Bandar bin Sultan
Encyclopedia
Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (born March 2, 1949) is a prince of the Saudi royal family
and was Saudi Arabia
's ambassador to the United States
from 1983 to 2005. He was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security Council
by King Abdullah
on 16 October 2005. He is a son of late Crown Prince
Sultan.
He had a close relationship with many American presidents, particularly George H. W. Bush
and George W. Bush
. He was often called "Bandar Bush". He was at the center of the controversy in the Al-Yamamah arms deal, a corruption scandal that involved the sale of more than 100 warplanes.
. His actual date of birth is reportedly later according to himself and Western think tanks. He had reportedly faked his birthday to enter the Royal Saudi Air Force
.
His mother — Khizaran — was an illiterate sixteen-year-old Yemen
i employed as a servant from Yemen to his father. Bandar, an only child, has said she was Sultan's "concubine". He lived with her and his aunt. He is recognized as royalty because King Abdul-Aziz
personally named him and his 20-year-old father admitted he was his father. He was largely isolated from the royal family. He entered his father's bedroom for the first time when he was eight. He and his mother moved to his paternal grandmother's palace. His mother later taught herself to read and write.
He went to Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. He received additional training at Maxwell Air Force Base
and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
. He joined the Royal Saudi Air Force
for seventeen years and became a lieutenant. He is a trained pilot and has flown numerous fighter aircraft
. Bandar's military career ended in 1977 after he crash-landed his jet and suffered a severe back injury. Afterward, he received a Masters in International Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins University
at School of International Studies
.
to approve the sale of F-15s
to Saudi Arabia. At the Oval Office, Carter told him to win the support of California governor Ronald Reagan
. He did and in exchange helped Carter win the support of South Dakota
Democratic Senator James Abourezk
to support the Panama Canal treaty. Fahd made him Bandar an emissary to Carter and granted him permission to act independently of the Saudi-U.S. ambassador.
In 1982, Fahd made him the military attache at the Saudi Embassy, a move which could have ended his diplomatic career. However in 1983, Fahd appointed Bandar as Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
.
despite AIPAC opposition. After the United States rejected an arms order, he arranged the delivery of intermediate-range nuclear-warhead-capable missiles from China
. This angered the CIA and the State Department. He was exposed for his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. He had arranged $32 million in Saudi financing for the Nicaraguan Contras. Nancy Reagan
used him to relay messages to the Cabinet
.
, notably George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush
, the latter giving him the affectionate and controversial nickname "Bandar Bush" His particularly close relationship with the Bush family was highlighted in Michael Moore
's Fahrenheit 9/11
. He was so close to George H. W. Bush, that he was often described as a member of the family. He advocated Saddam Hussein
's overthrow in Iraq
. He encouraged military action against Iraq and supported Dick Cheney
's "The New Middle East" agenda which called for pro-democracy programs in Syria and Iran.
His children attended school with Cheney's grandchildren.
. In the 1990s, he persuaded Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi
to turn in two suspects allegedly involved in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. He privately stated Gaddafi is "a Jerry Lewis trying to be a Churchill".
. It has been rumored that Bandar's return was timed in order to secure a position in the new government. In October 2005 he became the kingdom's national security chief
. He was succeeded as ambassador by Prince Turki.
by King Abdullah on 16 October 2005, which was extended for four years on 3 September 2009.
He secretly met with U.S. officials in 2006 after resigning as ambassador.
in the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium. In October 2009, he was not present in King Abdullah's delegation to the watershed Damascus
visit. In December 2009, he was not present in the return of his father, Crown Prince Sultan, from Morocco.
According to Iran's PressTV, he was under house arrest for an attempted coup, while opposition sources said he was in Dhaban Prison. Some rumors allege that his coup was exposed by Russia
n intelligence services because of his frequent trips to Moscow
to encourage cooperation against Iran.
Other rumors alleged that he was undergoing treatment and two operations in Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Hospital
. Bandar's lawyer denied these charges. He has no spokesman.
by Bob Woodward
that President George W. Bush
informed him of the decision to invade
Iraq
ahead of Secretary of State Colin Powell
.
deal, a series of massive arms sales by the United Kingdom
to Saudi Arabia worth GB£
40 billion (US$80 billion), including the sale of more than 100 warplanes. After the deal was signed, British arms manufacturer British Aerospace (now BAE Systems
) allegedly funnelled secret payments of at least GB£1 billion (US$2 billion) into two Saudi embassy accounts in Washington, in yearly instalments of up to GB£120 million (US$240 million) over at least 10 years. He allegedly took money for personal use out of the accounts, as the purpose of one of the accounts was to pay the operating expenses of the prince's private Airbus A340
. According to investigators, there was "no distinction between the accounts of the embassy, or official government accounts [...], and the accounts of the royal family." The payments were discovered during a Serious Fraud Office
investigation, which was stopped in December 2006 by attorney general Lord Goldsmith
. In 2009, he hired Louis Freeh
as his legal representative for the Al-Yamamah arms scandal.
