Word: abdullah
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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True, but few Saudis would argue that such proceedings are the way to handle the complex problems of a country in the 21st century. Prince Talal, a senior member of the al Saud clan and a strong Abdullah ally, is outspoken in calling for greater change, starting with putting religion in its proper place in society. "Freedom, democracy, women's rights, human rights - these are all valid and we have to address them as soon as possible," says Talal. "A dialogue between the rulers and the ruled is what we are calling for." But, as Talal acknowledges, such a dialogue...
...Crown Prince is not so uncertain - not in public, anyway. It is just after evening prayers when Abdullah sits back in an easy chair for a three-hour discussion of the challenges the Kingdom faces. As he chain-smokes his way through a pack of Vantage cigarettes, he makes it clear that the Islamic establishment's political influence on the House of Saud is never far from his mind. He points out with approval that Saudi Arabia's religious leaders have begun to tone down their rhetoric, which is often strewn with anti-American and anti-Semitic rants. There...
...world increasingly concerned about Saudi Arabia's future can do little more than hope that Abdullah is right. If it turns out that Saudis must adapt more rapidly, however, they will discover whether their future monarch is equipped to lead the way. That will give Abdullah the chance to put those sneakers to a bigger test...
...Where did it come from? Two weeks ago, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman reported that Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, Crown Prince Abdullah, had authorized him to make public an unprecedented offer: full normalization of relations with the Arab world if Israel withdraws to its 1967 borders. Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights in the war of June 1967, and Abdullah is advocating that the latter be handed back to Syria and the two Palestinian enclaves become a Palestinian state...
...proposal itself might be old news, but the Saudis have never before taken an active role in pushing for peace with Israel. And Abdullah is weighing taking his proposal before the Arab league, to win support for an unprecedented pan-Arab peace offer...