Faisal bin Musaid

Faisal bin Musaid
Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdul-Aziz
House of Saud
Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud

Prince Faisal bin Musaid bin Abdul-Aziz (April 4, 1944 – June 18, 1975) (Arabic: فيصل بن مساعد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎) was the assassin and nephew of King Faisal.

Contents

Early Life and Education

Family

Faisal's father was Prince Musaid. His mother was Watfa, a daughter of Muhammad bin Talal, the 12th (and last) Rashidi amir. He was born in Riyadh.

In 1966, his brother Khaled allegedly died in a Riyadh protest against the introduction of television.[1] The details of his death are disputed. Some reports allege that he actually died resisting arrest outside his own home. No investigation over his death was ever initiated. Faisal had another brother, Prince Bandar, and a sister, Princess Al Jawhara.

Education

Faisal studied in the United States.[2] He went to San Francisco State College and the University of Colorado.[3] He was described by his peers as "quiet, likable, notably unstudious young man".[2] University of Colorado Professor Edward Rozek, who had taught him in three comparative government courses, described him as "academically a D and a C student" and his motivation for his future assassination "must have been drugs".[1]

In 1970, he was arrested in Boulder, Colorado for selling LSD and hashish.[2] In May 1970, the district attorney dropped the charges.[2] Afterward, Faisal took graduate courses in political science at Berkeley. He did not finish his degree and he left the United States after being granted diplomatic immunity.

Christine Surma

His girlfriend was Christine Surma, a blond part-time movie actress turned auctioneer who played in Bite of the Cobra.[1] She was 26 at the time of the assassination.[1] Surma viewed the Saudi's interest "in achieving peace with Israel" as positive outcomes "not available with the previous ruler [King Faisal]".[4] She stated her boyfriend was a "perfect gentleman who was proud of his family and his country".[5]

After the United States

After leaving the United States, he went to Beirut. For unknown reasons, he also went to East Germany.

When he came back to Saudi Arabia, Saudi authorities seized his passport because of his troubles abroad. He began teaching at Riyadh University and kept in touch with Christine Surma.

Assassination and trial

Royal Palace shooting

On March 25, 1975 he went to the Royal Palace in Riyadh, where King Faisal was holding a majlis. He joined a Kuwaiti delegation and lined up to meet the king. The king recognized his nephew and bent his head forward, so that the younger Faisal could kiss the king's nose in a sign of respect. The prince took out a revolver from his robe and shot the King twice in the head. His third shot missed and he threw the gun away. King Faisal fell to the floor. Bodyguards with gold swords and submachine guns arrested the prince.[6] The king was quickly rushed to a hospital but doctors failed in saving him. Before dying, King Faisal ordered that the assassin not be executed.[citation needed] Saudi television crews captured the entire assassination on camera.[citation needed]

Imprisonment and execution

Initial reports described Faisal bin Musaid as "mentally deranged." He was moved to a Riyadh prison.[7]

He was deemed mentally sane to be tried in court for his crime.[8] He was found guilty of murder. Hours after the verdict, he was publicly decapitated in Riyadh.

Motives

He had undergone psychiatric treatment in Beirut, where he had blamed his uncle for the death of his brother. His involvement with drugs was cited as one of the motivations in the assassination. Saudi officials began to state that the prince's actions were deliberate and planned. Rumors suggested that the prince had told his mother about his assassination plans who in turn told King Faisal. King Faisal had responded that "if it was Allah's will, then it would happen". Arab media implied that the prince had been a tool of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.[9]

