One of the effects of incompetent American diplomacy is that Russia and China have never been closer.
I think the rumor that Bandar was being squeezed out started with Larouche , but it appears that the American have decided to make it official:
"The spymasters’ conclave featured Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, Saudi Arabia’s minister of the interior, who will now supervise the kingdom’s leading role in the covert-action program. He replaces Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the Saudi intelligence chief, who has been suffering from a back ailment and whose leadership of the program was seen as uneven."I assume this was a precondition of Barry's upcoming visit (where I hope he won't embarrass himself as much as Prince Charles, who has given new meaning to the expression 'dancing for your supper').
It seems a bit obvious to be running the same coup plots in Ukraine and Venezuela at the same time, with the same lying 'journalism', the same phony 'human rights' concerns, and the same paid violent agents provocateurs. South America isn't impressed: "US Support for Regime Change in Venezuela is a Mistake"
"Obama ambassador nominees prompt an uproar with bungled answers, lack of ties"