Crown Prince Naif, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, has pledged to serve Allah and the country and prays he will be granted the strength to fulfill his responsibilities. “I have prayed to Allah with my heart and feelings to help and guide me onto the right path. I thank the sons of King Abdul Aziz (may Allay rest his soul in peace) and members of the royal family as well as the eminent Ulema and all the citizens. I feel a great responsibility toward my beloved country, men and women, which I bear under the directives of our leader King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. I pray to Allah to help me shoulder this task with faithfulness and sincerity,” he said in his first speech as the Crown Prince. Prince Naif has shown he will follow the principles laid down by the Commission of Allegiance. He has pledged his support for King Abdullah on the basis of the Book of Allah and the Prophet's Sunnah. Prince Naif is a wise and charismatic personality. He is a veteran minister with a wealth of domestic and international experience. He also has a great deal of experience in running the security establishment in the Kingdom under delicate circumstances. Prince Naif has been at the forefront of fighting terrorism. This is why King Abdullah appointed him as Crown Prince. Since he took charge of the Ministry of Interior in 1975 he has been the scourge of terrorists and has provided much-needed lessons for the West in this regard. His policy in fighting terrorism is to deal with it with an iron fist but also to open up dialogue with those who have deviated from the straight path. The new Crown Prince is expected to help the Kingdom on its current path of prosperity, reform, stability and national unity. His appointment is a blow for those who seek to undermine the country. It has been both a sad and decisive week, with the death of Prince Sultan and the appointment of Prince Naif. King Abdullah taught everyone a lesson in self-sacrifice when he left the hospital to receive the body of his beloved brother. There were particularly sad scenes when Prince Naif was seen carrying the body of his brother and Prince Salman hiding his tears. __