Beirut newspapers offered three different explanations for the attack. An-Nahar reported that the attack may have been possible vengeance for the dethroning of King Saud because Prince Faisal was scheduled to marry Saud's daughter — Princess Sita — in the same week.[10] An-Nahar also reported that King Faisal had ignored his repeated complaints that his $3500 monthly allowance was insufficient and this may have caused the assassination.[10] Al-Bayrak reported that according to reliable Saudi sources, King Faisal prohibited him from leaving the country because of his excessive alcohol and drug consumption overseas and the attack may have been a retaliation against the ban.[10] It is a commonly-held, but unsubstantiated, popular belief in Saudi Arabia that he was a pawn in a Western conspiracy to assassinate King Faisal.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Reported Killer of King Faisal Knew Drugs, Radicals." The Journal [Meriden, Connecticut] 25 Mar. 1975: 18. Print. [1]
  2. ^ a b c d http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917224-2,00.html#ixzz1AyvreNfM
  3. ^ "Saudi Arabia's King Faisal Assasinated." Lodi News-Sentinel [Lodi, California] 26 Mar. 1975, 11th ed., sec. 261: 1. Print.[2]
  4. ^ "Saudi Prince Beheaded." The News and The Courier [Charleston, South Carolina] 19 June 1975: 1-2. Print. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=obBbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t1ENAAAAIBAJ&pg=1398,3869928&dq=saudi+prince+salman&hl=en
  5. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917224-2,00.html#ixzz1AywCScfa
  6. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917224-1,00.html
  7. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917224-2,00.html#ixzz1AyCk3M4O
  8. ^ "Milwaulkee Sentinel." Faisal's Slawyer Will Stand Trial [Milwaukee, Wisconsin] 31 Mar. 1975: 2. Print.[3]
  9. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917224-3,00.html#ixzz1AyxCGL2K
  10. ^ a b c "Motives for Slaying Offered." Daily News [Bowling Green, Kentucky] 24 Mar. 2975: 5. Print.[4]
  11. ^ Fred Halliday, "Political killing in the cold war", Published by openDemocracy Ltd. [5]
  • "Assassin's Fate and Motives Unknown." New York Times 27 Mar 1975 : 3.
  • de Onis, Juan. "Motive Unknown." New York Timfes 26 Mar 1975 : 1 & 8.
  • Pace, Eric. "Rumors of a Beheading Draw Crowds in Riyadh." New York Times 5 Apr 1975 : 3.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Saud bin Abdelaziz — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Saud bin Abdelaziz (n. Kuwait 1902 Atenas 1969), en árabe: سعود بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎, fue rey de Arabia Saudí entre 1953 y 1964. Era hijo del rey Abdelaziz bin Saud, fundador del reino saudí. Se convirtió en… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Fahd bin Abdul Aziz al Saud — Fahd ibn Abd al Aziz Fahd ibn Abd al Aziz (* 1921 oder 1923 in Riad; † 1. August 2005, ebenda; arabisch ‏فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎, DMG Fahd ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd) war von 1982 bis zu seinem Tod König von …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Chalid bin Sultan — Chalid ibn Sultan ibn Abd al Aziz Al Saʿud (‏خالد بن سلطان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎ / Chalid ibn Sultan ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd; * 2. September 1949 in Mekka, Saudi Arabien) ist seit …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • House of Saud — Saud redirects here. For the Pakistani actor, see Saud (actor). For the Romanian village of Săud, see Bunteşti. House of Saud Country Diriyah, Najd and Saudi Arabia Tit …   Wikipedia

  • Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia — Abdul Aziz bin Saud عبد العزيز آل سعود King of Saudi Arabia King of Nejd and Hejaz King of Saudi Arabia Reign 14 August 1932 – 9 Nov …   Wikipedia

  • Abdullah of Saudi Arabia — Not to be confused with Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud عبد الله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King of Saudi Arabia Reign August 1, 2005 …   Wikipedia

  • Abdul Aziz — For other uses, see Abdul Aziz (disambiguation). Abdul Aziz Gender Male Language(s) Arabic Origin Meaning Servant of (the Almighty) Allah Abdul Aziz (Arabic …   Wikipedia

  • Sultan ibn Abd al-Aziz — (Dezember 1990) Sultan ibn Abd al Aziz Al Saud (arabisch ‏سلطان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎, DMG Sulṭān b. ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Saʿūd; * 5. Januar 1928 (nach anderen Angaben 1922, 1924) in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz — (* 1921 oder 1923 in Riad; † 1. August 2005, ebenda; arabisch ‏فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود‎, DMG Fahd ibn ʿAbd a …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Line of succession to the Saudi Arabian throne — Saudi Arabia This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Saudi Arabia …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”