Inalillahi wa ina ilaihi roji'un
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Saudi King
Fahd dies
by
Monday 01 August 2005 7:32 AM
GMT
| Fahd was in poor health since he suffered a stroke in 1995 |
Saudi Arabia's King Fahd has died and Crown Prince Abdullah
has swiftly been pronounced monarch of the world's largest oil exporter and
key US ally.
"With deep sorrow and pain, the royal court ...
mourns the death of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd due to
illness," said an official statement read out on Saudi state television on
Monday. Fahd's half-brother Crown Prince Abdullah, who has
been running the kingdom's day-to-day affairs since Fahd suffered a stroke in
1995, automatically becomes king. Defence Minister Prince Sultan will be the new
crown prince. "The royal family members have acknowledged Crown
Prince Abdullah as sovereign of the country ... after which the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques and ruler of Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz chose
Prince Sultan as crown prince and the family members acknowledged that," the
statement said. A Saudi official said Fahd's funeral would take
place on Tuesday to give time for foreign dignitaries to take part.
Saudi Arabia is the world's biggest oil exporter and
is a close ally of the United States. In the past two years, the kingdom has faced a
violent al-Qaida campaign to end seven decades of the royal family's rule in
Saudi Arabia, home to two of Islam's holiest places of worship.
The announcement on television was preceded by recitations
from the Quran that interrupted regular broadcasting.
Fahd, who was believed to be 83 and had been in poor health, entered
hospital on 27 May with acute pneumonia.
Reuters
By
You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/32968774-4B27-4A5B-9C72-B0B382948A24.htm
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