Word: feisal
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...King Ibn Saud's deathbed in 1953, Prince Feisal of Saudi Arabia swore a mighty oath on the Koran that he would never usurp the kingship from the half brother who became King Saud. Last week, not for the first time, Saud, 63, kept his crown only because Feisal proved a man of his word. But the nominal kingship and his allowance-which was halved to a mere $20 million a year -were all that Saud retained. The sixyear power struggle between the two brothers culminated in a bloodless palace coup in which Saud was stripped of every power...
This time it seemed final. Ailing, scheming, archconservative with all but cash-and wildly profligate with that -Saud has repeatedly landed himself and his country so deeply in trouble that only Crown Prince Feisal, as his able longtime Premier, could bail him out. Then, when the immediate difficulty blew over, Saud sought to resume absolute power and cancel Feisal's cautious reforms. Just three months ago, Saud attempted a quick military grab (TIME, Jan. 3), which fizzled when he could not even trust the royal guard to back...
...heads of anti-Israel states, Saud spent weeks politicking at home with the help of several sons and campaign photos of himself embracing Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, whom he had once plotted to assassinate. Fortnight ago, thinking that he had rebuilt his prestige, King Saud decreed Feisal's resignation...
...reply, Feisal convoked a council of the vast Saudi royal family, including nearly 50 princes of the blood, assorted sheiks and religious patriarchs. The council issued a fatwa, a religious fiat, that declared Saud no longer able to govern and authorized his brother to "discharge all external and internal affairs of state without having to refer to the King." When the news was announced by radio, every transistorized tribesman who was tuned to Mecca knew that this time it was the will of Allah...
...Feisal replied with scorn. During the four days of Saud's self-imposed state of siege, Prince Feisal repeatedly drove to and from his office past Naziriyah Palace. The Royal Guard, deployed at Saud's orders to fight off Feisal, invariably stood at attention and gave him the royal salute. Finally Feisal sent word that unless Saud dismissed the Royal Guard and ceased all provocative behavior within six hours, he would consider himself freed of any further obligation under his oath to respect Saud's kingship. The King promptly caved in. The Royal Guard, irritated and rebellious...