, who has borne him eight children: four sons and four daughters. The youngest three (Fahad, Hussa, and Azus) attended Potomac School in McLean, Virginia
, while living in the town from 2001 to 2005. His daughter Princess Reema bint Bandar organized the world's largest pink ribbon
event in Saudi Arabia to raise awareness for breast cancer.
His son Khalid is married to Lucy Cuthbert, niece of Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland
.
He considers himself an American Hamiltonian conservative. Before the 2000 U.S. presidential election was decided, he invited George H. W. Bush to go pheasant shooting in his England estate in a "Desert Storm reunion".
, Oxfordshire.
A few months after 9/11, Bandar went to Aspen
, where he has a thirty-two-room mansion. On 12 July 2006, it was reported that Prince Bandar was seeking to sell his 56000 square feet (5,202.6 m²) mansion in Aspen, Colorado
, for US $135 million. The palatial vacation home, called Hala Ranch
, is larger than the White House, is perched on a mountaintop of 95 acres (384,451.7 m²), and includes 15 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms featuring 24-karat gold fixtures. In December 2006, the mansion was still listed for sale at $135 million. In December 2007, the 14395 square feet (1,337.3 m²) guesthouse was sold for a reported $36.5 mm. The purported reason for the sale is that Bandar is too busy to enjoy the mansion.
While serving as the Saudi ambassador to US, the family lived on a large estate in McLean near the Potomac River
.
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
and was Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
's ambassador to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1983 to 2005. He was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security Council
National Security Council (Saudi Arabia)
The Saudi National Security Council is the body in charge of coordinating Saudi Arabia's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy. It was established in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud...
by King Abdullah
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He succeeded to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd. When Crown Prince, he governed Saudi Arabia as regent from 1998 to 2005...
on 16 October 2005. He is a son of late Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Sultan.
He had a close relationship with many American presidents, particularly George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. He was often called "Bandar Bush". He was at the center of the controversy in the Al-Yamamah arms deal, a corruption scandal that involved the sale of more than 100 warplanes.
Early life and education
Bandar was born officially on March 2, 1949 in Taif, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. His actual date of birth is reportedly later according to himself and Western think tanks. He had reportedly faked his birthday to enter the Royal Saudi Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
The Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
.
His mother — Khizaran — was an illiterate sixteen-year-old Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i employed as a servant from Yemen to his father. Bandar, an only child, has said she was Sultan's "concubine". He lived with her and his aunt. He is recognized as royalty because King Abdul-Aziz
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
personally named him and his 20-year-old father admitted he was his father. He was largely isolated from the royal family. He entered his father's bedroom for the first time when he was eight. He and his mother moved to his paternal grandmother's palace. His mother later taught herself to read and write.
He went to Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. He received additional training at Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces
Industrial College of the Armed Forces
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces is a U.S. military educational institution tasked with preparing military officers and civilian government officials for leadership and executive positions in the field of national security...
. He joined the Royal Saudi Air Force
Royal Saudi Air Force
The Royal Saudi Air Force , is the aviation branch of the Saudi Arabian armed forces. The RSAF has developed from a largely defensive military force into one with an advanced offensive capability...
for seventeen years and became a lieutenant. He is a trained pilot and has flown numerous fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
. Bandar's military career ended in 1977 after he crash-landed his jet and suffered a severe back injury. Afterward, he received a Masters in International Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
at School of International Studies
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's leading and most prestigious graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and...
.
Initial political career
His diplomatic career began in 1978. As the King's personal envoy, he successfully lobbied United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to approve the sale of F-15s
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
to Saudi Arabia. At the Oval Office, Carter told him to win the support of California governor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. He did and in exchange helped Carter win the support of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
Democratic Senator James Abourezk
James Abourezk
James George Abourezk is a former Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator, and was the first Arab-American to serve in the United States Senate. He represented South Dakota in the U.S...
to support the Panama Canal treaty. Fahd made him Bandar an emissary to Carter and granted him permission to act independently of the Saudi-U.S. ambassador.
