Our Friends, The Saudis

[Kathianne]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008.../bae.armstrade

BAE: secret papers reveal threats from Saudi prince

Spectre of 'another 7/7' led Tony Blair to block bribes inquiry, high court told

This article appeared in the Guardian on Friday February 15 2008 on p1 of the Top stories section. It was last updated at 12:08 on February 15 2008.
Prince Bandar bin sultan bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud

Prince Bandar, head of Saudi Arabia’s national security council, leaving Downing Street last October. Photograph: Martin Argles

Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.

Previously secret files describe how investigators were told they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they pressed on with their inquiries and the Saudis carried out their threat to cut off intelligence.

Prince Bandar, the head of the Saudi national security council, and son of the crown prince, was alleged in court to be the man behind the threats to hold back information about suicide bombers and terrorists. He faces accusations that he himself took more than £1bn in secret payments from the arms company BAE.

He was accused in yesterday's high court hearings of flying to London in December 2006 and uttering threats which made the prime minister, Tony Blair, force an end to the Serious Fraud Office investigation into bribery allegations involving Bandar and his family.

The threats halted the fraud inquiry, but triggered an international outcry, with allegations that Britain had broken international anti-bribery treaties.

Lord Justice Moses, hearing the civil case with Mr Justice Sullivan, said the government appeared to have "rolled over" after the threats. He said one possible view was that it was "just as if a gun had been held to the head" of the government.

The SFO investigation began in 2004, when Robert Wardle, its director, studied evidence unearthed by the Guardian. This revealed that massive secret payments were going from BAE to Saudi Arabian princes, to promote arms deals.

Yesterday, anti-corruption campaigners began a legal action to overturn the decision to halt the case. They want the original investigation restarted, arguing the government had caved into blackmail.

....

[Mr. P]

I think anyone who believes the Saudis are our friends are brain dead.

[Lee~*]

I think anyone who believes the Saudis are our friends are brain dead.

I second that emotion! Lee~*

[Kathianne]

http://www.investigativeproject.org/article/607

Wolf to Georgetown: Detail Use of Saudi Millions

by Steven Emerson
IPT News
February 15, 2008

A U.S. congressman is asking Georgetown University about its academic scrutiny of Saudi Arabia and its use of $20 million donated by a Saudi prince in 2005.

U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) wrote to Georgetown President John DeGioia Thursday, saying he was concerned about how the money was being spent at the university's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Of particular concern, Wolf said, was the university's role in training current and prospective U.S. foreign service personnel....

[JohnDoe]

Prince Bandar, the head of the Saudi national security council, and son of the crown prince, was alleged in court to be the man behind the threats to hold back information about suicide bombers and terrorists. He faces accusations that he himself took more than £1bn in secret payments from the arms company BAE.

So who is BAE, the defense company that bribed the prince?

BAE SYSTEMS AWARDED FIRST F-35 PRODUCTION CONTRACT16 Jan 2008 | Ref. 014/2008
BAE Systems has been awarded its first F-35 Low Rate Initial Production full funding contract worth over £25M.

The contract will see the company deliver the aft fuselage and empennage (vertical and horizontal tails) as well as key mission and vehicle systems for two Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) variants of F-35.

“This is a significant milestone for BAE Systems and for the F-35 team. The start of Low Rate Initial Production marks the transition from development to production of the F-35 programme and is a major step towards making the F-35 available to customers worldwide.” said Tom Fillingham, Managing Director F-35 Lightning II, BAE Systems.

“We will start assembly of the aft fuselage and empennage for these first production aircraft in 2008 and the first F-35 aircraft is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Air Force in 2010.”

http://www.baesystems.com/index.htm

[JohnDoe]

So who is BAE, the defense company that bribed the prince?

i think we should take the step to stop giving out our money in gvt contracts to people/cmpanies that give bribes to people like this Saudi Prince, who is deplorable!

That is basically what i was trying to point out in my previous post.

jd

[Kathianne]

So who is BAE, the defense company that bribed the prince?

In the 80's when the Congress passed laws prohibiting kickbacks to arms buyers, the Saudis went to UK whenever possible, so no surprise there.

[JohnDoe]

In the 80's when the Congress passed laws prohibiting kickbacks to arms buyers, the Saudis went to UK whenever possible, so no surprise there.

Thanks K,

great tidbit of info....that i did not know! jd

[Kathianne]

Thanks K,

great tidbit of info....that i did not know! jd

There's no doubt about Saudi Royalty and being corrupt.