Word: abdule
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...According to one apocryphal tale, an American population expert went to Saudi Arabia to take a census. He called on King Abdul Aziz al Saud (Ibn Saud), who told him: "You're wasting your time. There are 7 million people here." With apologies, the American said there could not be more than 3 million. "You're wrong," said the King. "There are at least 6 million." Begging forgiveness for his audacity, the American insisted that surely there were no more than 4 million. At this point the King held out his hand and closed the deal, bazaar-style, saying...
...exudes warmth and good humor. The Crown Prince possesses a diplomatic subtlety that is almost Florentine in its gentility, a talent developed from his many years of dealing with Bedouin tribal chiefs. Though he is urbane and widely traveled, he received a traditional Islamic education. His father, Abdul Aziz, taught him to ride, shoot straight and speak the truth. Like most Saudis he enjoys camel racing and soccer; perhaps his favorite recreation is to go camping in the desert with Prince Salman, the governor of Riyadh, and some of his other brothers...
Despite the enduring web of relationships, however, there has never been a formal treaty of any kind between the two nations. Abdul Aziz once railed at Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who had gone to Riyadh to get the King to sign some kind of agreement: "Why do you always want us to sign something with a lot of fine print? Out here, we consider it enough to shake hands and be friends...
...ruling family dates back to the 18th century, when the head of the tiny emirate of Dariyah (near Riyadh), Mohammed ibn Saud, formed an alliance with Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab, the fiery leader of a puritanical Islamic movement; his Wahhabi sect still holds sway in Saudi Arabia. This combination of tribal military skill and religious fanaticism did dominate central Arabia for 75 years, until it was crushed by an invading Egyptian army acting at the behest of the Ottoman rulers in Constantinople...
...three military men who actually led the putsch got important portfolios in Taraki's 21-member Cabinet: Air Force Colonel Abdul Kadir became Defense Minister; Lieut. Colonel Mohammed Rafi, whose tanks spearheaded the palace assault, was named Public Works Minister; and Major Mohammed Aslam was designated Communications Minister and Second Deputy Prime Minister. The remaining appointees were civilians, among them Hafisullah Amin, a onetime Columbia University student, who was named Foreign Minister, and Amahita Pratebsad, who as Director of Social Welfare becomes Afghanistan's first woman minister. To broaden the new faction's base outside Kabul...