 RIYADH - Saudis and a host of foreign dignitaries were Tuesday to pay their respects to King Fahd in a funeral which is the final act in an era that saw the monarch steer his country through the most turbulent decades in its history. Several Arab leaders, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, were to attend the funeral in Riyadh of the man they have hailed as a great Arab leader. But emphasising the close ties Fahd forged with the Western world, French President Jacques Chirac and Britainâs heir to the throne Prince Charles were also due in Riyadh Tuesday to pay their respects to the late king.| John Bolton will represent the US... |
Saudi government forces would be applying tight security measures during the funeral of King Fahd at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah mosque in the center of the capital, an interior ministry spokesman said. âSecurity forces will enforce tight measures along the routes which the convoys of dignitaries will take and at the location of the funeral ceremonyâ, General Mansur al-Turki told AFP.| "We wish the mourners to hold the automatic weapons fire until the dignitaries and all their teevee cameras are safely out of range..." |
Regional governors were also instructed by the new King Abdullah to open centres to allow people to pay condolences without having to travel to the capital for the funeral.| So they won't have to go back home to the tribes and discuss that...odd smell. |
State television interrupted programmes to air verses from the Koran and many members of the ruling family crowded the Riyadh hospital where the monarch passed away to pay their last respects and to inquire whether the checks would still be coming each month. |