There is a large and public rift between two key players in the Saudi royal family. Last month, Prince Turki al-Faisal abruptly resigned his post as Saudi ambassador to the United States, reportedly out of anger that his predecessor, Prince Bandar, was making not-so-secret visits to administration officials in Washington.
It is widely known that there is a rivalry between the two men, who come from two different lines of the royal family. But the recent developments could signal something much deeper than that: a disagreement about how to handle the situation in Iraq and the way to address Iran's rising power.
Meanwhile, a non-royal, Adel al-Jubeir has been appointed the new Saudi ambassador to the U.S. He is considered to have a very close relationship with both King Abdullah and Prince Bandar.
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