Prince Bandar bin Sultan, former almost-permanent Saudi Ambassador to the US, has returned to Saudi Arabia after having dropped from sight for nearly two years. This English-language Saudi report doesn't say where he's been; others say he's been undergoing medical treatment in London involving at least four surgeries and a long recovery. Arabic accounts are here, here, and here, among others, all saying the same thing. For the non-Arabists, here's an account in Italian, since there are few in English. As The Gulf Blog notes, and as I have noted previously, there has been no shortage of rumors and speculation: he's ill; he's in jail; he's in trouble. Officially, at least, it was the former. But given his high international profile, why was his whereabouts so closely held?
Ah, when you combine royalty, intelligence matters, and backroom diplomacy, things get murky. Anyway, he's back.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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