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ACTION NEA-06
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SSO-00 INRE-00 PM-03 NSC-07 SP-02 SS-14
RSC-01 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-09 NSAE-00 PA-01 USIA-04
PRS-01 DRC-01 /050 W
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O P 071335Z OCT 74
FM AMEMBASSY JIDDA
TO AMEMBASSY TEHRAN IMMEDIATE
INFO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8877
C O N F I D E N T I A L JIDDA 5843
E.O.: 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, PINT, SA, IR
SUBJ: REPORT OF SAUDI LEADERSHIP CHANGES
REF : TEHRAN 8446
SUMMARY: WE JUDGE THE SHAH'S IMPRESSION OF A DOWNGRADING
OF PRINCES FAHD AND SULTAN TO BE INCORRECT RPT INCORRECT.
HIS IMPRESSION PROBABLY DERIVES FROM THE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED
ROYAL ORDER GIVING THE DEPUTY MINISTERS OF INTERIOR AND
DEFENSE (NAYIF AND TURKI) THE RANK OF MINISTER. THIS ACTION
HAS NOT RPT NOT DIMINISHED AND HAS CONCEIVABLY ENHANCED
THE AUTHORITY OF FAHD AND SULTAN. END SUMMARY.
1. WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT SHAH MIGHT HAVE READ TO GIVE HIM
IMPRESSION OF LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE IMPLYING DOWNGRADING OF
FAHD AND SULTAN, DETAILED COMMENT IS DIFFICULT. IN ANY
CASE WE DO NOT REPEAT NOT BELIEVE THE SHAH'S IMPRESSION
OF A DOWNGRADING OF FAHD AND SULTAN TO BE CORRECT.
2. SHAH PERHAPS READ A NEWS REPORT OF A SAUDI ROYAL ORDER
GIVING TO DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERIOR PRINCE NAYIF AND
DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND AVIATION PRINCE TURKI THE
RANK OF MINISTER. (THE ROYAL ORDERS WERE DATED OCTOBER 3,
1974 AND REPORTED IN THE SAUDI PRESS ON OCTOBER 4).
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3. PRINCE FAHD REMAINS SECOND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND
MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND SULTAN REMAINS MINISTER OF DEFENSE
AND AVIATION. GRANTING MINISTERIAL RANK TO NAYIF AND TURKI
(WHO ARE FULL BROTHERS OF THE FULL BROTHERS FAHD AND SULTAN)
DOES NOT DIMINISH THE AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE OF EITHER
FAHD OR SULTAN. IT MIGHT EVEN ENHANCE THIER POWER, THOUGH
THIS IS PROBABLY NOT THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THE ACTION,
WHICH WAS MORE LIKELY DONE FOR REASONS OF EFFICIENCY.
4. UNDER THE SAUDI SYSTEM THE DEPUTY MINISTER DOES NOT
NORMALLY BECOME ACTING MINISTER WHEN A MINISTER IS OUT OF
THE COUNTRY. NORMALLY A MINISTER HOLDING ANOTHER PORT-
FOLIO IS DESIGNATED AS ACTING MINISTER. FOR INSTANCE,
WHEN SULTAN WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY MOST OF THE SPRING AND
EARLY SUMMER, FAHD WAS ACTING MINISTER OF DEFENSE IN
ADDITION TO HIS OWN DUTIES. CONVERSELY, WHILE FAHD HAS
BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY MOST OF THE SUMMER AND THUS FAR
INTO THE FALL, SULTAN HAS BEEN ACTING INTERIOR MINISTER
(AND, INCIDENTALLY, PRESIDING OVER CABINET MEETINGS).
5. GIVING NAYIF AND TURKI THE RANK OF MINISTER MAY OR
MAY NOT RESULT IN THEIR BEING DESIGNATED ACTING MINISTER
IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MINISTER. HOWEVER, THEY WILL BE
ABLE TO TAKE CERTAIN ROUTINE ACTIONS REQUIRING MINISTERIAL
AUTHORITY AND THUS FREE THE ACTING MINISTER (IF ANOUTHER
MINISTER IS SO DESIGNATED) FROM THE BURDEN OF ROUTINE
DECISION MAKING.
6. RECENT MONTHS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN POWER AND AUTH-
ORITY OF FAHD, AND, THOUGH HE IS SOMEWHAT IN FAHD'S SHADOW,
THE POWER OF THE HARDER WORKING SULTAN HAS RISEN COMMEN-
SURATELY. THEY SEEM TO WORK IN SMOOTH TANDEM, EACH ABLY
FILLING THE OTHER'S ROLE WHEN HE HAS BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
7. AS A FOOTNOTE, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE NATIONAL GUARD,
PRINCE BADR BIN ABD AL-AZIZ WAS GIVEN THE RANK OF MINISTER
SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF NAYIF'S AND TURKI'S
PROMOTIONS. AT THIS POINT WE CANNOT ASCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANCE
TO THE TIMING.
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8. WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THIS INFORMATION BEING PASSED
TO THE SHAH.
HORAN
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