Posted on 05/27/2005 12:09:08 PM PDT by Alex Marko
RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia declared a state of alert and canceled all leave of its security forces on Friday after ailing King Fahd was taken to hospital, an Interior Ministry official said.
"The authorities declared a state of alert, canceled all leave of the security forces and put forces on standby after the king was admitted to hospital," the official told Reuters.
The ruler of the world's top oil exporter was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh on Friday evening with a fever and water in his lungs.
"King Fahd was running a high temperature for three days and this caused concern and required scans, tests and some treatment," a Saudi official told Reuters.
The monarch, in his early 80s, suffered a stroke in 1995. Day-to-day rule of the Gulf Arab state passed to his half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah after his stroke.
Medical sources said the king had a lung infection and that a CAT scan would be performed.
So does all hell break lose when this guy dies?
That's interesting. Not that I'll be holding a death watch for the old barstad, but interesting. Will the House of Sod Survive? The World Wonders!
Well, he has held the monarchy's feuding family together. There has been a power struggle for years now and no one knows which side will take power. Its between the pro-western secular side of the family and the wahabbists.
Doubful. Crown Prince Abdullah is running the country now. The only possibility I see is if Prince Sultan, who is in charge of the National Guard, decides he doesn't like the present line of succession and decides to challenge it.
The Saudomites days are numbered........
These camel-jockeys have been a headache and an half.
We had better hope the House of Saud retains control, or all hell will break loose. We don't need another Khomeini in the Middle East.
They probably will remain in control, but, if the Islamofascists are clever, they will strike at this opportune time.......
These "camel jockeys" produce 10% of the world's oil and 20% of the exportable oil. They have the world's largest proven oil reserves and can influence the price of oil by turning on or off the spigot. Saudi oil has a major impact on the world's economy.
I could care less. I hope it's catching.
Fahd has been in bad health for years. He turned over the running of the government to Crown Prince Abdullah some time ago. It should be a fairly seamless transition. The psychological impact might be an opening for another pretender to the throne.
The guy has been sick for years so what's the big deal? There are so many prices to step in and govern. Is something going on behind the scenes?
What's the poltical/religious orientation of the Crown Prince and Prince Sultan?
Intra-family power struggle.
Abdullah, the designated successor and primus inter pares, is no spring chicken either, he's over 80.
The question of who's next may turn sharp.
I hope not. Otherwise, we'll be paying $7/gallon or more for gas and the world will plung into economic chaos.
Sultan was born in 1928 and is four years younger than Abdullah. I believe they have the same father, AbdulAziz al Saud, but different mothers. Prince Sultan is the Minister of Defense and Aviation. There have been credible reports of corruption and other misdeeds. Prince Bandar, the current Saudi ambassador to the US and dean of the dip corps, is the son of Prince Sultan. However, Sultan has never been close to his son.
Sultan doesn't want Abdullah to be King, but it is doubtful that he would try to seize control, at least overtly. CP Abdullah is more religious and at least publicly, tried to crack down on rampant corruption within the royal family.
The crown prince is very pro west...however, the problem lies with Prince Nayef who will try to steal power away. He is a major problem. He was the interior minister for 30 years and sides with wahabbists.
We should think over our business deals more carefully. The same goes for Red China.
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