Saturday, June 16, 2012

Saudi succession decisions come at crucial time

 

FILE - In this Monday, May 14, 2012 file photo, Saudi's Crown Prince - Interior minister Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, right, and his brother Saudi defense minister Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz attend to welcome the Gulf Arab leaders as they arrive to the Saudi capital Riyadh to take part in the opening of Gulf Cooperation Council "GCC" summit, Saudi Arabia.The Saudi royal family said Saturday, June 16, 2012 that Crown Prince Nayef has died. He was in his late 70s. Nayef was the hard-line interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia's fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaida's branch in the country and then rose to become next in line to the throne. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)The death of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz on Saturday means that — for the second time in less than a year — the key Western ally must pick an heir to the 88-year-old King Abdullah, who has already outlived two designated successors. Nayef, who was named the king-in-waiting in November, had been out of the country since late May, when he went on a trip described as a "personal vacation" that would include medical tests. He travelled abroad frequently in recent years for tests, but authorities have never given details on any ailments.

Saudi succession decisions come at crucial time
Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:57:29 GMT

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