But will Bush go to the Funeral?

The King of Saudi Arabia has died. The Crown Prince has stepped up to take his place. The King was one of the closest, oldest friends of the Bush family for many, many years. You'd think that both Bush Sr. and Jr. would be going to the funeral.

King Fahd, Saudi Arabia's ruler since 1982, has died.

Saudi state television announced that Crown Prince Abdullah had been named as King Fahd's successor.

King Fahd had been frail since suffering a debilitating stroke in 1995 and had delegated the running of the kingdom to Crown Prince Abdullah.

Members of the royal family have pledged allegiance to Abdullah. An official ceremony confirming him as king is due to be held on Wednesday.

We can't rule that out, (the President attending, that is) but it does present some problems for Bush, doesn't it? He's been involved in business deals with the Saudis all of his life, along with his dad, and there are powerful financial bonds between the families. But there are big problems with that country. The 9/11 highjackers seem to have come from there. Human rights in Saudi Arabia are a complete joke, and women are treated only slightly worse than cattle. It's one of the least democratic governments of any of our "allies" today. (The monarchy isn't just a figurehead. The King rules the country.)

King Fahd ascended the throne in 1982 after seven years as crown prince, making him absolute monarch of the world's largest oil-producing country and home of Islam's two holiest sites, the mosques at Mecca and Medina.

The monarch's decision in 1990 to invite American forces into Saudi Arabia after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait was heavily criticised within the country.

Many say it contributed to the rise of al-Qaeda whose leader, Osama bin Laden, is a Saudi-born businessman.

Will Bush go bend a knee at the King's funeral? Or will he try to trumpet some more noise about spreading democracy in the Middle East and refuse? And if so, what will the repercussions be on the oil market and his Dad's pocketbook? Other foreign leaders are already rushing to fete the dead King. Nothing from Bush yet, so stay tuned.

"King Fahd was a man of great vision and leadership who inspired his countrymen for a quarter of a century as king, and for many more before that," UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a statement.

"He was also a good friend of the United Kingdom. Our two countries have benefited very greatly over the years from his wise advice."

France's President Jacques Chirac expressed "profound sadness" at the news in a message of condolence to the Saudi government.

"During his reign, King Fahd put the safety of his people above all else. In perilous times he was the guarantor of his country's cohesion and the defender of regional stability. He knew how to apply wisdom to the Kingdom's changes," the message said.