Whether or not anyone from BAE Sys needs, in due course, to prove their innocence, the Saudi Arabian withdrawal will put a significant dent in the British aviation and defence business. It is worthwhile remembering that this is one of the few manufacturing sectors we have left, let alone its contribution to our balance of payments (not that anyone seems to care about that anymore). The Guardian, who seem to have been stoking this quite nicely, will have achieved a political aim of the old fashioned Liberals and Socialists. There are probably hordes of similar thinking individuals embedded in the Civil Service and other Public appointments who will grasp at the chance to damage our international arms trade. Would you say this matter has been allowed a significant level of leakage to the Media?
As I flippantly tried to say in Srl 2, there are some countries that expect "gifts" as part of any trade deal. We either trade with them on their terms or not at all. There are always others that will unless the custom is made illegal in international law. Soddim makes that point well at Srl 15. It's the way Arabs do business and to them it's not immoral. It's an exchange of gifts; as lame as that may sound to our democratic Western, dare I say "Christian", ears. So if it's alright by them, why has the SFO investigations made them spit the dummy? We have implied that they are "criminals" and corrupt in Western eyes. Behind their back, their private affairs have been "violated" (eg poking around in a private bank account). That is no doubt the way they will see it. Arabs, whatever else one thinks of them, are proud and sensitive. We all remember the fuss over ITV broadcasting "Death of a Princess", don't we? On that occasion it cost UK PLC money as well.
It's interesting to note the responses this matter has provoked. In the tree hugging fraternity outside this Forum, seeming joy that Britain's arms trade has been damaged and our place in the World, however slightly, diminished. No doubt there will be similar glee from our foreign competitors who will now know to be more careful how they make gifts. Within the Forum, we see similar joy from the prospect of BAE Sys getting a good kicking. well, BAE Sys have severely p**sed me off many times in the past and will, no doubt, many times in the future but, like it or not, it's the only big player we've got. Whatever damages them damages all their suppliers, sub-contractors and, in turn, the rest of our consumer economy that feeds off them.
Human nature makes me say that I hope that the SFO draws an inconclusive blank and that BAE Sys sues the a**se off the Government. That's not very bright, though, as it's a classic home goal and each and every one of us will eventually pay for it.