Saturday, October 22, 2011

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Dies -- Successor to the Kingdom TBD

I am posting this only to help me keep things straight. I don't expect readers to pay any attention.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was born in 1924, making him 87 years old. He is still alive and still king.

The next in line, Crown Prince Sultan, died this past week, age 80; reportedly incapacitated for quite some time.

The presumed next-in-line, but yet to be "confirmed" by the 34 voting members of the council that "elects" the next crown prince, is Prince Nayef, also spelled Naif. He is the half-brother of King Abdullah -- remember: this is the country of multiple wives. Prince Nayef was born in 1933, making him "only" 78 years old. He is said to be a conservative. In 1975, King Faisal's assassination made then-Minister of Interior Prince Fahd Crown Prince, and Nayef replaced Fahd as Minister of Interior.

In 2003, Senator Charles Schumer lobbied Prince Bandar, Saudi ambassador to the US, to remove Nayef as Minister of Interior.

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