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Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz
Al-Saud
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| Offices: Former Ambassador to the United
States of America, dean of the diplomatic corps, Washington, D.C. |
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| Born: March 2, 1949, Taif |
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| Education: British Royal Air
Force College, Cranwell, England; post-graduate work in several U.S.
military schools; master's degree in international public policy from
Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies |
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| Lineage: Son of Prince Sultan,
grandson of King Ibn Saud | | | Line to Throne:
A leading "second generation" candidate | | | Miscellaneous: His career as a fighter pilot
was ended due to serious back injuries sustained during a crash
landing. | |
| Quote: "Make your words soft and
sweet -- you never know when you have to eat them." | |
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Prince Bandar is the child of Prince Sultan and one of his servants, but under
Sharia, the Islamic law that governs Saudi Arabia, all sons are
considered born equal and are to be afforded similar status. Though
Bandar spent his early years living apart from his father, when he was
eleven he and his mother were both invited to live with the royal
family. At the time, the young prince was not considered one of the most
promising Saud sons, but his grandmother saw that the boy was sharp and
determined to create his own opportunities. Later, as a young man, he
also won the attention of his uncle, King Fahd.
After pursuing a career as a fighter pilot, Prince Bandar turned to
public policy, studying at Johns Hopkins University. In 1983, King Fahd
appointed him ambassador to the United States. Bandar soon became known
on Capitol Hill for his flashy style, and more importantly, his smooth
political dealings as a Washington insider. In early 2001, Prince Bandar
helped broker President Clinton's failed eleventh hour plan for peace in
the Middle East. Today, Bandar is known to have close personal and
political ties with President Bush, and he purportedly enjoys easy
access to the Oval Office. However, the ambassador's intimate relations
with the current administration have proven controversial on more than
one occasion: In April, 2004 it was reported that Bandar assured
President Bush that he would work to keep oil prices low leading up to
the presidential election in November.
On June 1, 2004, Prince Bandar printed an extraordinary statement in AL-WATAN, a Saudi newspaper
partly owned by Prince Bandar bin Khalid. The editorial accused the
kingdom of seeking to blame its problems with terrorism on foreign
influences while failing to look at the domestic causes of violence, and
urged clerics to support a "jihad" against terrorist campaigns. Such
critical views and candor are rarely glimpsed inside the tightly
controlled Saudi press.
Prince Bandar resigned from his post as Ambassador to the U.S. in July, 2005. He is expected to take a high-level appointment within the Saudi government which could further his chances of becoming the first second generation prince to ascend the throne.
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Photo Essay - Take a look
at the faces and places of Saudi Arabia
Interactive Map - Learn about
the Saudi oil industry and the world's dependence on such.
Info-Graphic -
Examine the numbers of Muslims in the World and in the West.
Debate: Islam and
Democracy Two scholars, Dr. Daniel Pipes and Dr. Muqtedar Khan
discuss the compatibility of Islam and democracy.
Interactive Map: Middle
East- Learn more about the politics, population and history of
Middle East countries.
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