Muhammad bin Nayef
Encyclopedia
Prince Mohammad bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud (born August 30, 1959) is the Saudi
Deputy Interior Minister in charge of Counter-Terrorism. He survived an assassination attempt in August 2009.
, he moved to Riyadh
. He later moved to the United States to study for his bachelor's degree, majoring in Political Science
.
is losing control. He has suggested a strategy of directly working with Yemeni tribes. He strongly condemns terrorism. He believes gaining cooperation with Pakistan in Afghanistan requires cooperating with Pakistan in India. He praised General Kayani
as a "good man". He voiced concern about Iran
’s nuclear program. He defers foreign policy issues to the King.
In June 2003, al-Qaeda
member Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi
surrendered to him in person. He, unlike most of the royal family, actively talks with the media.
In October 2010, he warned U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser of the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot.
(al-Asiri), a suicide bomber linked to Al-Qaida. Al Aseery spoke to the Prince a few days prior to the bombing and expressed a desire to turn himself in as part of the country's terrorist rehabilitation program. This was an apparent ploy to get admitted to the Prince's palace. Al Aseery is believed to have traveled to Jeddah from the Yemen
ite province of Marib. During Ramadan
, Al Aseery waited in line at the Prince's Jeddah home as "well-wisher" . He exploded a suicide bomb, killing himself, but only lightly injuring the Prince, who was protected from the full force of the blast by Al Aseery's body. Prince Muhammad appeared on state television with a bandage around two of his fingers on his left hand. He stated, "I did not want him to be searched, but he surprised me by blowing himself up. However, this will only increase my determination to fight terrorism in the kingdom."
This was the first assassination attempt against a royal family member since 2003, when Saudi Arabia faced a sharp uptick in al-Qaeda linked attacks.
He is married to the daughter of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, Princess Reem bint Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz.
He has two daughters:
Princess Sara and Princess Loulwah.
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...
Deputy Interior Minister in charge of Counter-Terrorism. He survived an assassination attempt in August 2009.
Personal life
Born in JeddahJeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, he moved to Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
. He later moved to the United States to study for his bachelor's degree, majoring in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
Assistant Minister of Interior
He has been commended by Western intelligence agencies for Saudi Arabia's counter-terrorism programs. He has called for a "security channel" with the U.S. to facilitate information exchange. He firmly supported President Obama in Obama's opposition to the release of detainee interrogation photographs. He believes Yemen is a "dangerous failed state" and is becoming a larger threat to Saudi Arabia. He believes Yemeni President SalehAli Abdullah Saleh
Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh is the first President of the Republic of Yemen. Saleh previously served as President of the Yemen Arab Republic from 1978 until 1990, at which time he assumed the office of chairman of the Presidential Council of a post-unification Yemen. He is the...
is losing control. He has suggested a strategy of directly working with Yemeni tribes. He strongly condemns terrorism. He believes gaining cooperation with Pakistan in Afghanistan requires cooperating with Pakistan in India. He praised General Kayani
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, NI, HI is a four-star general in the Pakistan Army, and the current Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. He replaced General Pervez Musharraf as the Chief of Army Staff and the commandant of the army on November 29, 2007...
as a "good man". He voiced concern about Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
’s nuclear program. He defers foreign policy issues to the King.
In June 2003, al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
member Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi
Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi
Abdul Rahman Al-Ghamdi is a citizen of Saudi Arabia who is believed to have been a jihadist.In 2003 Al-Ghamdi married Umm Hajir Al-Azdi, the sister of a Guantanamo captive, whose first husband said she was also a ‘takfeeri’....
surrendered to him in person. He, unlike most of the royal family, actively talks with the media.
In October 2010, he warned U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser of the 2010 cargo plane bomb plot.
Assassination attempt
On August 27, 2009, he was slightly injured by Abdullah Hassan Al AseeryAbdullah Hassan Al Aseery
Abdullah Hassan al-Asiri was a Saudi Arabian member of al Qaeda. His name is an ascription to the 'Asir Province of Saudi Arabia...
(al-Asiri), a suicide bomber linked to Al-Qaida. Al Aseery spoke to the Prince a few days prior to the bombing and expressed a desire to turn himself in as part of the country's terrorist rehabilitation program. This was an apparent ploy to get admitted to the Prince's palace. Al Aseery is believed to have traveled to Jeddah from the 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....
ite province of Marib. During Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, Al Aseery waited in line at the Prince's Jeddah home as "well-wisher" . He exploded a suicide bomb, killing himself, but only lightly injuring the Prince, who was protected from the full force of the blast by Al Aseery's body. Prince Muhammad appeared on state television with a bandage around two of his fingers on his left hand. He stated, "I did not want him to be searched, but he surprised me by blowing himself up. However, this will only increase my determination to fight terrorism in the kingdom."
This was the first assassination attempt against a royal family member since 2003, when Saudi Arabia faced a sharp uptick in al-Qaeda linked attacks.
Family
He is the second son of Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abdul-Aziz and brother of Saudi ambassador to Spain -Prince Saud bin Naif. His sisters are Princesses Norah and Sarah.He is married to the daughter of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, Princess Reem bint Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz.
He has two daughters:
Princess Sara and Princess Loulwah.
External links
- Al Qaida's Network in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen), The English Translation of Sada Al-Malahim's Audio Release 'The Descendants of Muhammad bin Maslamah," Released September 21, 2009, The NEFA Foundation, accessed January 4, 2010
- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110831.htmlHaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
article about the bombing]. - Translation of Arabic wikipedia.