Saudi king to address nation amid regional unrest

[nadinbrzezinski]

Diplomats said that among measures to be announced are ministerial changes and an anti-corruption drive, according to Associated Press.

The country has not seen the kind of unrest experienced by some of its neighbours in recent months.

But there were more small protests on Thursday in the eastern city of Qatif.

Hundreds of people reportedly gathered to demand the withdrawal of Saudi forces from neighbouring Bahrain, where they have been used in the suppression of pro-democracy demonstrations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12781068?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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When do you know things are not well? When leaders who USUALLY DO NOT adress their people, do.

While we all have been distracted by a serious quake\accident\tsunami... things have been getting even hotter in the middle east, no pun

[madrchsod]

1. yes i`ve noticed that this story is buried.

i listened to the bbc overnight earlier this week about what was happening there. i listened to a live phone interview with a doctor trapped by the hospital. there is no mention that bahrain is the most important us military base in the middle east.

i did`t know that the shiite region of saudi arabia is where the oil is.the things you learn from bbc overnight

[obliviously]

2. The real Saudi king or Glenn Beck?

[Ozymanithrax]

3. The question will be will he do a Mubarak or a Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi ..

Will the king hold onto power over the bodies of the dead, or go into exile after sitting up perhaps a parlimentary monarchy like England.

[PurityOfEssence]

4. Scary and fascinating

Truly, it seems like almost anything could happen here.

Regardless, instinct says that things will never be quite the same after this; it's not as earth-shattering as Hirohito's first address to the Japanese, but it's a pivotal moment nonetheless.