On the eve of the departure to the Middle East of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the Bush Administration announced its intention to expand substantially its military assistance to the region. The proposed plan includes the sale of up to $20 billion of weaponry to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
On March 3, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid his first official visit to Saudi Arabia. Those who anticipated some dramatic outcome were disappointed. Not only were no concrete agreements announced; the summit with King Abdullah did not even produce the kind of anodyne communiqué that normally follows such meetings.
The death of King Fahd bin Abd al-Aziz marks the end of a very long period of waiting. Suffering from varying degrees of incapacitation since November 1995, Fahd’s passing has finally removed the shadow that has hung for a decade over Crown Prince Abdallah’s head. The simultaneous announcement of Fahd’s death, Abdallah’s succession to the throne, and Defense Minister Sultan’s promotion to Crown Prince are indications of advanced preparation and a smooth transition.
The Saudi municipal elections, which began on February 10, have provoked glib predictions of “the first step on the road to democracy.” Yet the elections represent simply another – and for the time being – successful coping mechanism for a skilled royal family that has ruled almost continuously for 250 years.
On 22 December 2004, Saudi Arabia expelled the Libyan ambassador from Riyadh and withdrew its own diplomatic envoy from Tripoli. The expulsion followed Saudi accusations of a Libyan plot to assassinate Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz Saud and other prominent members of the Saudi Government. The alleged conspiracy was first exposed in summer 2004 but the Saudis claimed that they needed half a year more to complete their investigation and officially charge Libya. However, the Saudis, though determined to lodge a strong protest...
