There are so many levels of messages being sent, it’s ridiculous. My thoughts went towards the connections of the actions occurring there with the reprisals of the prisoner kill, including the cleric, in Saudi Arabia, and that of the release/return of some heavier hitters from Guantomino ( sp?) Bay being newly released by the US, back in to the Middle East forum. (Regardless of the country they return to.) That cleric et.al. were held there in prison for a long while. Why now? When was the last time you heard of Saudi Arabia carrying out such aggressions as mass executions of prisoners of that number and background? You don’t.
The Saudi government is complex, yet not ones to showboat beheadings, etc./ filmed dramatics as other groups. Sunni vs Shiite differences aside, this was some clear messages being sent to warn, retaliate, prove the validity of future actions, the fates of the release of some big players, etc.- shot directly and to the point. A huge message is being sent. Levels.
That is why I cringe at some of the political candidates who have no freaking idea what the hell has been going on over there, the egos, vendettas, cultures and all the major and minute differences of the groups in place, for them to know how and actually deal with it all. Almost like a field of land mines with a group of square dancers set loose upon it.
Levels and messages. The public has no idea what all is in play here. None.