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| Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Quiet Force in Middle East, Dies at 75 | Saud al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Quiet Force in Middle East, Dies at 75 |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| BEIRUT, Lebanon — Prince Saud al-Faisal, the urbane diplomat who used quiet diplomacy to maintain Saudi Arabia’s regional influence and alliance with the United States during his four decades as foreign minister, died on Thursday, according to Saudi officials and state news media. He was 75. | |
| Before his retirement in April, Prince Saud was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister and helped shape the kingdom’s responses to monumental changes in the Middle East. | Before his retirement in April, Prince Saud was the world’s longest-serving foreign minister and helped shape the kingdom’s responses to monumental changes in the Middle East. |
| During his tenure, he dealt with a civil war in Lebanon, whose end he helped mediate; the Palestinian uprisings against Israel in 1987 and 2000; the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon; the American invasion of Iraq in 2003; and the Arab uprisings of 2011. | During his tenure, he dealt with a civil war in Lebanon, whose end he helped mediate; the Palestinian uprisings against Israel in 1987 and 2000; the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon; the American invasion of Iraq in 2003; and the Arab uprisings of 2011. |
| He used a combination of oil wealth, religious influence and close relationships with world leaders as leverage for diplomacy that was most often done far from the public eye. | He used a combination of oil wealth, religious influence and close relationships with world leaders as leverage for diplomacy that was most often done far from the public eye. |
| “It was traditional, state diplomacy that was conservative, quiet and logical,” said Abdullah al-Shammari, a Saudi political analyst in Riyadh, the capital, and a former diplomat. “He did not take hasty or emotional positions.” | “It was traditional, state diplomacy that was conservative, quiet and logical,” said Abdullah al-Shammari, a Saudi political analyst in Riyadh, the capital, and a former diplomat. “He did not take hasty or emotional positions.” |
| The length of Prince Saud’s tenure and his role inside the royal family made him an essential player in the reigns of four Saudi kings and an interlocutor for seven American presidents. | The length of Prince Saud’s tenure and his role inside the royal family made him an essential player in the reigns of four Saudi kings and an interlocutor for seven American presidents. |
| As fluent in English as he was in Arabic and as comfortable in a suit and tie as in a traditional Saudi robe, he was for much of his career a familiar face in Washington and other capitals. | As fluent in English as he was in Arabic and as comfortable in a suit and tie as in a traditional Saudi robe, he was for much of his career a familiar face in Washington and other capitals. |
| Ford M. Fraker, the United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2007 to 2009, said he often told his bosses in Washington that Prince Saud was among three Saudi officials who could quickly get things done. The others were King Abdullah and Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, who succeeded Prince Saud as foreign minister. | Ford M. Fraker, the United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2007 to 2009, said he often told his bosses in Washington that Prince Saud was among three Saudi officials who could quickly get things done. The others were King Abdullah and Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, who succeeded Prince Saud as foreign minister. |
| “Saud was in the middle of it all,” Mr. Fraker said. “There was not a single foreign policy decision that he was not involved in.” | “Saud was in the middle of it all,” Mr. Fraker said. “There was not a single foreign policy decision that he was not involved in.” |
| While many Saudis praised Prince Saud as an international representative of the kingdom and its policies, he often called his failure to help the Palestinians achieve an independent state his greatest regret. | While many Saudis praised Prince Saud as an international representative of the kingdom and its policies, he often called his failure to help the Palestinians achieve an independent state his greatest regret. |
| “We have not yet seen moments of joy in all that time,” he said, looking back on his career in an interview with The New York Times in 2009. “We have seen only moments of crisis; we have seen only moments of conflict, and how can you have any pleasure in anything that happens when you have people like the Palestinians living as they are?” | “We have not yet seen moments of joy in all that time,” he said, looking back on his career in an interview with The New York Times in 2009. “We have seen only moments of crisis; we have seen only moments of conflict, and how can you have any pleasure in anything that happens when you have people like the Palestinians living as they are?” |
| Prince Saud al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was born in the Saudi city of Taef in 1940, the third son of the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal, who became king in 1964, while continuing to serve was foreign minister. | |
| He was educated at the Hun School of Princeton and then at Princeton University, where Mr. Fraker recalled seeing him on the soccer field. Years later, the prince would recall struggling with his studies and wanting to drop out, Mr. Fraker said. | He was educated at the Hun School of Princeton and then at Princeton University, where Mr. Fraker recalled seeing him on the soccer field. Years later, the prince would recall struggling with his studies and wanting to drop out, Mr. Fraker said. |
| But his rise was swift. He returned to Saudi Arabia after graduating with a degree in economics and worked in the Saudi Oil Ministry before replacing his father as foreign minister after his father’s assassination in 1975. | But his rise was swift. He returned to Saudi Arabia after graduating with a degree in economics and worked in the Saudi Oil Ministry before replacing his father as foreign minister after his father’s assassination in 1975. |
| That year, a civil war that would shake Lebanon for 15 years began, and Prince Saud became one of the mediators who helped bring about an accord that ended hostilities in 1990. | That year, a civil war that would shake Lebanon for 15 years began, and Prince Saud became one of the mediators who helped bring about an accord that ended hostilities in 1990. |
