramco replace Iranian Oil?

A: Yes, I believe Saudi Arabia could conceivably ramp up to make up for Iranian oil. But today, I believe that this is also being done by US shale, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. That is why oil prices have not spiked.

Q: How do you assess the future of the Saudi economy, given that the Saudi economy is heavily dependent on oil?

A: Well, you are right. Saudi Arabia is still an oil economy—crude oil, some refined products and petrochemicals. They need to diversify. MBS thinks his 2030 plan will do it but it will not be easy. The Saudi work force has to readjust to no handouts or subsidies but instead education and hard work. But how can you ask the average Saudi to adjust so when the Al-Sauds and their cronies take what they want and live in obscene luxury?

Q: What are the structural weaknesses in the Saudi economy that could threaten its economic outlook?

A: It is an oil economy with a population that has been raised on subsidies. You can only change things and ask people to change if the Al-Sauds and the Saudi elite are willing to change and give up their preferred access to government or public resources.

The post UAE is talking to Iran because it wants to withdraw from the Yemen debacle: Askari appeared first on Iran News Daily.

He adds that “All these leaders rely on U.S. military and intelligence support.”

Following is the text of the interview:

Q: U.S. President Donald Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. What was the reason behind this decision?

A: To support Netanyahu in his election bid. Netanyahu is indicted and needs much help. I think Trump did this also in support of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who has become close to Netanyahu and has been working with him to fabricate a meaningless Middle East peace plan. If Netanyahu is not elected, Kushner could have a less receptive prime minister in Israel.

Q: Why President select this time for this recognition?

A: Again, it is to boost Netanyahu’s election chances.

Q: What will the impact of this decision on the final permanent peace agreement?

A: This, coming on top of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, will make a permanent peace ever more difficult. More recently, the U.S. is also cutting aid to Palestinians. These are moves that the rest of the world does not support. It will isolate Israel even more. Trump does not understand any of this and frankly I don’t think he cares about peace and the Palestinians. It is sad that Jews are on the path of another tragedy. The U.S. should know better. The U.S. will not be accepted as an honest broker in any future peace negotiations. It has lost all credibility.

Q: Will Palestinian agree with this decision?

A: No, of course not. But what can they do? Arab leaders –Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE and others in the PGCC—are spineless. All these leaders rely on U.S. military and intelligence support. All they care about is to stay in power and they don’t much care about the plight of the Palestinians. But change will come when Arab regimes change and the U.S. loses its influence in the Middle East. This process is already under way.

Q: What is the impact of this decision on U.S. Arab countries relations?

A: For now, the U.S. will have to increase its support for Arab rulers with more intelligence sharing and covert operations as there may be fears of popular backlash against recent U.S. moves and Arab acquiescence to go along with anything that the U.S. concocts with Israel. For example, just see how vulnerable is MBS is to international isolation after the brutal murder of Khashoggi. Without U.S. support, he would be gone in a matter of a few months. So for now relations are tight but I believe this will change as we will see another ‘Arab Spring’ in the next five or so years and Arab regimes will change and the new leaders will not be as close as they are today to Washington.

The post We will see another ‘Arab Spring’ in the next five or so years: Askari appeared first on Iran News Daily.

“This is how Saudi Arabia works. Anyone who is familiar with Saudi Arabia knows this,” Hossein Askari, who served as special advisor to Saudi finance minister, tells the Tehran Times.

He adds that “No matter how they proceed with his contrived trial and punishment, MBS will not let anyone in the know EVER leave Saudi Arabia.”
Following is the text of the interview:

Q: Where are we in the Khashoggi tragedy after Erdogan’s speech and the ever-changing Saudi revelations?

A: On Tuesday Erdogan stated in the Turkish Parliament some of the allegations we have received little by little through leaks, but nothing new. The Saudis changed their ‘story’ yet again and admitted that the murder of Khashoggi was premeditated but still insisted that it was carried out by ‘rogue’ elements, interestingly a story first floated by Trump. The Saudis have not given Turkey unfettered access to the consulate as if they have something to hide. The director of the CIA visited Turkey, a country she knows well as she was stationed there and speaks the language quite fluently. She has admitted to listening to audio tapes. Upon her return on Thursday, she briefed Trump. Trump has remained silent since his briefing, maybe because he learned some facts and knows that Saudi disclosure have been lies and he has enabled them. On Friday, Turkey demanded the extradition of 18 Saudis to Turkey for interrogation and trial. The fiancé of Jamal Khashoggi gave her first interview and revealed that she had been invited to the U.S. but would not go because of U.S. insincerity in addressing Khashoggi’s murder. Later, the Saudi foreign minister stated that those arrested would be tried in Saudi Arabia.

Q: Will Saudi Arabia extradite any of the culprits to Turkey?

A: No. Absolutely not. The Saudi foreign minister has ruled this out. Let me back up. Erdogan knew full well that the Saudis would not extradite anyone but he made this request to tease the Saudi ruling family and especially MBS as he has been doing all along. If the Saudis extradite even one person, they would be afraid that the person would tell all. A supposed closed trial in Saudi Arabia would reveal nothing. They could determine the punishment, if any. And they would hope that this would be the end of the story. Most important, MBS wants to protect himself. Let me emphasize one point. This abduction, torture and murder was undoubtedly done on the orders of MBS. This is how Saudi Arabia works. Anyone who is familiar with Saudi Arabia knows this. No matter how they proceed with his contrived trial and punishment, MBS will not let anyone in the know EVER leave Saudi Arabia. As a further piece of evidence, the Saudis have refused to produce Khashoggi’s body, or its parts, and after the CIA briefing on Thursday Trump he has gone silent on the Khashoggi affair. He knows what happened and does not want to continue his public support of MBS.

