US embassy cable - 95RIYADH5285

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RIYADH 005285 
 
 
LONDON FOR TUELLER 
PARIS FOR ALLEGRONE 
 
E.O.12356: DECL:  12/4/05 
TAGS:  PGOV, PREL, GCC, SA 
SUBJECT:  SAUDI ARABIA: A "FATIGUED" KING FAHD STILL OUT 
          OF PUBLIC VIEW; CROWN PRINCE ATTENDS GCC SUMMIT 
 
REF:  A. RIYADH 5250 AND PREVIOUS, B. DOHA 2698 (NOTAL) 
 
1. CLASSIFIED BY DCM THEODORE KATTOUF - 1.5 B,D. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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2.  (C)  ACCORDING TO PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN, KING 
FAHD IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A COMPLETE RECOVERY FROM THE 
MILD STROKE HE SUFFERED NOVEMBER 30.  HOSPITAL SOURCES 
REPORT THE KING IS ANTICIPATED TO CHECK OUT FROM THE 
HOSPITAL ON DECEMBER 7.  A ROYAL COURT STATEMENT, ISSUED 
ON DECEMBER 3, ATTRIBUTED THE KING'S HOSPITAL ADMITTANCE 
TO WORK RELATED FATIGUE, BUT ADMITTED TO THE PRESENCE OF 
A SPECIAL TEAM OF AMERICAN MEDICAL EXPERTS.  HOWEVER, 
THE PUBLIC BAROMETER OF THE KING'S HEALTH IS WHETHER AND 
WHEN HE APPEARS ON TELEVISION.  THIS APPEARANCE, 
PREDICTED BY MINDEF SULTAN TO OCCUR ON DECEMBER 3, DID 
NOT TAKE PLACE.  CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH IS ATTENDING THE 
GCC SUMMIT IN THE KING'S STEAD BUT, GIVEN THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS ATTENDANCE, IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO 
ADVANCE ANY SIGNIFICANT INITIATIVES.  END SUMMARY 
 
 
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ROYAL COURT ATTRIBUTES COLLAPSE TO FATIGUE 
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3.  (U)  A STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ROYAL COURT, MID-DAY 
DECEMBER 3, QUOTES AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE KING FAYSAL 
SPECIALIST HOSPITAL THAT KING FAHD'S HEALTH IS 
"REASSURING AND DOES NOT CALL FOR CONCERN."  THE 
HOSPITAL RELEASE ATTRIBUTED THE "SUDDEN HEALTH PROBLEM" 
WHICH AFFLICTED THE KING TO THE "PRESSURES OF WORK AND 
TO ENSUING FATIGUE."  CONSEQUENTLY, THE DOCTORS, 
INCLUDING A MEDICAL TEAM FLOWN IN FROM THE U.S. TO 
PERFORM ADDITIONAL TESTS, HAVE PRESCRIBED "REST AND 
RECUPERATION." 
 
4.  (C)  WHILE OBSCURING THE FACT THAT THE KING SUFFERED 
FROM A TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK OR A MILD STROKE, THE 
ROYAL COURT'S STATEMENT IS DISTINGUISHED BY THE CANDOR 
IN WHICH IT ADMITS THE ARRIVAL OF A TEAM OF AMERICAN 
MEDICAL EXPERTS.  THE SAUDI PUBLIC, TAKING NOTE OF THE 
DELUGE OF CABLES FROM WORLD LEADERS WISHING THE KING 
GOOD HEALTH AND THE ADMISSION THAT FOREIGN EXPERTS WERE 
CONSULTED, ARE AWARE THAT THE KING WAS ADMITTED FOR 
SOMETHING OTHER THAN "ROUTINE MEDICAL EXAMS."  HOWEVER, 
THE THREE STATEMENTS ISSUED TO DATE BY THE ROYAL COURT 
HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE IN SILENCING MORE DIRE SPECULATIONS. 
 
