Posted on 01/18/2007 8:01:00 PM PST by FLOutdoorsman
LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday that Britain needed Saudi Arabia's help in fighting terrorism, and that ending a probe of Saudi arms deals with BAE Systems PLC was the right decision.
Mr. Blair has come under criticism for calling off the Serious Fraud Office's probe of allegations that BAE made unauthorized payments to members of the Saudi royal family to secure a contract in the 1980s.
In Paris, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's anti-bribery panel said yesterday that it has asked Britain to explain its reasons for halting an investigation into Saudi arms deals.
The OECD said its panel sent a letter to British officials last month asking them to explain how ending a domestic probe into the deals adhered to the group's principles.
Britain is a member of both the OECD and its working group on bribery, which is meeting this week at the international body's headquarters in Paris. The panel was discussing the British investigation yesterday.
An e-mail from OECD spokeswoman Nicole Le Vourch to reporters said the 30-member body was "not in a position to make the letter public," nor would it publish a response from British officials that it received Friday.
Repeating his previous defences of the decision, Mr. Blair told reporters at his monthly news conference: "I think that had we proceeded with this investigation it would have significantly materially damaged our relationship with Saudi Arabia, that that relationship is of vital importance for us fighting terrorism including here in this country.
"It would have done damage to a major strategic partnership right at the moment when we need that strategic partnership with the Middle East peace process, with Iraq and other issues," he said.
"And, as I say, all of that leaves aside the fact that we would have lost thousands of U.K. jobs."
The Serious Fraud Office was investigating allegations that BAE ran a $110-million (U.S.) "slush fund" offering sweeteners to officials from Saudi Arabia in return for lucrative contracts as part of the Al-Yamamah arms deal in the 1980s.
Al-Yamamah, meaning "the dove," was the name given to an agreement under which BAE supplied Tornado fighter jets and other military equipment to Saudi Arabia, which paid the British government with oil. The full extent of the deal was never revealed but it was widely believed to be Britain's largest export agreement. The British government sold its majority BAE stake in 1981 when BAE became a public limited company.
News reports claimed that the Saudi government had told Britain to drop the probe or lose a $19.6-billion contract to buy Typhoon Eurofighter jets, a deal that will supersede the Al-Yamamah agreement.
"It would have done damage to a major strategic partnership right at the moment when we need that strategic partnership with the Middle East peace process, with Iraq and other issues," he said.
"And, as I say, all of that leaves aside the fact that we would have lost thousands of U.K. jobs."
Principles go out the window in the 'real' world. Thats how it works.
They got a free pass for 9/11 as well.
If the Saudis continue to drop the floor out on oil prices-- it will be a worthwhile decision.
Their action will come at some cost for them as well.
I'm beginning to realize what a real source of evil the Saudis are in this world.
I'm beginning to think the Saudis could buy off Christ himself.
May G-d forgive Tony Blair, because I never will.
Satan couldn't do that. What makes you think these filthy ba**ards could.
They have much more oil than they are letting on.
They have much more oil than they are letting on.
Could be. Or maybe they're doing a whole lot of whipstocking...
They believe money buys everything. Eventually, they will be proven wrong in the worst way.
The Saudis are not our friends and our leaders are not diplomats.
If they were, they would STOP Saudi support for Wahhabist madrassehs, preachers, and Saudi money and use them only for our own benefit, then toss them away like a soiled piece of toilette tissue.
Unfortunately, THEY are doing the tossing.
They might also wish to enquire how much of that slush fund is managed by BAE employee with no job description Lord Charles Powell, who by a strange coincidence is the brother of Jonathan Powell, who by another strange coincidence is Chief of Staff to one Tony Blair.
And by another odd coincidence, The police on Friday arrested and questioned a senior aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair in a widening inquiry into allegations that political leaders in both parties traded high honors for campaign contributions made as loans.
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