The Case of the Missing Prince

On January 19, 2010 , The London Review of Books (LRB) Blog published a post concerning the disappearance of Prince Bandar bin Sultan from the public eye. To the foreign policy jocks out there, Prince Bandar, former Saudi Ambassador to Washington from 1983 to 2005, was known to be the infamous wheeler and dealer in the beltway having hopped into his career through the arms trade back in the 1970s. A shrewd and influential diplomat, respected by some and reviled by others, his career came into the spotlight with the BAE Al-Yamamah Scandal.

Bandar resigned from his ambassadorship in June of 2005 for "personal reasons." He returned to Saudi Arabia weeks prior to the death of King Fahd. Foreign affairs commentators speculate that the prince sought to position himself in the new government where his father, Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, became the new crown prince.

LRB notes that the last official sighting of Bandar in public was in December 2008. LRB listed the following speculations following Prince Bandar's vanishing act:

• "Iranian media reported that Bandar had been put under house arrest, allegedly for plotting a coup to try and ensure the Kingdom would continue under the rule of the Sudairi branch of the Al Saud family. But Iran isn’t the most reliable source."
• "Others say that Bandar is depressed or has been ordered by King Abdullah to keep a low profile because he meddled in Syrian affairs, trying to stir up the tribes against the Assad regime, without the king’s approval."
• "According to Saudi opposition sources, Bandar is now in Dhaban Prison, in north west Jeddah, a high security jail where terrorist suspects and political opposition figures are held. Bandar is said to be in a special wing where the other prisoners are four senior generals: one from the army, one from the royal guard, one from the national guard and one from internal security. Bandar’s lawyer in the US denies he is in prison and says he has been seen out and about recently, although he wouldn’t divulge when, where or even in which country."

LRB added that in September 2009, when Prince Bandar's "position as head of the Kingdom’s National Security Council was renewed for another four years, he didn’t appear in public to profess his allegiance to the king, as is customary. No official explanation was forthcoming." Moreover, LRB notes that the former Saudi ambassador has not made any of his usual appearances since 2008.

A recent blog post by Le Figaro's journalist, Georges Malbrunot, claims that the prince's disappearance was in lieu of health problems. According to Malbrunot's post published on June 18, 2010, Prince Bandar was treated in Paris for a spine problem and is recovering in Morocco. Malbrunot cynically added: "One thing is for sure: his star has faded in the circles of power in Riyadh."