The King's Messenger: Prince Bandar bin Sultan and America's Tangled Relationship With Saudi Arabia

by David Ottaway

The story of the last thirty years in the complex relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia centers around its principle Prince Bandar, the controversial longtime Saudi ambassador. "Just how oil, arms, and Allah have served over time either to bind or sunder the United States–Saudi Arabia relationship is the focus of this book," writes David Ottaway, who has chronicled the "special relationship" over the course of more than three decades at the Washington Post . No two governments and societies could be more different, and yet we have been bound together since 1945 by vital national security interests, based on a simple quid pro Saudi oil at reasonable prices in return for U.S. protection of the House of Saud from all foreign foes. However, the balance points of the relationship―often tenuous even in peacetime―have been fractured by the attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent U.S. invasion of the price of oil has skyrocketed and Saudi Arabia has been powerless to stop its rise; the Iraq war has unleashed the prospect of a Shi'ite-dominated regime allied to Iran on Sunni Saudi Arabia's borders; and militant elements within Saudi Arabia are ever more threatening. Not since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran has the House of Saud felt itself in such peril, and the Saudis have not forgotten the inability, or unwillingness, of the United States to save the Shah. Nobody has been more emblematic of the Saudi-U.S. relationship, nobody has been at its center for longer, than Prince Bandar, the first Saudi royal ever to serve as ambassador to Washington. David Ottaway's frequent access to the prince has allowed him unparalleled insight into the complex geopolitics that govern and have governed Saudi Arabia's long dance with the United States, and his book, coming at a crucial juncture, explores what new common ground may be found between the two countries, and what may ultimately pull them apart.

Genres: Middle East, History, Politics, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2008

Reviews

[Aziz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really recommend this book to any one want to learn about the US-Saudi relation from the first meeting of king Abdulaziz and president Roosevelt to king Abdullah and president Bush jr. If you interested in this subject you should read this book.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, not to demanding read. While it lacked any real depth of analysis of Prince Bandar's character and motivations, the content from a historical content was very good. I was quite oblivious to how rapidly our relationship with the Saudis has changed over the last eight years - I had no idea that they really lack the ability to significantly influence world oil prices anymore and that they are only the 4th leading supplier of oil to the US.

If you are interested in the topic, I'll lend it to you. Otherwise, it's probably not worth buying, though it made for an excellent gift (Thanks, Marshall!).

[Hubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really effectively written text on a key go-between between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia from as early as the Carter administration up until the end of the Bush II regime. Prince Bandar was at the center of negotiations between the two countries: U.S. needed S.A. to pump up output of oil to meet insatiable demand from its people, and S.A. wanted to purchase military equipment for defense and to fight wars against the Soviet Union in the 80s.

Bandar is a fascinating figure, someone who really knew how to adjust his rhetoric to make deals with both sides nations. It would be too simple to claim that he's entirely manipulative; he had to deal carefully with top figures from the U.S. administration and also appease the various ruling Saudi royals.

Ottaway provides significant detail on the inner workings of the Saudi ruling elite, the intricacies of the American administration moving from Carter to Reagan and Bush I to Clinton to Bush II. Ultimately post-9/11 he subscribed to the neocon program to root out Saddam Hussein and the Republican Guards. What was interesting was how S.A. works to limit Shiite Iranian influence and rightly predicted the descent into chaos following the 'Coalition's' bungled occupation.

Worth reading, and I'm curious to read others of Ottaway's writings.

[Robert B. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ottaway delivers a Washington insider's view of U.S.-Saudi relations seen through the prism of Riyadh's longtime ambassador to the United States. The thought-provoking book left me wanting more about the bigger-than-life character at the center of the book and the kingdom he represented. The book's anecdotal qualities had the feeling of a reporter -- a very good reporter -- emptying the notebook. Another problem is that Bandar played a far bigger role on the Washington stage in the 1980s and early 1990s than he did after Sept. 11. His relevancy in the era of bin Laden, Iran and post-Saddam Iraq is questionable. Even so, this is a timely book about one of the most important diplomatic and economic relationships in the world today.

[Motaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

just finish reading it last night, and as i finish reading a book, for some reasons i feel sad. reading a book is like watching a movie, the only different is that won't be happy ending but will be Sad ending.
change a lot of my view about Bander bin sultan, who i thought he was ordinary but in reality is extraordinary
hope he could drive the country to better place and Contribute with the others to build better Saudi Arabia for the future and for the people :)

[Aditya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insights in to the workings of Saudi-American relationship over the last 3 decades.

[Motaz]

History, that what i do love to read about, and it tells me also some hidden fact that i did not read/hear about it in the media :)
Currently LOVE IT !

[Hussein Hajaig · Rating 3 out of 5]

more about the saudi-us relation than bandar,but it shows the prince ego and professionalism plus his more loyalty to himself and the us than to KSA.