The House of Saud

he 1980s and ’90s.

The final pillar, the U.S. strategic partnership, is also crumbling. One sign of this came last month when Prince Bandar, a nephew of Fahd, quit his job as ambassador to Washington after a quarter of a century. The days when Bandar could buy influence in the U.S. establishment seem to be over, while American public opinion — focused on the kingdom since the 9/11 attacks — would be wary of “special relations” with a country where 15 of the 19 suicide-killers were born.