Prince Bandar Allegedly Advocating Military Response Against Iran
Steven C. ClemonsThe escalating tension between Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the current Saudi National Security Advisor and former Saudi Ambassador to the United States, and Prince Turki al-Faisal, who only this this week resigned his position as Saudi Ambassador in Washington, is taking some new and disturbing turns.
An Associated Press story written by Cairo-based correspondent Salah Nasrawi cites a Saudi official as saying that:
“Many in the royal family concluded that if he stayed longer, things might even get worse.”
While the AP story cites only one official with “close working ties with the Saudi Foreign Ministry,” the comment sounds seriously at odds with the reports that TWN has received from dozens of Saudi commentators within and around the Saudi royal family and foreign ministry.
What is clear from reports is that while King Abdullah did not stop an escalation in tensions between Bandar and Turki, no one pushed Turki to leave or resign. In fact, the King expected Prince Turki to find his own way of dealing with Bandar and his staff — not to resign. If anything, Turki’s resignation forces the King to find a way to reconnect Turki and his clan of brothers back to the regent and will probably cause damage to Bandar’s loftier ambitions.
Four current Saudi Foreign Ministry officials and one royal family member report to TWN that the “likely source” for Nasrawi’s article and the negative commentary about Prince Turki is allegedly Rihab Massoud, a close aide of Prince Bandar who served as Charge d’Affaires in the Saudi Embassy in Washington during Bandar’s tenure and frequent absences and who — while formally a Foreign Ministry official — is now on leave to serve as Bandar’s “No. 2″ in his National Security Advisor office.
Writing at The Washington Note, Steve Clemons offers a look into the shadows of Saudi Arabian politics. His point of view is interesting, though I’m not so sure that Pr Bandar is just a gung-ho militarist as portrayed here. Some of the comments to this piece are also interesting, though many are simply ignorant. Definitely worth taking a look, though….
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December:15:2006 - 10:58
[...] According to a recent poll administered by the Gallup Organization, Saudi Arabia was perceived as the fifth least corrupt country in the world. Bandar finds the result of the poll very interesting, and equally hard to believe; he talks about it in an Arabic post. Lipstick Wahhabi thinks the poll was manipulated. “Oh what a tangled web we weave with the little $$$ [money] we use to deceive,” she exclaimed. Another major issue the Saudi blogosphere is concerned with is the recent resignation of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, and his subsequent prompt departure from Washington. Aya has gathered a bunch of speculations justifying Al-Faisal’s actions in one of her posts. Also, an article was recently posted on Crossroads Arabia that tries to read between the lines of the resignation. [...]
December:15:2006 - 10:58
i love saudiya arabian country is a big country . people are vary nice thare iam from bagladesh i live in usa .
i am muslime also. i like how das saudiya arabian girls cover thare self.
i learn how to be a perfect muslime
hope hol tire my live be a muslime like this pray 5 timesx read quran.