In what is being seen here as a disturbing indication of Indian diplomacy falling short of expectations in the Middle-East, one of Saudi Arabia’s most powerful and influential royal family members Turki al-Faisal has openly urged US President Barack Obama to push India and Pakistan to “fix” the Kashmir issue for his AfPak policy to make any progress.

Saudi Arabia, he says, can play a supporting role.

Turki al-Faisal, head of Saudi intelligence for 24 years from 1977 to 2001 and who has served as Ambassador to US and UK, proposed a seven-point action plan for Obama to achieve progress in Afghanistan. This was spelled out in an article he wrote in the International Herald Tribune last Saturday.

The fifth point of this action plan is to “push India and Pakistan to fix Kashmir.”

“That is doable,” he wrote, “once both countries see a determined effort by the United States in that direction. Both countries are beholden to the United States: Pakistan for the military and financial support it receives and India for the atomic energy agreement it has signed with the United States. Saudi Arabia can play a supporting role.”

The writer is the son of the powerful former King Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud who was credited with modernizing the Saudi Arabian economy.

Prince Turki’s stint as head of Saudi intelligence saw him preside over the massive operation to mobilize the mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

He was considered to have played a significant role in building the mujahideen-ISI-Saudi-CIA nexus, wherein, the Mujahideen fought, ISI provided training, CIA and other US agencies helped with equipment while Saudi Arabia arranged the finances.

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