Word: abdullah
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Forgive yourself if you didn't know that Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud spent six days in Washington last week. Apart from Beltway commuters who encountered his 50-car motorcade and a handful of Foggy Bottom specialists, few noticed that Saudi Arabia's virtual ruler had come and gone. The low-profile trip generated scarcely a headline, the way the cautious Saudis prefer it. But this was no ordinary visit. It was the third leg of a monthlong coming-out tour of major world capitals to deliver an important if understated message: after three years of uncertainty...
After Fahd's 1995 stroke, the King designated Abdullah as regent, then quickly took back his authority. But while the ailing Fahd officially remains monarch and continues to chair Cabinet meetings when his spirits are up, Abdullah is now running the country's day-to-day affairs, and his succession is unchallenged...
...bold and decisive leader, ready to put his stamp on domestic and foreign policies, though he cannot do so without the daily support of Fahd and other senior princes. The result is a change in presentation if not in policy: whereas Fahd has always been cunning and nonconfrontational, Abdullah has built a reputation for bluntness. Says an Arab diplomat in Washington: "Abdullah won't say to an American politician, 'Hey, buddy, let's talk about buying some of your planes,' just to make the guy feel good, with no intention of buying them...
...future. Hussein's brother, CROWN PRINCE HASSAN, 51, has been the designated heir for 33 years and would be expected to succeed unchallenged, but naming his successor is likely to spark friction. Hussein would like Hassan to name one of the King's sons crown prince. The two eldest, ABDULLAH and FEISAL, are considered unqualified because their mother is British. The next son, ALI, was the favorite, but he has fallen out of favor because of his playboy life-style. Next come HAMZAH and HASHEM, the sons of Hussein's current wife, LISA HALABI, known as Queen Noor, who comes...
...wife, Princess Sarvath, is said to be very ambitious for her son, as is Queen Noor for Hamzah. One palace insider speculates that despite Hussein's wishes, Hassan will name Rashid regent. His ascension could spark challenges from Hamzah or Ali, especially given that Rashid's Pakistani mother, like Abdullah's, is a non-Arab. "Anyone who assumes that the Hashemite family is united or will remain united about the succession issue is making a mistake," says the source...