David Bell

And I want to quote from a summary of what happened from an NBC report by Dan DeLuce, Ken Delanian, and Robert Windrum.

The

The involuntary guests were told they had to sign away large chunks of their assets to be released.

The detention involved both psychological abuse and, in some cases, torture, current and former U.S.

officials say.

The move, described by Saudi authorities as a crackdown on rampant corruption, allowed the crown prince to tighten his grip and sent a shockwave through the kingdom's elites.

This was a shakedown operation and a power consolidation operation, said one former senior U.S.

official who was in office at the time.

The Ritz detentions were designed to remind people going forward that their wealth and their well-being would depend on the crown prince and not on anything else, which is why it was so upsetting for many in the royal family, said the former official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

What was that a quote from?

This is from an NBC report.

I just love involuntary guests.

Perfect journalism speak.

Yeah, yeah.

Involuntary guest of the Ritz-Carlton.

Yes.

May have been tortured.

Involuntary guest.

You can just call them prisoners at this point.

But this is what brings us to Mohammed bin Salman's most notorious crime, although certainly not his worst.