Beyond the Household: Who Is Guiding Adel al-Jubeir?

By: Ali Mousavi Khalkhali

Sources inside the Iranian Foreign Ministry believe that the facelift in the Saudi regime has been directly orchestrated by the CIA. They believe that the stability of Saudi Arabia is extremely important for the Americans, for both oil and security concerns. Saudi Arabia is OPEC’s first and the world’s second producer of oil and any disruption in the flow of its oil exports can rock the international markets.

The tight security ties between the CIA and Saudi Arabia are not a secret. That is why after the death of King Abdullah and infight between the ruling elite of Saudi Arabia, the CIA stepped in and managed a smooth transition of power in the country. Since the beginning of his reign, King Salman has launched a series of high-profile reshufflings. Among the most surprising was the dismissal of the veteran Saud al-Faisal and replacing him with Adel al-Jubeir as foreign minister. Can we assume that Jubeir has been the CIA’s choice?

WHO IS ADEL AL-JUBEIR?

Jubeir has been a long-time member of the Saudi diplomatic apparatus. His rollercoaster ride started when he received a position in the Saudi Embassy in Washington, where the influential prince Bandar bin Sultan was serving as ambassador. During his years of service in the diplomatic mission, Adel al-Jubeir established extensive ties with oil cartels and pro-Israel lobbies in Washington’s corridors of power. Later, he became an advisor to then Crown Prince Abdullah and in 2005, was appointed by Abdullah, now the king of Saudi Arabia, as Advisor at the Royal Court.

One reason for the surprise that followed his appointment as foreign minister was his social status. Unlike many senior power-holders in Riyadh, Jubeir was not a member of the royal household. He was born into a modest family in a village near Al-Majma’ah in central Saudi Arabia. His father, an Aramco personnel, later emigrated to Germany with his family. Jubeir finished his school in Germany, but chose the US to continue his higher education where he received his M.A. in international relations from Georgetown University in 1984.

A STAUNCH ANTI-IRANIAN

So why is the Saudi Foreign Minister so hateful of Iran? Is it a result of the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in Washington? The first time Jubeir made anti-Iran remarks was in 2007 during a diplomatic lunch event in Washington, in his early days as ambassador. He accused Iran of attempts to develop nuclear weapons, and called for Washington’s confrontation with Iran. His patron, King Abdullah, later called for the US to “cut off the head of the snake,” Wikileaks documents revealed.

In 2011, at the outset of protests in Syria, Jubeir made an outrageous claim about Iran’s intention to assassinate him. Then US Attorney General Eric Holder jumped on the wagon to indict Iran, but the scenario seemed to have the primary aim of pushing Iran out of Syrian developments.

For some observers, Jubeir seems to have a clearly premeditated plan in his diplomatic maneuvers, perhaps a 'special mission'. From the military attack on Yemen which inflicts 6 billion dollars a month on the Saudi economy to tensions with Iran and domestic crackdown on dissidents, it seems that Jubeir is following a line that is not merely defined by the Saudi policy-makers. Time may reveal the agenda behind the Saudi Foreign Minister’s measures.

IRD/66