Turki al-Faisal's own ties to Washington and Langley, and throughout the intelligence world are legendary. Prince Turki has been intimately involved with the CIA, Pakistan's ISI (a virtual branch of the CIA), and the creation and guiding of Islamic "terrorism" (Bin Laden politics, Taliban), and all aspects of the geostrategy leading up to, and out of, September 11, and pipeline politics (Bridas-Unocal, trans-Afghan pipeline competition). The Saudi energy company Ningarcho is connected to Prince Turki.

The deep connections between the Saudi royal family, the Bush family, the highest echelons of the Washington-Wall Street elite, Osama bin Laden, terrorism, intelligence agencies, oil, narcotrafficking, arms trafficking, criminal finance (BCCI), etc. are amply documented history. Prince Turki has long been part of this milieu.

In Drugs, Oil and War, Peter Dale Scott wrote:

"BCCI's inside connection to the CIA appears to have been strengthened in 1976, when under CIA Director George Bush "the CIA strengthened its relationships with so-called friendly Arab intelligence agencies. One of the most important of these was Saudi Arabia's intelligence service [the Istakhbarat], run by Kamal Adham, Prince Turki [al-Faisal], Abdul-Raouf Khalil, all of whom were BCCI insiders."

Prince Turki was Osama bin Laden's friend and liaison for more than two decades. The rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan was directed by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's ISI, the CIA and oil interests (Unocal), and its fall (and 9/11) was directed by the same, and only after the Taliban regime refused to cooperate with larger interests.

Here are excerpts from Ahmed Rashid's Taliban, on Prince Turki:

"Bin Laden, Prince Turki and General [Hameed] Gul were to become firm friends and allies in a common cause."

"The ISI had long wanted Prince Turki Bin Faisal, the head of Istakhbarat, the Saudi Intelligence Service, to provide a Royal Prince to lead the Saudi contingent in order to show Muslims the commitment of the Royal Family to the jihad."

" . . . the Foreign Minister Prince Saud al Faisal, deferred Afghan policy to his younger brother, Prince Turki and Saudi intelligence."

"The Taliban's stubbornness in refusing to cut deals with other warlords frustrated the Pakistanis, but finally it appeared to pay off when the Taliban persuaded Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to back another major bid to capture Kabul before the winter. The Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Turki al Faisal, visited Islamabad and Kandahar in July 1996 to discuss with the ISI a new plan to take Kabul, and both countries stepped up supplies to the Taliban. Within two months of Turki's visit, the Taliban were on the move—not against Kabul, but the eastern city of Jalalabad. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia helped engineer the surrender and eventual flight of the head of the Jalalabad Shura, Abdul Qadeer. He was given a large bribe, reported by some Afghans to be US$10 million in cash, as well as guarantees that his assets and bank accounts in Pakistan would not be frozen."

"Meanwhile, the Taliban had persuaded Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to back them in another offensive to take place in the north. The Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Turki al Faisal, visited Kandahar in mid-June, after which the Saudis provided the Taliban with 400 pickup trucks and financial aid. Pakistan's ISI had prepared a budget of some 2 billion rupees (US$5 million) for logistical support that was needed by the Taliban. ISI officers visited Kandahar frequently to help the Taliban prepare the attack, as thousands of new Afghan and Pakistani recruits from refugee camps and madrassas arrived to enlist with the Taliban."

"Saudi Arabia viewed the Taliban as an important asset to their dwindling influence in Afghanistan . . . Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki then began visiting Kandahar regularly . . . After Turki visited Islamabad and Kandahar in July 1996, the Saudis provided funds, vehicles and fuel for the successful Taliban attack on Kabul. Two Saudi companies, Delta and Ningarcho, were now involved in the gas pipeline projects across Afghanistan, increasing local business pressure on Riyadh to help ensure a Taliban victory."

"In July 1998, Prince Turki had visited Kandahar and a few weeks later 400 new pickup trucks arrived in Kandahar for the Taliban, still bearing their Dubai license plates. The Saudis also gave cash for the Taliban's chequebook conquest of the north in the autumn."

"After the 1998 Africa bombings, US pressure on the Saudis increased. Prince Turki visited Kandahar again, this time to persuade the Taliban to hand over bin Laden. In their meeting, Mullah Omar refused to do so and then insulted Prince Turki by abusing the Saudi Royal Family. Bin Laden himself described what took place. 'He [Prince Turki] asked Mullah Omar to surrender us home or to expel us from Afghanistan . . . It is as if Turki came as an envoy for the American government.'"

"Riyadh's support for the Taliban made them extremely reluctant to exert any pressure on the Taliban to deport Osama bin Laden, even though the USA was urging them to do so. Only when Prince Turki was personally insulted by Mullah Omar in Kandahar did the Saudis curtail diplomatic links with the Taliban."

During Osama bin Laden's stay in a Dubai hospital, he met with CIA agents as well as Prince Turki. The Guardian (11/1/01) reported that bin Laden met with:

" . . . several members of his family and Saudi personalities, including Prince Turki al Faisal, then head of Saudi intelligence."

Prince Turki was fired as the chief of Saudi intelligence following 9/11, because of the "embarrassing" connection to bin Laden (whoever or whatever "bin Laden" is). Now he is back, as an even more significant influence heading into the ominous new phase of US-Saudi relations.

Prince Turki al-Faisal "knows where the bodies are hidden" (literally and figuratively). His ascension to an even more influential post is symptomatic of the global hardening of criminal power taking place across the New World Order, in which an outgoing figure (cabinet officer, Supreme Court justice, etc.) has been replaced by a more dangerous one.