King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia took the throne on August 1, 2005 upon the death of his older brother and predecessor, King Fahd. Abdullah was a sprightly 81 when he took the throne, or so it must seem in hindsight. Now 88 years old, King Abdullah just had “successful” back surgery, or so the strictly controlled Saudi press is reporting.
Twitter, however, is abuzz with reports that the King has Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The reports, as the Open Source Center points out, are coming from @mujtahidd, who has more than 750,000 followers and whose previous tweets suggest close and informed access to the royal family. As in any autocratic, opaque society, rumors often substitute for news, though this one seems more solid than most.
Crown Prince Salman is in charge meanwhile back home, but at 76 years old he’s not a beacon of stability. When it comes to Middle Eastern stability, when it rains, it pours.
Oh my, can you imainge if Saudi Arabia fell into the hands of the Muslim Brother Hood or AQ? Obama's middle east policy is a train wreck.
Well, deposed American allies don't do to well. n nMubarak on a stretcher in an Egyptian courtroom. Cut loose by the USA. n nThe Shah vagabonding around Mexico dying of biliary cancer when the USA wouldn't allow him to stay, trying to curry favor with Khomeini. n nGood thing the Saudi family owns Marbella. n n