Reddit Reddit reviews Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia

We found 5 Reddit comments about Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia
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5 Reddit comments about Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia:

u/klf0 · 8 pointsr/Calgary

As were Bush, Reagan, and numerous other high ranking US officials, both military and civilian. There have long been close links between Riyadh and DC. For good reason.

The House of Saud, while now a convenient boogeyman for those with no sense of even recent history, has provided not just oil for many decades when there were inadequate supplies in North America (and Europe), but more importantly has been a key ally in the gulf, a place where instability is the natural state, and where Wahhabism especially would rapidly fill a power vacuum.

Is Saudi Arabia an ideal ally? No. We have many differences with them. But they are far better than the alternative. Through taking donations from the Saudis, Clinton was shoring up an important relationship while furthering the impact of her family foundation.

So you can criticize Clinton's relationship with the House of Saud, but see how quickly Trump cozies up to them.

I guess in summary, two things. One, these things aren't black and white, as cute as it may be. And second, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

For more detail you can read the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Kingdom-Modernists-Terrorists-Struggle/dp/0143118277

https://www.amazon.ca/Prize-Epic-Quest-Money-Power/dp/1439110123

u/Bentonitelite · 3 pointsr/ShitAmericansSay

I read it awhile ago in a book about the region. I'm pretty sure it was either City of Gold or Inside The Kingdom

u/StudyingTerrorism · 3 pointsr/Ask_Politics

Just how much do you know about Saudi Arabia or the Saudi political system? I ask because in your first sentence, you state that a decapitation strike against the Saudi government pushes the royal family from power, yet the House of Saud is comprised of roughly 15,000 people--2,000 of which have power in one form or another in the government. Additionally, there are systems in place to help facilitate succession of the kingdom. And there are entire military services dedicated to ensuring the security of the government against internal threats. So the idea of a decapitation strike is fairly unlikely, which is to say nothing of the numerous other political and societal structures in place that would either facilitate or inhibit any attempt at a coup (especially by a non-state actor).

Before you continue drafting your storyline, I encourage you to read up on the history of Saudi Arabia, political Islam and Islamic extremism, and the international relations of the Arab World. Additionally, I would suggest taking a greater look at the Grand Mosque seizure of 1979 and its aftermath, and instances of a monarchy being overthrown by a non-royal entity. The coups against King Farouk of Egypt (1952), King Faisal II of Iraq (1958), King Idris I of Libya (1969), and the attempted coup against King Hussayn of Jordan (1970) might be good places to start. Not all of them will be applicable to you, but it should give you an idea of what a coup entails, what a successful coup looks like, and what the aftermath is.

With that in mind, I suggest the following books as a place to start:

History of Saudi Arabia and the Arab World

u/kylco · 1 pointr/worldnews

There's a lovely book called Inside the Kingdom that discusses the issue of Saudi royal support for Wahhabi ideology. I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to understand Saudi Arabia's role in modern Islam.