Saudi Ambassador Abruptly Resigns, Leaves Washington
December 13th, 2006Has Cheney reported to an undisclosed location?
Via: Washington Post:
Prince Turki al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, flew out of Washington yesterday after informing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and his staff that he would be leaving the post after only 15 months on the job, according to U.S. officials and foreign envoys. There has been no formal announcement from the kingdom.
The abrupt departure is particularly striking because his predecessor, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, spent 22 years on the job. The Saudi ambassador is one of the most influential diplomatic positions in Washington and is arguably the most important overseas post for the oil-rich desert kingdom.
Turki, a long-serving former intelligence chief, told his staff yesterday afternoon that he wanted to spend more time with his family, according to Arab diplomats. Colleagues said they were shocked at the decision.
Holy smokes. that’s interesting…
With the Saudi source for oil becoming uncertain, time to start making biofuel in your garage!
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/63-0024
The kingdom has been unable to meet oil production quotas for most of the year now, has declining production, a collapsing internal economy, and a great deal of internal unrest just beneath the surface outside of the 30,000 odd members of the House of Saud, who’ve always walked something of a tightrope, playing both sides against the middle in order to remain in a very precarious position of power within the kingdom. They’ve also recently publicly stated that they will support the Sunni’s in Iraq, despite earlier promises to the contrary.