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. He was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security Council by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz on October 16, 2005. The House of Saud ( translit: ) is the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ... Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: ) (born January 5, 1928 in Riyadh) is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. ... `Abd al-`AzÄ«z as-Sa`Å«d ( 1880 - November 9, 1953) (Arabic:عبدالعزيز آل سعود) was the first monarch of Saudi Arabia. ... Arabic ( or just ), is the largest member of the family of Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew, Amharic, and Aramaic. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود, born 1924) [1] is the King of Saudi Arabia. ...

Biography

Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, Prince Bandar is a son of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. His mother was a family servant; under Sharia all sons have equal status.^[1] He attended the British Royal Air Force College Cranwell and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal 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 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, before receiving a Masters in International Public Policy at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.^[1] Taif in 1970 Taif (Arabic: ‎ translit: ) is a city in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of 1700 metres on the slopes of the Al-Sarawat mountains. ... Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: ) (born January 5, 1928 in Riyadh) is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. ... Not to be confused with Shahryar. ... College Hall The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force establishment which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. ... The Royal Saudi Air Force is the air force of Saudi Arabia. ... An aviator is a person who flies aircraft for pleasure or as a profession. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Maxwell Air Force Base (offically known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base) is a United States Air Force facility near Montgomery, Alabama. ... The Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security. ... The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), based in Washington D.C., is one of the worlds leading graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and education. ... The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ...

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. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Type Bicameralism Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D, since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D, since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican... The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the U.S. Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Political Career

Prince Bandar has formed close relationships with several American presidents, notably George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, who gave him the affectionate nickname "Bandar Bush".[2] 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. For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Richard Bruce Dick Cheney (born January 30, 1941) is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President George W. Bush. ... Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney (born August 14, 1941) is a novelist, conservative scholar, and former talk-show host who is the wife of Vice President Richard B. Cheney. ... -1... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

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. Craig Unger is an American journalist and writer. ... House of Bush, House of Saud cover House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the Worlds Two Most Powerful Dynasties is a book by Craig Unger that explores the relationship between the Saudi Royal Family and the Bush extended political family. ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning documentary film by American filmmaker and political activist Michael Moore, which had a general release in the United States and Canada on June 25, 2004. ...

Controversy

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. Plan of Attack (ISBN 074325547X) is a 2004 book by Washington Post investigative reporter Bob Woodward billed as a behind-the-scenes account of how and why President Bush decided to go to war against Iraq [1] The books chief contention, which provides the rationale for its title, is... Bob Woodward Robert Upshur Bob Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is assistant managing editor of The Washington Post. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ... General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Presidential election results map. ...

On June 26, 2005, Prince Bandar reportedly submitted his resignation as ambassador to the United States for "personal reasons".^[2][3] 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.^[4] In October 2005 he became the kingdom's national security chief. June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... King Fahd of Saudi Arabia King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz (born in Riyadh in 1923) is the king and prime minister of Saudi Arabia and leader of the House of Saud. ... Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud (Arabic: ) (born January 5, 1928 in Riyadh) is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. ... A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. ...

After the ambassadorship

According to UPI's Editor at Large Arnaud de Borchgrave (writing in late December 2006), Bandar met secretly with U.S. officials in 2006 after leaving the ambassadorship:^[5] Front of UPI Headquarters, Washington, D.C. UPI redirects here. ... Arnaud de Borchgrave is a conservative journalist of Flemish extraction who focuses on international politics. ...

Since Turki [Prince Turki al-Faisal] became ambassador, Bandar made several secret trips to the U.S., ostensibly to visit his palatial Aspen mansion [...] But Bandar had permission to land at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, ostensibly for refueling, which allowed him to move incognito to Camp David for meetings with National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley. Bandar also met with NSC Middle East Director Elliott Abrams, a prominent neocon.

Bandar is more "truculant" toward Iran than is Turki, his successor as U.S. ambassador (2005-2006), according to de Borchgrave, and Bandar even persuaded other high Saudi government officials to his point of view, including King Abdullah, Defense Minister Sultan, and Interior Minister Naif bin Abd al-Aziz, to his point of view that (in de Borchgrave's description) "nothing short of military action would deter Iran from becoming the world's 10th nuclear power."^[5] Prince Turki al-Faisal is a member of the Saudi Arabian royal family. ... Andrews Air Force Base (ICAO code KADR) is a United States Air Force base near Washington, DC, the home base of Air Force One and SAM FOX. // Location The base is a few miles southeast of Washington, in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... Stephen J. Hadley is the current National Security Advisor for U.S. President George W. Bush. ... Elliot Abrams Elliott Abrams (born January 24, 1948) is an American lawyer who has served in foreign policy positions for a number of U.S. Presidents, most recently George W. Bush. ... King Abdullah can refer to: Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, current king of Saudi Arabia Abdullah II, current king of Jordan Abdullah I, Emir of Transjordan (1921–1946) and King of Transjordan (1946–1949) This is a disambiguation page, a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz is a senior advisor to, and half brother of, Saudi Arabias King Abdullah. ...

Private Life

He is married to Princess Haifa bint Faisal. They have four sons and four daughters. Princess Haifa bint Talal Faisal (Arabic: هيفاء بنت فيصل, also called Haifa al Faisal) is the wife of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi Arabian ambassador to United States. ...

He was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security Council by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on October 16, 2005.

On July 12, 2006, it was reported that Prince Bandar was seeking to sell his 56,000-square-foot mansion in Aspen, Colorado for US $135 million. The palatial vacation home is larger than the White House, is perched on a mountaintop of 95 acres, and includes 15 bedrooms along with 16 bathrooms featuring 24-karat gold fixtures. As of December 2006 the mansion was still listed for sale at $135 million.^[5] The purported reason for the sale is that Bandar is too busy to enjoy the mansion. If the sale is a success, it will set a U.S. sales record.^[6] July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... View south along Galena Street in downtown Aspen. ...

References

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

External links

• Official biography
• New Yorker biography
• Disinfopedia biography
• Bandar bin Sultan resigns from the BBC