Al-Faisal Bugs Out?

Unexpectedly, and dramatically, the Saudi Ambassador, Prince Turki al-Faisal, has resigned his post and left the US. There is much wonderment about why (officially: to spend more time with his family) but it doesn't bode well for US-Saudi relations or the situation in Iraq. The buzz lately that we would essentially join and back the Shi'a leaders of Iraq in the case of outright civil war (how much worse CAN it get?) has the Saudis in a tizzy (they are vehemently anti-Shi'a Sunnis, and immediately next door to the hellhole that is modern Iraq) and just recently (Thanksgiving) 'summoned' US Veep Cheney to Riyadh for 'consultations'. Whatever they told Cheney, it doesn't seem to have been to jump on the Shi'a bandwagon.

Josh has some more in-depth/insider speculation.

NYT has details.

The former adviser said Prince Turki’s resignation came amid a growing rivalry between the ambassador and Prince Bandar, who is now Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser. Prince Bandar, well known in Washington for his access to the White House, has vied to become the next foreign minister.

“This is a very high-level problem; this is about Turki, the king and Bandar,” said the former adviser to the royal family. “Let’s say the men don’t have a lot of professional admiration for each other.”