Saudi Arabia: The enmity between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the former spy between whom America came

Saudi Arabia: The enmity between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the former spy between whom America came

This feud between the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and a former spy, named Surma from the intelligence world, has forced the United States to intervene.

In fact, some companies in Saudi Arabia have accused the former spy Saad Aljabri of corruption and two cases have been filed in the courts of the United States and Canada in this regard.

According to the AFP news agency report, the United States fears that its sensitive intelligence secrets will not be revealed in this case. Therefore, the United States is considering the option of interfering in its legal proceedings.

Former spy Saad Aljabri is said to have worked closely with US officials on counterterrorism operations.

The possibility of an American intervention in this matter has put a new twist on the long-standing dispute between the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and Saad Aljabri.

Who is Saad Aljabri?

For years, Saad Aljabri was considered the right-hand man of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. He is credited with defeating the al-Qaeda insurgency in the country in the 2000s. He was considered an important link in Saudi Arabia's relations with the intelligence agencies of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A former Western intelligence officer who worked with him believes this crucial link saved hundreds of lives in 2010. Yemen-based al Qaeda planted a powerful bomb on a cargo plane bound for Chicago.

This pump was hidden in the printer's ink toner cartridge. A Saudi intelligence officer had an informant in al-Qaeda, who reported this to MI16. The informant even gave the serial number of the device in which the bomb was hidden.

The British Anti-Terror Police detected the bomb and then the bomb was defused inside the plane at East Midlands Airport. According to the former intelligence officer, if there was an explosion in Chicago in accordance with the previously planned conspiracy, then hundreds of people could have been killed.

This official also said that Dr. Saad Aljabri had nullified Saudi Arabia's efforts against terrorism. According to him, instead of the old system, Saad Aljabri modernized Saudi intelligence, using forensic and computer data.

He also believes that of all the officers he worked with in Saudi intelligence, Dr. Saad Aljabri was the most intelligent. Saad Aljabri, a low-voiced physician, had a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. He had risen to the rank of cabinet minister and also served in the Ministry of Internal Security with the rank of Major General.

But when 2015 rolled around, everything changed. King Abdullah died and his half brother Salman rose to power. He made his younger brother, Mohammed bin Salman, Minister of Defense. Mohammed bin Salman ordered his country's army to intervene in Yemen's civil war.

But Dr. Saad Aljabri opposed this measure. His argument was that Saudi Arabia does not have an exit strategy. In 2017, Mohammed bin Salman rebelled with the consent of his father. However, there was no bloodshed. He himself became crown prince in place of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the patron of Aljabri, is in the custody of Saudi Arabia, his property confiscated. Those who had worked with him have been removed from office. Dr. Saad fled to Canada.

America's fears

This lawsuit, filed in the courts of Canada and the United States, sheds much light on the mutual animosity of the royal house of Saudi Arabia. The United States fears that this court battle will not put confidential information related to its intelligence operations at risk.

According to the AFP news agency, the US Department of Justice filed an application in a Massachusetts court in April in which it was told that "Saad Aljabri's intention is to provide information on activities related to national security."

"The United States government is considering how to participate in this case. If necessary, the government will exercise its privileges."

However, in this application filed with the court, the US has not said anything in more detail.

But a month later, in May, a second petition was filed in court, in which the Justice Department asked the court for more time on the matter because "national security issues require senior officials to make complex decisions."

The Department of Justice has told the Massachusetts court in this application that the government is only prepared to provide other information to the court in a sealed manner.

Legal experts say the US government can use its privileges to obtain a court order stating that making information related to the case public would be detrimental to national security.

According to the AFP news agency, the US intelligence agency CIA declined to comment on the matter and the US Department of Justice did not respond to questions.

Why is this case special?

Experts say that the US Department of Justice generally rarely intervenes in civil cases.

Last year, Saad Aljabri alleged in another trial that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had sent a 'tiger squad' to Canada to assassinate him. Two of his children were detained to force them to return home.

The ongoing dispute between the Crown Prince and Saad Aljabri took a new turn when in March the Saudi government company Saqab Saudi Holding charged him with embezzlement of $ 3.47 billion.

Saqab Saudi Holding said that Saad Aljabri had allegedly committed the deception when he was working at the Interior Ministry with Prince Mohammed bin Nayef.

The company, in its petition filed in a Massachusetts court, has asked the court to seize the Boston property of $ 29 million from Saad Aljabri.

A few weeks before the incident, other Saudi companies made similar accusations against Aljabri in a Toronto court. Following this, a Toronto court ordered the confiscation of Saad Aljabri's properties scattered around the world.

Saad Aljabri's legal team says his client has not committed any financial wrongdoing. He is implicated in the enmity of Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Nayef.

According to documents filed in court, Saqab Saudi Holding was established in 2008 during the Mohammed bin Nayef era.

The company was part of a network of companies used as a front to conduct intelligence security operations with the United States. Saad Aljabri's lawyers say that if the court investigates Saqab Saudi Holding's financial transactions, it will prove his client's innocence.

However, a member of Saad Aljabri's legal team told AFP news agency, on condition of anonymity, that "Saad Aljabri never makes public any information about counterinsurgent intelligence operations. Thousands of lives were saved in these operations." Including the American people. "

"But sadly, the hostility of Mohammed bin Salman has brought Dr. Saad Aljabri to the point where he is forced to do so to defend himself in court."