Saudi Crown Prince Nayef, the anti-reform Wahhabi interior minister, died Saturday in a foreign hospital. The Associated Press reports:
Crown Prince Nayef, the hardline interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s fierce crackdown crushing al-Qaida’s branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks in the United States and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70s.
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A statement by the royal family said Nayef died Saturday in a hospital abroad. It did not specify where. Nayef had been out of the country since late May, when he went on a trip that was described as a “personal vacation” that would include medical tests.
Questions and concerns about the succession process dominated the Twitter buzz as Nayef’s name trended worldwide this morning.
#Saudi Arabia's succession crisis has both deepened and become more urgent following the announcement of death of Crown Prince Nayef today.
— Kristian Ulrichsen (@Dr_Ulrichsen) June 16, 2012
Saudi's Prince Nayef dies. Old man will now appoint slightly younger man as successor to rule repressive state. Gotta love monarchies.
— Brian Nisbet (@natural20) June 16, 2012
Nayef's death will intensify political infighting over succession of throne within the #Saudi royal family struggling wings.
— Usamah Mohamed (@simsimt) June 16, 2012
Nayef dead. Bizarre sideways succession makes another ageing man next in line as Crown Prince. Salman?
— Duc’ks (@ducksandchucks) June 16, 2012
76-year-old defense minister Prince Salman has been mentioned as a likely successor.
Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz dead,Saudi royal family says Whomever King Abdullah chooses, huge questions about future of monarchy
— Elise Labott (@EliseLabott) June 16, 2012
Death of Prince #Nayef wont lead to any succession problems,and there will be an orderly succession.Second generation nearing, not imminent
— Ghanem Nuseibeh (@gnuseibeh) June 16, 2012
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*SAUDI CROWN PRINCE NAYEF HAS DIED, SAUDI STATE TV REPORTS; Natural replacement is a hard liner;which is not good;saudi mkt down
— GlobalMacroZen (@GlobalMacroZen) June 16, 2012
Nayef's death will intensify political infighting over succession of throne within the #Saudi royal family struggling wings.
— Usamah Mohamed (@simsimt) June 16, 2012
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