In 1982, Fahd made him the military attache at the Saudi Embassy, a move which could have ended his diplomatic career. However in 1983, Fahd appointed Bandar as Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
Ambassador to the United States
In 1983, Bandar was appointed ambassador to the United States by King Fahd. He has dealt with, in his tenure as ambassador, five U.S. presidents, ten secretaries of state, eleven national security advisers, sixteen sessions of Congress, and the media. He had extensive influence in the United States. At the pinnacle of his career, he served both "as the King's exclusive messenger and the White House's errand boy". For over three decades, he was the face of the Saudi Arabia lobbySaudi Arabia lobby
The Saudi Arabia lobby in the United States is a collection of lawyers, public relation firms and professional lobbyists paid directly by the government of Saudi Arabia to lobby the public and government of the United States on behalf of the interests of the government of Saudi Arabia.-Power of...
.
Reagan era
During the Reagan presidency, he secured the purchase of AWACs surveillance aircraftUS/Saudi AWACS Sale
The sale of AWACS surveillance planes to Saudi Arabia by the United States administration of President Ronald Reagan was a controversial part of what was then the largest foreign arms sale in US history...
despite AIPAC opposition. After the United States rejected an arms order, he arranged the delivery of intermediate-range nuclear-warhead-capable missiles from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This angered the CIA and the State Department. He was exposed for his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. He had arranged $32 million in Saudi financing for the Nicaraguan Contras. Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan
Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
used him to relay messages to the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
.
Bush presidencies
He has formed close relationships with several American presidentsPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, notably George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, the latter giving him the affectionate and controversial nickname "Bandar Bush" His particularly close relationship with the Bush family was highlighted in Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
. He was so close to George H. W. Bush, that he was often described as a member of the family. He advocated Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's overthrow in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He encouraged military action against Iraq and supported Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
's "The New Middle East" agenda which called for pro-democracy programs in Syria and Iran.
His children attended school with Cheney's grandchildren.
Clinton era
Clinton, as governor of Arkansas, had asked him to help pay for the Middle East Studies Center at the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. In the 1990s, he persuaded Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
to turn in two suspects allegedly involved in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. He privately stated Gaddafi is "a Jerry Lewis trying to be a Churchill".
Resignation
On June 26, 2005, he submitted his resignation as ambassador to the United States for "personal reasons". He returned to Saudi Arabia weeks prior to the death of King Fahd, upon which Bandar's father, Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, became the nation's Crown PrinceCrown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
. It has been rumored that Bandar's return was timed in order to secure a position in the new government. In October 2005 he became the kingdom's national security chief
National Security Council (Saudi Arabia)
The Saudi National Security Council is the body in charge of coordinating Saudi Arabia's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy. It was established in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud...
. He was succeeded as ambassador by Prince Turki.
Secretary-General of National Security Council
Bandar was appointed Secretary-General of the National Security CouncilNational Security Council (Saudi Arabia)
The Saudi National Security Council is the body in charge of coordinating Saudi Arabia's national security, intelligence and foreign policy strategy. It was established in 2005 by King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud...
by King Abdullah on 16 October 2005, which was extended for four years on 3 September 2009.
He secretly met with U.S. officials in 2006 after resigning as ambassador.
Disappearance and rumors
His last major public appearance was on December 10, 2008 in a meeting with King Abdullah. After King Abdullah renewed his post for another 4-year term in September 2009, he did not provide the customary public allegiance to the King. He did not show up with his friend Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry JonesJerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
in the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium. In October 2009, he was not present in King Abdullah's delegation to the watershed Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
visit. In December 2009, he was not present in the return of his father, Crown Prince Sultan, from Morocco.
According to Iran's PressTV, he was under house arrest for an attempted coup, while opposition sources said he was in Dhaban Prison. Some rumors allege that his coup was exposed by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n intelligence services because of his frequent trips to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
to encourage cooperation against Iran.
Other rumors alleged that he was undergoing treatment and two operations in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland . It was founded using money from a bequest by philanthropist Johns Hopkins...
. Bandar's lawyer denied these charges. He has no spokesman.
Return
In March 2011, Bandar was sent to Pakistan, India, Malaysia, and China to gather support for Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Bahrain. In April 2011, Bandar was present in the meeting when Secretary of Defense Gates visited King Abdullah and in a separate visit by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.Controversy
Bandar has endured controversy over allegations in the book Plan of AttackPlan of Attack
Plan of Attack is a 2004 book by the well known US author and investigative reporter Bob Woodward. It was promoted as "a behind-the-scenes account of how and why President [George W.] Bush decided to go to war against Iraq"...
by Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
that President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
informed him of the decision to invade
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
ahead of Secretary of State Colin Powell
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position. During his military...
.
