Strange signs from Saudi

Just a bunch of odd bits out of Saudi.

First, there was the sudden, unexpected, unannounced departure of Turki al Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to the US. The WaPo theorizes its about Saudi family succession. Josh Marshall sees it as Iraq politics, but Chris Nelson pooh poohs both ideas.

The interesting bit to me in the Nelson entry is that it speaks of this as a personal matter centering around Bandar's jealousy, but reading between the lines, I wonder if it was a personnel problem.

If the criticism that brought him home was that he was too candid, maybe he was revealing too much to the Bush administration about the Saudi hand. Nelson's source specifically mentions the recent report that "a Saudi operative raised the possibility of cutting the price of oil as a way to counter Iran’s increasing belligerency."

And then, you have tomorrow's report,

Saudi Arabia has told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in any war against Iraq’s Shiites if the United States pulls its troops out of Iraq, according to American and Arab diplomats.

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia conveyed that message to Vice President Dick Cheney two weeks ago during Mr. Cheney’s whirlwind visit to Riyadh.

I don't really know what to make of all this, but maybe the Saudis thought al Faisal was being too "candid" with the US, revealing more about the Saudi positions than they wanted the US to know.

If true, it would cast an increasingly antagonistic light on the relationship.

Later: BBC seems to say that the resignation is because of Bandar interfering/not supporting al Faisal