| While he maintained close ties with Washington, the kingdom’s relationship with the United States was not always smooth. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 lead to the deployment of American troops on Saudi soil, a move that caused consternation among the Saudi public and in much of the Arab world. | While he maintained close ties with Washington, the kingdom’s relationship with the United States was not always smooth. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 lead to the deployment of American troops on Saudi soil, a move that caused consternation among the Saudi public and in much of the Arab world. |
| American support for Israel raised tensions, especially during the two Palestinian uprisings against Israel in 1987 and 2000. | American support for Israel raised tensions, especially during the two Palestinian uprisings against Israel in 1987 and 2000. |
| The 9/11 attacks also strained ties with the United States, especially after it was determined that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. | The 9/11 attacks also strained ties with the United States, especially after it was determined that 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. |
| Those attacks prompted new scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s ultraconservative religious doctrines and of the monarchy’s support for the military campaign against the Soviets in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Many Saudi citizens traveled to Afghanistan at that time to wage “jihad,” often with the support of the Saudi government. Some of those fighters later joined Osama bin Laden, also a Saudi, to form Al Qaeda. | Those attacks prompted new scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s ultraconservative religious doctrines and of the monarchy’s support for the military campaign against the Soviets in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Many Saudi citizens traveled to Afghanistan at that time to wage “jihad,” often with the support of the Saudi government. Some of those fighters later joined Osama bin Laden, also a Saudi, to form Al Qaeda. |
| Robert W. Jordan, the United States ambassador to Riyadh from 2002 to 2003, credited Prince Saud with realizing the danger that Al Qaeda posed and working to sustain American-Saudi ties. | Robert W. Jordan, the United States ambassador to Riyadh from 2002 to 2003, credited Prince Saud with realizing the danger that Al Qaeda posed and working to sustain American-Saudi ties. |
| “He helped maintain the relationship with the U.S. after 9/11 when it could have gone completely south,” Mr. Jordan said. “He had the patience and the perseverance to make sure that both sides understood that this relationship had existed for many decades and had many common interests.” | “He helped maintain the relationship with the U.S. after 9/11 when it could have gone completely south,” Mr. Jordan said. “He had the patience and the perseverance to make sure that both sides understood that this relationship had existed for many decades and had many common interests.” |
| But a new strain developed with the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, leaving Saudi Arabia to face the fall of a Sunni Arab leader there and a greater role for Iran, the kingdom’s Shiite rival, in Baghdad. | But a new strain developed with the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, leaving Saudi Arabia to face the fall of a Sunni Arab leader there and a greater role for Iran, the kingdom’s Shiite rival, in Baghdad. |
| Prince Saud became a fixture of international and regional diplomacy, whether at Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the Arab League or the Gulf Cooperation Council. Those who worked with him recall his sharp intellect and his propensity for charming guests and journalists with jokes. | Prince Saud became a fixture of international and regional diplomacy, whether at Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the Arab League or the Gulf Cooperation Council. Those who worked with him recall his sharp intellect and his propensity for charming guests and journalists with jokes. |
| Foreign diplomats and analysts have contended that Prince Saud’s domination of the Saudi Foreign Ministry hampered its professionalization and prevented the development of other capable diplomats. | Foreign diplomats and analysts have contended that Prince Saud’s domination of the Saudi Foreign Ministry hampered its professionalization and prevented the development of other capable diplomats. |
| His health had begun to fail in recent years, and he spent long periods of time in the United States for medical treatment. | His health had begun to fail in recent years, and he spent long periods of time in the United States for medical treatment. |
| During that time, the regional order that he had long been a part of started to crumble. Saudi Arabia scrambled to deal with the Arab Spring uprisings, toppling some of its longtime allies. And wars now rage in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, while the jihadists of the Islamic State have founded a self-declared caliphate and carried out suicide attacks abroad, including inside Saudi Arabia. | During that time, the regional order that he had long been a part of started to crumble. Saudi Arabia scrambled to deal with the Arab Spring uprisings, toppling some of its longtime allies. And wars now rage in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, while the jihadists of the Islamic State have founded a self-declared caliphate and carried out suicide attacks abroad, including inside Saudi Arabia. |
| Many Saudis described Prince Saud’s passing as the end of an era, and some have expressed concern about the kingdom’s new, more assertive posture, typified by the bombing campaign it is leading against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. | Many Saudis described Prince Saud’s passing as the end of an era, and some have expressed concern about the kingdom’s new, more assertive posture, typified by the bombing campaign it is leading against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. |
| Prince Saud is survived by three sons and three daughters, all from the same wife, said Joseph Kechichian, a senior fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. | Prince Saud is survived by three sons and three daughters, all from the same wife, said Joseph Kechichian, a senior fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. |