On May 27 of this year, the Washington Times hastily reported the death of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, after he had suffered yet another major stroke. The Times also made various speculations about political struggles going on behind the scenes, as explanation for why the Saudi government insisted that Fahd was hospitalized and in stable condition. Turns out, the Saudi government was telling the truth.
Today, the BBC is reporting that the Saudi government has announced that King Fahd has died this afternoon and the Crown Prince Abdullah has succeeded to the throne with no major incidents. It will be interesting to see the outcome here, as Faud was a friend of (or at least cooperated with) the West in a country that hated foreign influence. He promoted peace in the region and, at least to some degree, opposed Islamic terrorist groups. What Abdullah will do is an open question. He has been the de facto ruler of the country for some time, but as long as he ruled in Faud's name he had to remain true to Faud's policies. Interesting times.
Posted by Kenny at August 1, 2005 4:43 PM| Trackbacks |
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