Departure of Prince Bandar sends tongue wagging

Why was Prince Bandar replaced?

A former ambassador to the United States, Prince Bandar was appointed intelligence chief in July 2012, in charge of helping Syrian rebels bring down Assad, an ally of Riyadh's biggest regional rival Iran. His departure, months after he was quoted warning of a "major shift" from the United States over its Middle East policy, is believed to be an attempt help to smooth relations with Washington as Riyadh pushes for more US support for Syrian rebels.

According to media reports, Bandar was dismissed because of 'the big fear is that the “moderate” Islamists are losing ground to the most extreme jihadi groups', which he is accused of supporting. Prince Bandar, who has recently spent time in the United States and Morocco for medical treatment, was replaced on an interim basis by a deputy. "Prince Bandar was relieved of his post at his own request and General Youssef al-Idrissi was asked to carry out the duties of the head of general intelligence," state news agency SPA said, citing a royal decree. The decree did not say if Prince Bandar would continue in his other position as head of the National Security Council.

While serving as ambassador to the US he is believed to have played a key role in the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 to protect Saudi interests in Kuwait.

He was also closely involved in Saudi support for Egypt's military rulers after they ousted first freely elected president Mohamed Morsi last year, diplomatic sources in the Gulf have said.

Sultan who left Saudi Arabia a few months ago on the pretext of medical treatment, but last week security sources in Riyadh said he would return to the kingdom within days after spending around two months abroad for surgery and retake his position as intelligence chief, including control of the Syrian dossier. During Prince Bandar's absence, Saudi Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef was put in charge of the Syrian file and of the intelligence agency.

The security officials said earlier this month that the 65 year-old prince was seeking medical attention in the US and resting in Morocco after surgery on his shoulder.

Bandar, who formerly served as Saudi ambassador to the US for 22 years, has had special responsibility for the Levant for years, leading Saudi intelligence and strategic affairs in the region. Analysts and intelligence sources have repeatedly said that Bandar has been the key figure trying to boost Saudi weapons flow to Syrian rebel forces seeking to oust President Bashar Assad's government.

The security sources said that Bandar held a number of official meetings while in Morocco, including with Saudi deputy defense minister Salman bin Sultan. The deputy defense minister briefed Bandar on his official visits to Washington and Paris last month, they added, also saying that Bandar met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan while in Marrakech.
 
Informed sources had revealed in December that Bandar would be side-lined because the King and a large number of other Saudi princes were unhappy with his handling of Syria's crisis.

In September Saudi princes in a letter to King Abdullah protested at Bandar Bin Sultan's failure in coaxing the US into a war on Syria to topple President Bashar al-Assad's government. "The letter was signed by 17 influential Saudi princes and was submitted to King Abdullah's Chief of Staff," a Saudi source close to King Abdullah's monarchy, who asked to remain unnamed due to the sensitivity of his information, told FNA on September 18. The source also revealed that since the Saudi King and his Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz were not in good health conditions, the King's Chief of Staff controlled the country's affairs and the Saudi princes presented the letter to him to protest at Prince Bandar's weak performance on Syria.

The source said that Bandar's failure in persuading the US and its allies to wage war on Syria has created deep differences among the Saudi princes. Earlier reports said that Prince Bandar Bin Sultan has spent tens of millions of dollars to persuade the US political and security officials to launch a military strike on Syria.
 
Prince Bandar has spent a sum of $70 million to encourage the American officials to attack Syria, a Saudi security source told FNA in Riyadh late August.