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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: manalagi who wrote (19288)	5/28/2005 3:01:36 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361250

Saudi uncertainty over sick king King Fahd has been Saudi Arabia's monarch since 1982 Saudi Arabia's King Fahd is being treated in hospital amid conflicting reports about his state of health. Unnamed officials said a state of alert had been declared, but this was later denied by the interior ministry. The BBC's Frank Gardner says there have been rumours about the king's health before but this latest scare could be more serious. In 1995, King Fahd suffered a stroke, and Crown Prince Abdullah has performed most of his functions since then. Abdullah is regarded as successor to the throne. Opposition sources in London predict that if the king dies there may well be a power struggle against the ruling princes. There is no change in the internal situation in Saudi Arabia. Everything is normal Adel al-Jubeir, adviser There is heavy security around the King Faisal hospital in Riyadh. Saudi security sources said a number of princes from the ruling family have been arriving in the capital. News agencies have quoted Saudi sources as indicating the king has a lung infection, but the royal palace has not given details of his symptoms. "We ask God to keep and care for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and grant him health and wellbeing," said a statement by the official SPA news agency, announcing the king's illness. A later report quoted an official source as saying the king was "in good health" and medical tests were proceeding in a "normal way". The agency did not give specific details about the king's condition, but an unidentified source said he was suffering from a fever and "had water in his lungs". An Arab official told AP news agency he was believed to have pneumonia and his condition was "very serious". However, the official added that the reported state of alert was only a precaution and did not indicate trouble. Saudi officials denied that an emergency had been declared or that security forces' leave had been cancelled. "There is no change in the internal situation in Saudi Arabia. Everything is normal," the king's foreign policy adviser, Adel al-Jubeir, told Reuters. Ultimate arbiter King Fahd, who is in his early 80s, has been little more than a titular leader since suffering his stroke. However, he has remained an important figure in the region and the ultimate arbiter of Saudi policy. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil producer and has emerged from being an underdeveloped desert kingdom to become one of the wealthiest nations in the region. On Wednesday, rumours of his failing health sent the value of Saudi stocks tumbling by 5%. news.bbc.co.uk