Adebayor's started so well for Man City
Should the PM reopen the inquiry into BAE and Saudi Arabia?
Tony Blair stopped a Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BAE's £43billion contract to sell warplanes and weapons systems to the Saudis. The SFO investigation was into allegations that BAE illegally paid as much as £1billion in kickbacks to a senior Saudi prince as part of the deal. Mr Blair blocked the inquiry after the Saudi government threatened to stop sharing intelligence on Islamic terrorist groups. Yesterday the High Court said the government's interference was unlawful and they condemned the "abject surrender" to SA.
So what should Gordon Brown do? Bow to what some call blackmail from the Saudis? Put national security ahead of alleged corruption? Or allow the SFO to reopen the investigation because courruption must be investigated?
Yes they should open the enquiry but even if they do, just to make it look good, it will undoubtebly be s stitch up.
Just like any 'unlikely' future public enquiry as to why we went to war against Iraq, any enquiry involving arms deals or anything to do with defence will be crammed with 'Enron' type business archetypes and right-wing pro-warmongers who will be all out to cover up one stark reality that confronts the human race today.
This is quite simply that capitalism and the global politicians that manage it need to foster war and hostility regardless of what tin pot dictatorships they work with, in order to win profits and orders for private arms dealers and manufacturers. What a system!
Yes, they should reopen it and prosecute. The idea of British business men and women using this excuse for their illegal activities in any business environment is a disgrace. Furthermore, it's time we did something about the way we interact with the Saudis. After all the international protest and sanctions against South Africa we continue to deal with a state that segregates its people and punishes one half of them at least as severely, and shows even less respect for the sanctity of life and human rights. And for our law and integrity, clearly.
But there is another issue here. Whatever happened to separation of powers? This is a government wanting to override the rule of law to save itself embarrassment and inconvenience and help their mates. If we tolerate that we can wave goodbye to any pretence of democracy. They've already ridden roughshod over habeas corpus and the right to jury trials in some cases, are we going to allow this too?