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Prince was defense minister

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS July 11, 2012 4:30AM

Prince Mohammed bSaud served as Saudi Arabia’s defense chief early 1960s. | AP

Prince Mohammed bin Saud served as Saudi Arabia’s defense chief in the early 1960s. | AP

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Updated: August 12, 2012 6:42AM



RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia said a senior prince and former defense minister has died.

Prince Mohammed bin Saud was not in line for the Saudi throne, but he wielded influence as part of a council of royal family members that helps select the heirs to rule the oil-rich Western ally. He was 78.

The official Saudi Press Agency said he died Sunday but gave no other details.

He served as defense minister in the early 1960s and managed to retain political significance after his father, King Saud, was forced from the throne in 1964.

He served as governor of Al Baha province in southwestern Saudi Arabia from 1986 to 2010.

AP




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