Q: Can justice be served in Saudi Arabia?

A: Absolutely not. Closed trial. No public evidence. A complicit judiciary. No way!

Q: What does this tragedy tell us about Saudi Arabia?

A: MBS has adopted cosmetic reforms while cracking down on political freedom. It is a country ruled by a family who see the land and everything in it theirs. Saudi Arabia needs meaningful reforms. The rulers must change their mindset. Stop seeing the country as simply ‘theirs’ and the people as hired hands. They should adopt a timetable for representative government, respect for human and political rights, the rule of law and end their own unfettered access to the Saudi Treasury.

Q: What does it tell us about U.S. foreign policy?

A: All bad. Sadly, yet again, the U.S. confirms its support for its client dictators. The U.S. has not confronted Saudi Arabia. It can do this without breaking its relations with the country. It is not only saying nothing negative about MBS but it continues to support MBS’ misguided adventures, especially his genocide in Yemen with U.S. intelligence, covert support, mid-air refueling and American weapons and bombs. Before Trump the U.S. at least pretended to be the supporter of human and political rights around the world, did not give active support to dictators and was trying to ramp down support in the Yemen war. Now even the pretension for human rights has evaporated. Trump expresses his admiration for strongman dictators. This is encouraging dictators and oppressors around the world. Oppressors around the world who might have at least feared the U.S. just a little now see its welcoming embrace. But while the U.S. is becoming more attractive to dictators it is becoming increasingly despised by the oppressed around the world. As a result, the U.S. is dissipating its soft power at an alarming rate. It will take the U.S. years, if not decades, to regain some measure of trust around the world.

Q: Why did this affair develop in the first place?

A: Because MBS simply could. He also wanted to send a message to all of his would-be opponents. Don’t oppose me and get any ideas about plotting my overthrow. I am ruthless and I have Trump’s backing in anything I do. It was a move to consolidate power. This would never have happened if there was not a normal MBS-Kushner relationship and Trump’s active support of strongmen. MBS overstepped. He has this ‘special’ relationship with Kushner and Trump and he thought he could do anything. After all they have given him intelligence about his relatives so that he could arrest those that might have plotted hos overthrow. They continue to support him in Yemen as he commits daily atrocities killing dozens at a time. So why would they care if one journalist was killed? And knowing full well Trump’s dislike for journalists. But he does not understand the U.S. media and politics. Khashoggi was a columnist for a renowned American Newspaper, the Washington Post, and such a public abduction was sure to cause a backlash.

Q: How should have Saudi Arabia and the U.S. handled this tragedy from the beginning?

A: As I have said before. I believe that MBS ordered this murder and it was obvious to those who know the workings of Saudi Arabia. The King could have said that his son’s orders of simple abduction had been misunderstood. His son would be replaced as crown prince and he could have appointed another crown prince who he trusted would step down in a year or two. MBS would have taken a back seat and then restored to power. Trump should not have come out saying that the King and MBS had strongly denied any accusations and he believed them. He should have simply said that he knew nothing and he like anyone else would await the disclosure of facts. Instead the Saudis have produced lie after lie and Trump had supported them because they lied strongly!

Q: What should they do now?

A: They should be more truthful and transparent. They have to realize that MBS must step down, at least for a while. There is no other way out. The quicker they realize this the better. In this way they could avoid what Saudi justice demands for all those involved—beheading in public.

Q: Will we ever know the complete truth about who ordered this horrible murder and all the details of how it was carried out?

A: Yes. The evidence will eventually leak out. How long will it take? That I don’t know. The Saudis will not reveal the truth. Erdogan could do it. But he has his own agenda, to extract financial support from Saudi Arabia and their regional concessions in Qatar and Syria, and to get U.S. sanctions lifted. But who knows, Erdogan may surprise us all and do what is right. We need this in the Middle East. Doing the right thing. To stand up for justice, what is at the core of Islamic teachings. My own feeling is that someone from Saudi Arabia, an enemy of MBS, could eventually produce the evidence. And because of this possibility, MBS will crack down even more domestically and increase his intrusive domestic spying and suppression.

Q: How will tragedy affect the Middle East region?

A: I think that the Qatar embargo will be slowly lifted. Israeli-GCC cooperation will be further solidified. The so-called “Middle East Strategic Alliance” (MESA) or Arab NATO, which will encompass the GCC and Egypt will be formed but will be more or less a front for the United States in the Persian Gulf. GCC-Israeli cooperation will expand. Israel will be more emboldened to attack targets in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. Iran will be accused by the GCC and the U.S. for anything that goes wrong in the region. There will be increased terrorism in the region and around the world. Sadly, the genocide in Yemen will continue until tens of thousands starve to death or if MBS’ full role in Khashoggi’s murder is revealed and his support in the West curtailed.

The post Justice for Jamal Khashoggi and his Loved Ones: Askari appeared first on Iran News Daily.