Saudi Crown Prince Who Led Fight Against Al Qaeda Dies - East Idaho News
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Saudi Crown Prince Who Led Fight Against Al Qaeda Dies

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Getty 030512 MiddleEastMap?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1340015188278iStockphoto/Thinkstock(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) — Saudi Arabia is mourning the passing of Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, whose death was announced over the weekend by the royal family.  Nayef was in his late 70s and believed to have had heart problems at the time of his death.

Nayef was buried Sunday in Al-Adl cemetery near the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, where some other members of the royal family were laid to rest.

Serving as Saudi interior minister since 1975, Nayef was a conservative hard-liner who helped guide his nation’s fight against al Qaeda and other extremists threatening to topple the regime.  For this, he earned the respect of the U.S. and other Western allies.

In a statement, President Obama said, “Under his leadership, the United States and Saudi Arabia developed a strong and effective partnership in the fight against terrorism, one that has saved countless American and Saudi lives.”

Nayef, the second crown prince to die in less than a year, was destined to take over for King Abdullah, who is 88.  It now appears that Nayef’s brother, Prince Salman, will become the new crown prince and heir to the throne.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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