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Press TV has conducted an interview with Jamal Wakim, a political commentator from Beirut, about Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud expressing solidarity with the daughters of Saudi King Abdullah who are under house arrest in the city of Jeddah.

Press TV: How do you see the significance of such voices of dissent coming out from even within the kingdom itself, from even within the royal family?

Wakim: Of course these are based on real agony by the princesses and real complaints but I believe that they come at this moment as a cover for real power struggle in Saudi Arabia.

King Abdullah had made several steps to marginalize what we call the Seven Sudairi brothers and their sons who have been holding real power for decades. These are his brothers, the brothers of King Fahd and his half-brothers.

He made steps to pass power over to his son Mutaib through appointing his younger half-brother Muqrin as Crown Prince because the formula would be to pass over power to Muqrin and then to appoint Mutaib the son of King Abdullah as Crown Prince in order to have his succession ensured and to marginalize for example Mohammad bin Nayef and other princes.
And the reason why we see that light is shed on these grievances is that, I believe some princes are using these grievances to discredit King Abdullah and at the same time to [drive] a wedge between King Abdullah and the possibility of him trying to come up with certain deal with the Iranians. That is why they focused on the issue of al-Qatif for example. I believe that we have a real power struggle in Saudi Arabia and it might outburst into a public disorder if it goes out of control.

Press TV: So then what do you see for the future, Mr. Wakim? Will this power struggle result in something positive for the people on the ground for example in places like Qatif?

Wakim: I believe that due to the long period of the Saudi dynasty in power, due to the lack of alternatives and political forces, I believe that this will turn into total chaos and we will have bloodshed, unless it is controlled there would be a certain succession and gradual reform of the system which the chances of this happening are very limited by the way.