Word: kingdom
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Criteria for the scholarship include an A-minus average in courses taken after freshman year and "the capacity to play an active part in the life of a United Kingdom University," according to the application...
...Saudis' proposed purchase of U.S. missiles is the latest in a long line of controversial American deals. The kingdom bought 60 F-15 jets in 1978. When the Reagan Administration took office in 1981, it overrode strong congressional opposition and approved the purchase of five surveillance aircraft equipped with Airborne Warning and Control Systems. The first of them is scheduled to arrive this June. Congress blocked an order for an additional 48 F-15s last year, forcing the Saudis to turn to British and European jets. Now Riyadh views its missile request as a litmus test of American support...
...enhance its security on the ground, the kingdom has fashioned a force called Peninsular Shield with its five partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Together with Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia has assembled a 5,000-man force stationed in King Khalid Military City near the border with Kuwait. Built in typically opulent Saudi style, the complex can hold 70,000 troops. But its ability to withstand attack is questionable at best. Says one military analyst: "If the Iranians were not distracted by Iraq, the odds would be heavily in Iran's favor...
While some segments of the middle class chafe under their restrictions, the kingdom's religious leaders constantly call for closer adherence to puritanical Islamic rules. Many of their strictures are directed at women. One recent decree banned them from riding alone in taxis or hotel limousines. In Riyadh and Jidda, black-robed women must board buses through the back door and sit separately from men. In some parts of the kingdom, a husband can divorce a wife simply by repeating "I divorce thee" three times...
Despite its myriad problems, the House of Saud remains firmly entrenched and popular. In a kingdom in which 5,000 princes have a vested interest in preserving the political system, the chances of major change seem remote. Nonetheless, Fahd is sometimes criticized as indecisive and too subservient to religious authorities. The health of the 64-year-old King, a diabetic who craves sweets, smokes cigarettes and is overweight, is a matter of concern. So is the condition of Crown Prince Abdullah, 62, the first in line of succession, who is reportedly scheduled to have coronary-bypass surgery...