Obama offers condolences on death of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef

American President Barack Obama offered his condolences Saturday on the death of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef, praising him for helping to build a U.S.-Saudi partnership on counterterrorism.

"Under his leadership, the United States and Saudi Arabia developed a strong and effective partnership in the fight against terrorism, one that has saved countless American and Saudi lives,” Obama said in a statement issued while on a visit to his home town, Chicago.

“On behalf of the American people, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to King Abdullah, the royal family, and the people of Saudi Arabia.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described Prince Nayef as having been devoted to the “fight against extremism” and was “a key and valued partner for the United States.”

On behalf of the American people Obama offered his “deepest condolences” to King Abdullah, the royal family and the Saudi people.

The 79-year-old crown prince died Saturday, just eight months after he replaced his late brother, crown prince Sultan.

His death raises the issue of succession because of the advanced age of the first line of apparent heirs, at a time of turmoil rocking the Arab world.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is 88 and ailing, and nobody is officially in line to replace Nayef.

Prince Faisal Bin Khalid Bin Abdulaziz, Aseer Region Governor praised Prince Nayef as having led an anti-terrorism program with “wisdom and efficiency, which won him international admiration.

Prince Khaled pointed to Nayef’s role in the establishment of a successful rehabilitation program for former detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Turki Al-Sudairi, editor-in-Chief of Al-Riyadh newspaper, described Prince Nayef’s death as a “great loss” for the Kingdom and the world because he was “one of the best people who established one of the strongest security services in both the region and the world.”

Al-Jazeera newspaper editor-in-chief Khaled al-Malik said Prince Nayef helped develop Saudi Arabia’s security and anti-terrorism program without transforming the country into a “police state” in that “ensured the balance between the people’s rights and obligations.”