Saudi King Abdullah Names Prince Salman Crown Prince

[News_Editor]

Saudi King Abdullah names Prince Salman crown prince < br />

2012-06-20 02:27:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (BNO NEWS) -- Saudi Arabian King Abdullah on late Monday appointed Prince Salman as the kingdom's new crown prince and deputy premier in addition to his existing defense post, according to a royal decree released by the interior ministry.

The appointment comes after Crown Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud died of heart problems at his brother's residence in the Swiss city of Geneva on Saturday. His body was later flown to Saudi Arabia's western city of Jeddah and then taken to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, where Naif was buried on Sunday at the Al-Adl cemetery near the Grand Mosque.

The royal decree issued on Monday said King Abdullah had chosen 76-year-old Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud to become the new crown prince. Salman previously served as Governor of Riyadh Province and was appointed Minister of Defense in November 2011 following the death of his brother Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Salman will continue to serve as defense minister and has also been appointed as the kingdom's deputy premier.

Also on Monday, King Abdullah chose Deputy Interior Minister Prince Ahmad bin Abdulaziz to take over as interior minister. Crown Prince Naif had previously served as interior minister since early 1975, when then-Interior Minister Prince Fahd was appointed crown prince following the assassination of King Faisal.

Following Monday's announcement, U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated King Abdullah and the Saudi people on the selection of Prince Salman. "Crown Prince Salman has served his country with dedication and honor over the past five decades," he said. "I had the pleasure of receiving him at the White House this April and know that he is a man of deep faith who is committed to improving the lives of the people of Saudi Arabia and to the security of the region."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-06-20

[maidu]

Men there are still too insecure to allow women to drive cars or go shopping unchaperoned.

[Naam]

Men there are still too insecure to allow women to drive cars or go shopping unchaperoned.

and that's why Salman bin Abdul-Aziz should not have been appointed crown prince?

[chuckd]

Men there are still too insecure to allow women to drive cars or go shopping unchaperoned.

I don't consider myself insecure but I certainly would not have enjoyed women driving in Riyadh during my tenure there. Riyadh traffic is Bangkok on steroids

[Naam]

living in remote areas of Asia must be the reason why some people believe (rainbow press style) fairy tales that women in Saudi Arabia can't go shopping without being chaperoned.

[chuckd]

living in remote areas of Asia must be the reason why some people believe (rainbow press style) fairy tales that women in Saudi Arabia can't go shopping without being chaperoned.

If they ain't been there, they really don't know.

[Exsexyman]

"Following Monday's announcement US President Barack Obama congratulated King Abdullah and the Saudi people on the selection of Prince Salman" Just out of interest, what percentage of the vote did the new Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister receive, and what was the turnout? I seem to have missed that bit!

[Steely Dan]

living in remote areas of Asia must be the reason why some people believe (rainbow press style) fairy tales that women in Saudi Arabia can't go shopping without being chaperoned.

It's the 'imaginary' decapitation of sorcerers which worries me, fancy living in a place with an ongoing sorcery problem in the 21st century.

[maidu]

Another factoid about Saudi Arabia: Fire in a girls' school. Girls jumbled behind a locked door, desperate to get out. Firemen arrived, and were preparing to break down the door to enable the girls to escape. Religious fanatics wouldn't allow the firemen to do their jobs. Reason: didn't want men getting close to girls. Result: girls died, and fanatics walked away unscathed.

Why am I mentioning this? Though I like Obama, I don't much care for his lavishing praise on Saudi royalty, when they're at the top of the totem pole of a repressive, non-democratic, thought-control regime.

[Naam]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! i agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

[Steely Dan]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! i agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Nope, you misunderstand me. A new fresh face to deal with the challenges of the 7th 21st century is to be welcomed, especially after the recent death of his main rival for the top job has removed the specter of a fight for succession.

[folium]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! I agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Surely you don't expect rational discussion to break out when there is an opportunity for a bit of Muslim-bashing.....

[folium]

Why am I mentioning this? Though I like Obama, I don't much care for his lavishing praise on Saudi royalty, when they're at the top of the totem pole of a repressive, non-democratic, thought-control regime.

That's the nature of political leadership, having to be nice to and about less than perfect people and regimes. It's hardly unique to Saudi or even the Middle East.

[sauvagecheri]

I love the smell of oil in the morning !

[Naam]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! I agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Surely you don't expect rational discussion to break out when there is an opportunity for a bit of Muslim-bashing.....

stupid me!

[PattayaParent]

Men there are still too insecure to allow women to drive cars or go shopping unchaperoned.

I don't consider myself insecure but I certainly would not have enjoyed women driving in Riyadh during my tenure there. Riyadh traffic is Bangkok on steroids

Yeah, the arab male driving is so bad without having the females on the road too.

