Bandar bin Sultan
From Freepedia
| الأمير بندر بن سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud |
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| Image:HRHPrinceBandar.JPG |
| House of Saud |
| Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al Saud |
His Royal Highness, Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: صاحب السمو الملكي الأمير بندر بن سلطان بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود, born March 2, 1949) is a highly influential Saudi politician and was Saudi ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005.
Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar is a son of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. He attended the British Royal Air Force College and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, where he served for seventeen years. He is a trained pilot, and has flown numerous fighter aircraft. He attended classes at several additional colleges, including training at Maxwell Air Force Base, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and Johns Hopkins University.
Prince Bandar's diplomatic experience began in 1978, when he successfully lobbied the United States Congress to approve the sale of F-15s to Saudi Arabia. In 1983 he was appointed ambassador to the United States.
Prince Bandar has formed close relationships with several American presidents, notably George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, for which he was given the affectionate nickname "Bandar Bush". His friendship with Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne Cheney, extends to the years before Cheney took office as the United States Vice President. Prince Bandar invited the Cheney family to his daughter's wedding in the 1990s, but they did not attend.
Prince Bandar has endured controversy over allegations in the book Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward that President George W. Bush informed him of the decision to invade Iraq ahead of Secretary of State Colin Powell. Also, the book alleged a deal had been worked out to reduce oil prices just ahead of the November 2004 election. Bandar publicly endorsed President Bush.
The close relationship with the Bush family is also described in Craig Unger's book House of Bush, House of Saud and is highlighted in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.
On June 26 2005, Prince Bandar reportedly submitted his resignation as ambassador to the United States for "personal reasons". [1] [2] Bandar's return to Saudi Arabia was announced weeks prior to the death of King Fahd upon which Bandar's father, Sultan bin Abdul Aziz became the nation's Crown Prince. It has been rumoured that Bandar's return was timed in order to secure a position in the new government.[3]
He is married to Princess Haifa bint Faisal. They have four sons and four daughters.
See also
External links
- Official biography
- New Yorker biography
- Disinfopedia biography
- Bandar bin Sultan resigns from the BBC
