Writing in the London Review Blog, Hugh Miles discusses the mystery of Prince Bandar, the head of Saudi Arabia's National Security Council who previously spent 18 years as the kingdom's ambassador to Washington. According to Miles, the last official sighting of Prince Bandar was more than two years ago.

"In the absence of any official news about his health or whereabouts, the rumour mill has been working overtime," Miles writes. "As is often the case with Saudi affairs, the truth is elusive. Those who know won’t talk and those who don’t know talk a lot."

In August, the Iranian Press TV said he was under house arrest following a conspiracy against the king, and opposition sources in the kingdom now say he is in Dhaban Prison, Jeddah. Of course, this is exactly the sort of thing Press TV and the opposition would be expected to say.

A reader's comment posted under the Miles blog, on the other hand, says Bandar has been at his home in Aspen, Colorado, for the last three weeks.

The truth is indeed elusive. There are clearly some issues between the prince and the king but so far we can only guess as to what they might be.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 21 January 2010.