Word: abdullah
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...peaceful transition of power between the two men. But now such a thing is no longer to be. Violence is not our way, but Mahathir lost our support because he threw away Anwar. And we are young. Mahathir is old. We have time on our side. FADHLINA ABDULLAH Kuala Lumpur...
Earlier this year Abdullah showed similar forthrightness in repairing relations with Iran, poisoned since 1987 when Iranian pilgrims clashed with Saudi police in Mecca and 402 people were killed. He attended an Islamic summit in Tehran last December and recently welcomed former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to Riyadh...
Such moves have set some U.S. officials to grumbling that Abdullah is anti-American, but the Prince is at pains to stress his commitment to the long-standing Saudi-American partnership, and he supports other U.S. positions in the region. Although he speaks emotionally of Iraq's suffering under U.N. sanctions, he places the blame where Clinton does--squarely on Saddam Hussein. On the eve of his Washington visit, Abdullah took a step that delighted U.S. officials: he cut Saudi relations with the fundamentalist Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, who have given haven to suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. The reason...
Even if they are pleasantly impressed by Abdullah, many in Washington will continue to yearn for King Fahd. He was a monarch who seldom wavered in his friendship and almost never spoke out against the U.S., while Abdullah will more readily express Arab frustration with American policies such as support for Israel and the unilateral bombing of suspected terrorist facilities. "Under Fahd, we had a 'special relationship,'" says a Saudi official. "Now we may have 'special differences...
...that a bad thing? "Abdullah will be expressing Saudi interests more forcefully," says a former U.S. official in Riyadh. "That will be good for Saudi Arabia." If a bolder approach ends the recent drift in the kingdom, it may be a good thing...