Bandar bin Sultan

In an extensive Al Arabiya interview in October 2020, Bandar described Palestinian leaders as "failures" who had missed opportunities for decades and condemned their criticism of the UAE following normalisation with Israel. His remarks provoked strong reactions in Arab and Palestinian debate.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Personally implicated

The declassified 28 pages of the congressional 9/11 inquiry renewed attention to payments made by Bandar's wife, Princess Haifa, to Osama Bassnan's family in California, as well as other indirect links between Saudi diplomatic circles and people who had assisted two future hijackers. These leads had not been independently verified in the original report.

In a 2015 deposition, Zacarias Moussaoui claimed that Bandar bin Sultan was among members of the Saudi royal family who had supported or financed al-Qaeda. The statements were reported in the context of civil proceedings linked to 9/11.

Attribution

Directly implicated

As Saudi intelligence chief, Bandar bin Sultan was one of the principal figures responsible for Saudi policy supporting Syrian rebels against Bashar al-Assad. Reuters and other media described Riyadh as supplying weapons and funding opposition factions, with Bandar participating in strategic coordination. The fragmentation of the rebellion and presence of Islamist groups fuelled criticism of proliferation risks and proxy warfare.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

In 2013, the Wall Street Journal attributed to Bandar a remark to the effect that Qatar was merely "300 people and a television channel" and that this did not constitute a country. The phrase prompted strong controversy on social media and a response from Qatar's Foreign Minister.

State of the evidence

Documented

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Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Media reports and legal proceedings alleged that BAE Systems had paid substantial sums linked to the Al-Yamamah arms deal into accounts associated with Bandar bin Sultan. BAE and Bandar disputed that the payments constituted bribes. The British Serious Fraud Office's investigation into the Saudi aspect was discontinued in 2006 on national security grounds.

Attribution

Directly implicated

Bob Woodward's book Plan of Attack and accompanying reports revealed that Cheney, Rumsfeld and General Myers had presented Bandar with a top-secret military plan for Iraq on 11 January 2003, before a conversation between Bush and Colin Powell. The revelation fuelled controversy over a foreign ambassador's privileged access to US war plans and Saudi influence.

State of the evidence

Disputed

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Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Publication of Plan of Attack sparked an electoral controversy in the United States over a claim that Bandar had indicated to the Bush administration that Saudi Arabia wanted to increase production or help lower oil prices before the November 2004 election. John Kerry condemned the possibility of a secret political deal.

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

Bandar negotiated Saudi Arabia's purchase from Beijing of Chinese CSS-2 ballistic missiles technically capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The agreement was deliberately kept secret from Washington, and its discovery by US intelligence in 1988 caused a diplomatic crisis and serious proliferation concerns.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

Not applicable

Attribution

Directly implicated

During the Iran-Contra investigation, testimony and documents indicated that Ambassador Bandar bin Sultan had played a role in channelling covert Saudi contributions to the Nicaraguan Contras when US funding was politically and legally contested. Investigators estimated that Saudi contributions had reached approximately 32 million dollars in 1984–1985.

Attribution

Directly implicated