RADIO SILENCE FROM NEW SAUDI OPPOSITION GROUP IN

S E C R E T RIYADH 006925

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KISL SA
SUBJECT: RADIO SILENCE FROM NEW SAUDI OPPOSITION GROUP IN
PARIS

REF: A. A) RIYADH 6737

B. B) RIYADH 6472

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Gfoeller
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S) SUMMARY: Several media outlets reported a statement
on August 7 issued by Prince Talal Muhammad Al-Rasheed, a
deposed royal and Saudi dissident residing in Paris, which
announced the formation of the Saudi Democratic Opposition
Front. The group, which is reportedly both secular and
tribal in nature, bases its opposition to the SAG on its
"desire for democracy," an enhancement of liberties within
Saudi society, and an end to "corruption" within the SAG (Ref
A). Although its statement promised upcoming activities,
there have been no stirrings other than in the Western media
to date. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Prince Talal Al-Rasheed, a deposed royal of the
regional dynasty of al-Ha'il who kept his title in exile,
announced the formation of the Saudi Democratic Opposition
Front on August 7 from Paris. The statement was initially
reported in the London-based newspaper "Al-Quds Al-Arabi," to
which his daughter is a regular contributor. It was later
reported in other major media, such as Al-Jazeera and AFP, in
addition to several conservative internet sites.


3. (C) The declared main objective of the Saudi Democratic
Opposition Front is to establish democratic institutions
based upon equality and justice and to stop the "corruption"
of the Al Saud family. The statement itself avoided any
religious undertones; it did not mention Islam, Shari'a, or
the Quran. On the contrary, the statement seemed to address
the more liberal, reform-minded thinkers in the Kingdom,
using a call for democracy and justice to lure supporters.
Additionally, Al-Rasheed talked about the current Lebanon
crisis and criticized the SAG's response as "weak." He
called for his supporters to ensure that the Al Saud rule in
the interest of the Kingdom and ignore the influences of
foreign countries.


4. (C) Al-Rasheed reportedly claimed that the movement would
have a satellite television channel broadcasting from Europe
within three months. He plans to use the channel to "call on
Saudis to rise up against the tyrants and usurpers plundering
public funds." Al-Rasheed also said that he plans to
coordinate the group's activities with the recently
revitalized London-based opposition group MIRA, which is
linked to al-Qaeda, despite MIRA's radical religious ideology
and extremist ties (Ref B). He claimed that his group has
2,000 active members in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf
countries, and said he hopes it will gain support as its
activities increase. However, there has been no additional
information released since August 7, and no indication of
coordination from MIRA's media outlets.

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Background on Al-Rasheed
--------------


5. (C) Prince Talal Al-Rasheed is the son of the last ruler
of the Emirate of Ha'il prior to the beginning of the Al Saud
rule in 1921. The Al-Rasheed family comes from the large
tribal confederation of Bani Shammar, in the northern region
of the Kingdom, to which King Abdullah's mother belonged.
Prince Talal Al-Rasheed has lived in exile in France since
1980 because of the SAG's disapproval of his opposition
activities. His daughter Madawy Al-Rasheed, a London-based
academic, publishes books, newspaper editorials, and internet
commentary on the SAG, often in a critical manner. She spoke
publicly on Al-Jazeera television on August 15 about her
father's new movement in Paris and criticized the SAG for
"corruption" and the Al Saud's "lack of support" for pan-Arab
causes dating back to King Abdul Aziz.


6. (C) COMMENT: Al-Rasheed lacks visibility and credibility
on the Saudi political scene. The mainstream and Western
media picked up the story of the opposition group and
published it over the course of several days. Following this
media flurry, however, there has been no indication of
further activity. Al-Rasheed's secular call for opposition
is likely to ensure that Islamic conservatives will not
support his movement, and apart from a handful of tribal and
family members who may oppose the Al Saud rule, there does
not seem to be any base of support. Al-Rasheed's efforts are
unlikely to prove fruitful, but his movement's emergence is a
sign of a flurry of opposition activity in the wake of recent
regional crises. END COMMENT.
OBERWETTER