The Saudi prince who became the White House's 'errand boy'
In short: Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud was more than a diplomat; he was a geopolitical architect who navigated the inner circles of five U.S. presidents. From brokering multi-billion dollar arms deals to managing secret off-the-budget CIA projects, his influence was so vast it sparked both awe and suspicion within his own royal family.
Between 1983 and 2005, Bandar acted as the Saudi Arabian envoy to America, forging such deep rapport with US authorities that he became known as 'Bandar Bush.' Often portrayed as the White House's 'errand boy' and the King's sole courier, he kept tight connections with figures such as George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. His influence was so significant that he was often treated as a member of the Bush family, even relaying messages to the Cabinet for Nancy Reagan.
His career was defined by high-stakes, often clandestine, maneuvers. During the Reagan era, he secured a $5.5 billion deal for surveillance aircraft, which served as the gateway to a $200 billion weapons purchase for Saudi Arabia. This arrangement included a 'slush fund' for off-the-budget CIA projects, such as depositing $10 million in a Vatican bank to influence Italian elections. He also played a pivotal role in the Iran-Contra scandal, providing $32 million to the Contras through a BCCI account, and later negotiated the Kingdom's first major arms deal with China.
Despite his external power, Bandar’s position was internally contested. Some members of the Saudi royal family viewed his closeness to U.S. policy-makers with suspicion. His career also faced hurdles; he was briefly sidelined as a military attaché in 1982 before being reinstated as ambassador in 1983. Following his 2005 resignation, he served as secretary-general of the National Security Council until 2015, where he acted as a key architect of policy regarding Iraq and the Middle East.
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