Soddim says: " It would seem to us that this mess might just draw the Americans closer to the Saudis."
Other option, which would probably not please the Americans too much, is business going to the French who would appear to be all over the Kingdom at the moment. Rafale could do with the order too.
I don't think we should underestimate the threat to British jobs outside the UK defence industry if the Saudi's go ahead with breaking diplomatic ties to the UK. There are a great many more British companies doing good business in the Kingdom.
I just wonder about all this SFO media stuff. Very unusual for an organisation like this to be seemingly conducting an enquiry into any business through the pages of a national newspaper (in this case The Guardian).
Surely, taking the British justice system into consideration, that in itself (a) can't be acceptable behaviour and (b) could prejudice any future case it might wish to bring. I can't see BAE Systems leaking the information that has appeared in print, which seems to follow a view that everyone is guilty, until proved innocent.
Mike Turner, BAE chief is consistent in his statement that his company has and is operating within the laws of the UK. Knowing a bit about this industry, he could also add that it operates within both European and, for BAE, US
anti-corruption legislation. It has no choice, in this respect.
The Telegraph had an editorial piece yesterday in which Jeff Randall criticised the SFO's three year investigation and The Guardian's 'dogged' campaign against BAE. He concluded it was time for the SFO to put names in the frame or close the book, as the longer it drags on the worse it will be for British commercial interests.
A sensible conclusion, in my view and possibly time someone forced the issue.