For more than a year, Saudi Arabia's ambassador journeyed to college campuses, chambers of commerce, town halls and world affairs councils across the United States in an ambitious campaign to improve his country's image.
But Prince Turki al-Faisal's goodwill tour, instead, produced millions of dollars in unpaid bills -- and a tale of murky intrigue in the enigmatic desert kingdom.
The debts by one of the world's wealthiest countries -- owed to the very lobbyists, advisers and event organizers hired to promote the kingdom -- have left a trail that weaves together bitter princely rivalries, diplomatic subterfuge and a policy clash over one of the thorniest issues of the day: what to do about Iran.
The Saudi Embassy would not comment on the kingdom's payments, personnel or internal policymaking.
But the woes within the royal family reflect a tug of war over how to handle foreign policy. Eighteen months ago, Prince Bandar bin Sultan ended a legendary 22-year career as the face of Saudi Arabia in the United States. Word at the time was that he was bored, preferring his palatial Aspen, Colo., lodge to Washington. As it turns out, however, Bandar has secretly visited Washington almost monthly over the past year -- and is at least as pivotal today in influencing U.S. policy as he was in his years as ambassador
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/22/AR2006122201474.html?nav=rss_world
WASHINGTON: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a statement on Saturday that New York Times correspondent Carlotta Gall had been beaten up in Quetta where she had gone on a reporting assignment. Her photographer was detained before being released. CPJ called for a full investigation.
While Ms Gall is said to have been roughed up in her hotel room, her photographer Akhtar Soomro was kept in detention. The alleged incident took place on December 19. Ms Gall, who recently filed a report about incursions of Taliban and other extremist elements from Pakistan into Afghanistan, told the CPJ that men claiming to be from the special branch of police detained Soomro, a Pakistani national, in his hotel and seized his computer and camera.
Four men later broke into the journalist’s room in another hotel, hit her and took away some of her belongings. Ms Gall said she had bruises on her arms, temple and cheekbone, a swelling on her left eye and a sprained knee.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006/12/23/story_23-12-2006_pg1_3
Albania Seizes Assets of Alleged Bin Laden Associate
TIRANA - The Albanian government said Friday that it has seized assets of a man who allegedly worked with Osama bin Laden to provide support to terror networks in Albania.
The Finance Ministry said it ordered authorities to block four apartments, a house, four bars and shops, and more than 2 hectares (about 5 acres) of land belonging to Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman whom the United States accused of being a terrorist in October 2001
http://www.albaniannews.com/main.asp