Corruption allegations
He helped negotiate the 1985 Al YamamahAl Yamamah
Al Yamamah is the name of a series of a record arms sales by the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, which have been paid for by the delivery of up to of crude oil per day to the UK government. The prime contractor has been BAE Systems and its predecessor British Aerospace...
deal, a series of massive arms sales by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to Saudi Arabia worth GB£
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
40 billion (US$80 billion), including the sale of more than 100 warplanes. After the deal was signed, British arms manufacturer British Aerospace (now BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
) allegedly funnelled secret payments of at least GB£1 billion (US$2 billion) into two Saudi embassy accounts in Washington, in yearly instalments of up to GB£120 million (US$240 million) over at least 10 years. He allegedly took money for personal use out of the accounts, as the purpose of one of the accounts was to pay the operating expenses of the prince's private Airbus A340
Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-range four-engine wide-body commercial passenger jet airliner. Developed by Airbus Industrie,A consortium of European aerospace companies, Airbus is now fully owned by EADS and since 2001 has been known as Airbus SAS. a consortium of European aerospace companies, which is...
. According to investigators, there was "no distinction between the accounts of the embassy, or official government accounts [...], and the accounts of the royal family." The payments were discovered during a Serious Fraud Office
Serious Fraud Office (UK)
The Serious Fraud Office is an independent UK Government department that investigates and prosecutes serious or complex fraud and corruption...
investigation, which was stopped in December 2006 by attorney general Lord Goldsmith
Peter Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith
Peter Henry Goldsmith, Baron Goldsmith, PC, QC , is a former Attorney General for England and Wales and Northern Ireland. On 22 June 2007, Goldsmith announced his resignation which took effect on 27 June 2007, the same day that prime minister, Tony Blair, stepped down. Goldsmith was the longest...
. In 2009, he hired Louis Freeh
Louis Freeh
Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....
as his legal representative for the Al-Yamamah arms scandal.
Family
In 1972, he married Princess Haifa bint FaisalHaifa bint Faisal
Princess Haifa bint Faisal, also known as Haifa al Faisal, is the wife of Prince Bandar bin Sultan and daughter of the late King Faisal and Queen Iffat. She is the sister of Saud Al-Faisal and Turki Al-Faisal...
, who has borne him eight children: four sons and four daughters. The youngest three (Fahad, Hussa, and Azus) attended Potomac School in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, while living in the town from 2001 to 2005. His daughter Princess Reema bint Bandar organized the world's largest pink ribbon
Pink ribbon
The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for women with breast cancer....
event in Saudi Arabia to raise awareness for breast cancer.
His son Khalid is married to Lucy Cuthbert, niece of Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland
Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland
thumb|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]Ralph George Algernon Percy, 12th Duke of Northumberland DL is a British peer. He is the son of Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland and Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott....
.
Views and Character
Known for his cigar smoking, he usually wears European clothes, and he likes American colloquialisms and American history. In Washington, he earned a reputation for partying and drinking. He may have recently abandoned alcohol after a death scare in the family. In mid-1990s, he suffered his first depression.He considers himself an American Hamiltonian conservative. Before the 2000 U.S. presidential election was decided, he invited George H. W. Bush to go pheasant shooting in his England estate in a "Desert Storm reunion".
Property
He travels frequently on his private Airbus A-340. He owns Glympton ParkGlympton Park
Glympton Park is a former deer park at Glympton, north of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. It includes Glympton House and has a estate including the village of Glympton, its Norman parish church of St...
, Oxfordshire.
A few months after 9/11, Bandar went to Aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
, where he has a thirty-two-room mansion. On 12 July 2006, it was reported that Prince Bandar was seeking to sell his 56000 square feet (5,202.6 m²) mansion in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, for US $135 million. The palatial vacation home, called Hala Ranch
Hala Ranch
The Hala Ranch is a estate located just north of Aspen, Colorado, originally purchased and given its name by Prince Bandar bin Sultan. The main house on the property was designed by the architectural firm of Hagman Yaw and built by Hansen Construction of Aspen, Colorado, in 1991...
, is larger than the White House, is perched on a mountaintop of 95 acres (384,451.7 m²), and includes 15 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms featuring 24-karat gold fixtures. In December 2006, the mansion was still listed for sale at $135 million. In December 2007, the 14395 square feet (1,337.3 m²) guesthouse was sold for a reported $36.5 mm. The purported reason for the sale is that Bandar is too busy to enjoy the mansion.
While serving as the Saudi ambassador to US, the family lived on a large estate in McLean near the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
External links
- Official biography
- New Yorker biography
- Disinfopedia biography
- Bandar bin Sultan resigns from the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Bandar admits to corruption to the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...