Saudi's Bandar out from intelligence post allegedly at personal request

Agence France Presse reported Tuesday that Saudi Arabia has replaced its intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan "at his own request."

Saudi's official news agency SPA reported that in a royal decree, Bandar was "exempted... from his position at his own request" and would be replaced by Yousef Al Idrissi his deputy.

Bandar has been KSA's main point man on the Syrian conflict and is considered "among the most influential powerbrokers in the Middle East."

The former ambassador to the US has been absent from his post for several months "due to health reasons," and his previous work on the Syria file has come under severe criticism from the United States.