Why is it that whenever a head of state passes this year, it sounds like an old Saturday Night Live routine? First the pope, and now this.
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia reported dead (World Peace Herald)
By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published May 27, 2005
Reliable sources in the Saudi capital Riyadh said Friday King Fahd is dead, reports the Saudi Institute.
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has been dead since late Wednesday, according to several well-placed sources in the capital Riyadh who spoke to the Saudi Institute, a pro-democracy think tank in Washington, on condition of anonymity....
Saudi king's in hospital for third day, more tests
May 29, 8:55 AM (ET)
By Isa Mubarak
RIYADH (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd remained in hospital for a third day on Sunday for further tests and treatment for respiratory problems amid rising concern about his condition. The health of the 83-year-old wheelchair-bound king has been frail since he suffered a stroke in 1995. The day-to-day running of the world's biggest oil exporter, which is fighting al Qaeda militants, was passed on to his half brother.
Alarm about the monarch's condition was sparked by a rare royal statement which announced his admission to hospital on Friday and called on his subjects to pray for his recovery. Officials said he was suffering from high fever, pneumonia and respiratory complications from water in his lungs. They said his condition was stable on Sunday and that he was still being treated for respiratory difficulties....
Well, if he actually isn't breathing, then I suppose he would be having respiratory difficulties of a sort, yes.
Mind, to any real extent, it doesn't matter whether or not he's dead. As the latter article notes, his brother has been running the kingdom for a decade now. That said, there is, of course, the issue of the succession and how they plan to handle that.
But seriously. It's not as if the Saudi people haven't had the past decade to get used to the idea that the king might be headed to the choir celestial for some time now. It's not as if they haven't had many years to get used to dealing with various insurgents and the possibility that they might decide that This Is Their Moment! so they need to prepare an extra dose of repression just in case. So what's with the comedy routine?
Posted by iain at May 29, 2005 11:02 PM