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PRINCE BANDAR ON UNCLE'S RECOVERY 
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5.  (C)  IN A LATE EVENING DISCUSSION ON DECEMBER 2, 
PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN (WHO ACCOMPANIED THE AMERICAN 
MEDICAL TEAM TO RIYADH) ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THAT KING 
FAHD WOULD MAKE A COMPLETE RECOVERY.  HE PREDICTED THAT 
THE KING WOULD REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 5-10 DAYS. 
THE MEDICAL TEAM WAS TO DECIDE ON A COURSE OF TREATMENT 
FOR THE KING ON DECEMBER 3.  IN THE MEANTIME, THE KING 
IS SITTING UP, EATING, AND CONVERSING WITH FAMILY 
MEMBERS.  ("AL HAYAT" ON DECEMBER 4 REPORTED THAT THE 
KING HELD A DINNER MEETING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS ON 
DECEMBER 3.)  THE BIGGEST IMPEDIMENT TO THE KING'S 
RECUPERATION, ACCORDING TO BANDAR, ARE THE THRONG OF 
FAMILY MEMBERS HOVERING IN AND AROUND THE KING'S SUITE. 
BANDAR BLAMED THE KING, WHO PERIODICALLY ASKS WHERE A 
PARTICULAR MEMBER OF THE FAMILY IS, FOR EXACERBATING THE 
THE AL SAUD'S INSTINCT TO GATHER ROUND IN TIMES OF 
FAMILY CRISIS. 
 
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KING'S HEALTH: DELAYED TV APPEARANCE, CHECK-OUT DATE 
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6.  (C)  CONFUSION AS TO WHEN THE KING WILL APPEAR ON 
TELEVISION TO DEMONSTRATE HIS RECOVERY HAS RESULTED IN 
AMBIGUITY REGARDING HIS REAL HEALTH STATUS.  ON DECEMBER 
3, MINDEF SULTAN TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE HAD MOVED 
UP HIS APPOINTMENT FROM 1330 TO 1100 IN ORDER TO BE ON 
HAND FOR A TELEVISION CREW'S FILMING OF THE KING FOR THE 
BROADCAST THAT NIGHT.  NO SUCH BROADCAST OCCURRED. 
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD AL FAYSAL WAS QUOTED IN THE 
DECEMBER 4 "AL HAYAT" AS SAYING THAT KING FAHD WOULD 
APPEAR ON TELEVISION TO DISCUSS HIS HEALTH WITH THE 
SAUDI PEOPLE.  CLEARLY, THE TELEVISION APPEARANCE HAS 
BECOME A DE FACTO BAROMETER OF THE KING'S TRUE STANDING. 
 
7.  (C)  THERE IS NO INFORMATION EMANATING FROM CONTACTS 
AT THE KING FAYSAL HOSPITAL TO SUGGEST THAT THE KING IS 
"COUNTING HIS LAST HOURS" (REFTEL B).  TO THE CONTRARY, 
THE KING REPORTEDLY IS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE THE HOSPITAL 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7.  THE DCM, WHO WAS AT THE HOSPITAL 
ON DECEMBER 4, SAW NO UNUSUAL ACTIVITY.  ONE DOCTOR, WHO 
IS NOT ON FAHD'S MEDICAL TEAM, CLAIMED THE KING WAS 
"DOING FINE."  THE DELAY IN THE TELEVISION APPEARANCE 
MAY BE A FUNCTION OF RECTIFYING THE IMAGE OF A FATIGUED 
MONARCH.  ACCORDING TO ONE HOSPITAL SOURCE, WHEN THE 
KING ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL HE WAS SUFFERING PARALYSIS 
TO THE LEFT SIDE OF HIS FACE; ALTHOUGH THE CONDITION 
QUICKLY PASSED, THERE MAY BE SOME RESIDUAL SAGGING OF 
THE FACIAL MUSCLES.  THE FACT THAT THE KING'S PRIVATE 
SECRETARY LEVELLED WITH THE AMBASSADOR AS TO THE KING'S 
HEALTH STATUS ON THE DAY OF HIS ADMITTANCE TO THE 
HOSPITAL, POST IS CONFIDENT ANY DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE 
KING'S HEALTH WOULD BE REVEALED TO US. 
 
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COMMENT: GCC SUMMIT ON BACK BURNER 
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8.  (C)  AS NOTED BY THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE 
NATIONAL GUARD, ABD AL-AZIZ AL-TUWAIJRI, ON DECEMBER 2, 
THE CROWN PRINCE WAS DISPATCHED TO MUSCAT TO ATTEND THE 
GCC SUMMIT IN KING FAHD'S STEAD.  GIVEN THE KING'S 
PRE-STROKE RELUCTANCE TO ATTEND THE CONFERENCE, 
PURPORTEDLY OUT OF PIQUE OVER HIS FAILED INITIATIVE TO 
SPEARHEAD THE RESOLUTION OF INTRA-GCC BORDER DISPUTES, 
WE PRESUME THAT SAG ENGAGEMENT AT THE CONFERENCE WILL BE 
PERFUNCTORY. 
 
 
MABUS