Edited June 23, 2012 by PattayaParent

[JemJem]

Any chance of the 'Arab Spring' reaching Saudi Arabia, you think ? I think 'probably not' but one can only hope

The so-called 'springs' in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya have so many question marks, especially for worried liberals, secularists and non-Muslims but ANY change in a fundamentalist regime like Saudi Arabia would be so good I really feel bad for the women there. Most of the women anyway, because I know that sadly there are some women who are pro status-quo there.

And, before any of you criticises me for conducting 'Muslim-bashing', I am NOT doing 'Muslim bashing' and I am NOT looking at the situation like the right-wing bigots here. I am an internationalist social democrat, who cares about human rights and personal freedoms.

[endure]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! i agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Nope, you misunderstand me. A new fresh face to deal with the challenges of the 7th 21st century is to be welcomed, especially after the recent death of his main rival for the top job has removed the specter of a fight for succession.

At 76 years of age I'd hardly call him fresh. Just more of the same.

[Steely Dan]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! i agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Nope, you misunderstand me. A new fresh face to deal with the challenges of the 7th 21st century is to be welcomed, especially after the recent death of his main rival for the top job has removed the specter of a fight for succession.

At 76 years of age I'd hardly call him fresh. Just more of the same.

Now where's the irony emoticon, I look to have misplaced it.

[maidu]

Any chance of the 'Arab Spring' reaching Saudi Arabia, you think ? I think 'probably not' but one can only hope

The so-called 'springs' in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya have so many question marks, especially for worried liberals, secularists and non-Muslims but ANY change in a fundamentalist regime like Saudi Arabia would be so good I really feel bad for the women there. Most of the women anyway, because I know that sadly there are some women who are pro status-quo there.

And, before any of you criticises me for conducting 'Muslim-bashing', I am NOT doing 'Muslim bashing' and I am NOT looking at the situation like the right-wing bigots here. I am an internationalist social democrat, who cares about human rights and personal freedoms.

Is it bad to be called a basher ?

I'm a basher. I bash fundamentalist Muslims (who torment their brethren and women on a daily basis)

I bash N. Koreans - who imprison whole families for a grandfather who didn't gush respect for one of the Kim IL's

I bash Chinese - who torment Tibetans and covet Taiwan

I'm an equal opportunity basher. The world needs more of us, rather than diplomatic niceties. My father was a career diplomat and I respect him, but diplomacy doesn't always get the desired result. Look at when Neville Chamberlain was being bosom buddies with Hitler (1938), as one example.

[geriatrickid]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! I agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Surely you don't expect rational discussion to break out when there is an opportunity for a bit of Muslim-bashing.....

I haven't seen anyone bashing muslims. There have been statements made about Saudi Arabia. Indonesia is a muslim country, and women are treated rather differently. Phuket is about 30% muslim once you include all the transients. No one is criticizing the muslims of Phuket, although the women are allowed to drive and vote. Saudi Arabia does not represent the muslim world.

[Scott]

One of the biggest offenders of turning many topics into an opportunity to bash Islam has left the forum.

This topic is not about Islam, per se, so let's not head off in a direction that will only result in adverse action towards posters.

[Steely Dan]

ok, ok chaps, you convinced me! I agree with you that Prince Salman should not have been appointed crown prince.

Surely you don't expect rational discussion to break out when there is an opportunity for a bit of Muslim-bashing.....

I haven't seen anyone bashing muslims. There have been statements made about Saudi Arabia. Indonesia is a muslim country, and women are treated rather differently. Phuket is about 30% muslim once you include all the transients. No one is criticizing the muslims of Phuket, although the women are allowed to drive and vote. Saudi Arabia does not represent the muslim world.

Glad to see someone is keeping up, anyone would think there was an agenda to conflate any discussion of Islamic regimes with all 1.6 billion Muslims. P.S I suspect the Muslim occupants of Ko Lanta aren't Wahabi purists either.

[folium]

No Shiite Sherlock (pun intended), so if we can all agree to discuss Saudi succession plans et al without lapsing into islamophobic frenzies or ludicrous conspiracy theories re Saudi plans for world domination, then we can all be friends and actually debate news topics.

[Steely Dan]

No Shiite Sherlock (pun intended), so if we can all agree to discuss Saudi succession plans et al without lapsing into islamophobic frenzies or ludicrous conspiracy theories re Saudi plans for world domination, then we can all be friends and actually debate news topics.

My comments as observed by Geriatrikid were directed towards Saudi Arabia (The topic) and not generically at all Muslims. Your false accusations of Muslim bashing and repeated accusations of Islamophobia serve to do nothing more than silence any debate. Incidentally the very term Islamophobia is a synthetic device dreamed up by CAIR, don't believe me but take it from a moderate Muslim, so please desist using the term as a punctuation mark.

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Moderate-Muslim-Watch-How-the-Term-Islamophobia-Got-Shoved-Down-Your-Throat

[Scott]

This will be the last reminder. The topic is Saudi Arabia...