King ‘Abd Allah has responded to the security threat posed in Iraq. The crisis adds to the workload of the ailing monarch, who is busy preparing for his succession.

Saudi Arabia has deployed 30,000 troops along the border with Iraq. The move came after Iraqi troops withdrew from the area, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported on 3 July. A week earlier King ‘Abd Allah ordered tighter security measures to defend Saudi Arabia from the threat of Sunni extremists who have overrun a large chunk of Iraq just north of the kingdom’s border. (CONTINUED - 1162 WORDS)