Jalal Talabani (right) receives Saudi ambassador Fahd al-Zaid, on March 27, 2012.

Jalal Talabani (right) receives Saudi ambassador Fahd al-Zaid. “While on paper (Talabani’s) role is somewhat limited, his influence and mediation skills have gone a long way in smoothing over the country’s troubled political scene,” said John Drake, an analyst with AKE Group.