Funded by Fahd

Saudi Arabia | An infamous playboy leaves a legacy of Islamic extremism | Priya Abraham

Under Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi Islam, the burial of a king is not a time for pomp and circumstance: All men are equal in death. So when Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz died on Aug. 1, mourners laid him in an unmarked desert grave, and clerics prohibited extravagant public displays of grief.

Politically, the impact of King Fahd's demise was just as nondescript. After suffering a stroke 10 years ago, he largely receded from running his kingdom. His half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah—now king—has been the de facto leader since then. Few analysts expect policy changes from the succession. Saudi Arabia's main problem persists: how to battle homegrown terrorism, and how to assuage U.S. concerns over the worldwide spread of Wahhabism.

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August 13, 2005, Vol. 20, No. 31

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