Saudi Arabia’s Ailing King in U.S. for Medical Treatment, Succession Jitters Inside the Kingdom

As Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah undergoes critical medical treatment in the United States, the country is also beginning a complex and uncertain royal succession process that may years to fully play out. Bruce Riedel writes that Saudi Arabia is America’s most critical ally in the Arab world, and explains why its stability is vital to U.S. national and global economic security.