Forgive the thread creep revisited about this, but... DZ - how, exactly, do the stats back you up? If referring to the loss of GR1s, it was hardly the 'droves' you claimed in your initial post. Losses were expected to be considerably higher, and there was widespread surprise at the low casualty rate.
And your reference to the GR4 is still puzzling. The Tornado GR4 of Op Telic was a rather different beast to the GR1 of Granby and not just a GR1 with minor add ons and new paintwork.
With regard to BAE, is it not the case that the law now causing them such bad
PR came in to force in 2002, and that however morally repugnant/ overly entreprenuerial (delete as per opinion) the practice, any monies that may have been advanced to citizens of KSA prior to that date were perfectly legal so long such business transactions were done outside the UK? Or have I misunderstood this?
The other issue in the case - and something that one would have thought anyone of an anti-arms trade disposition would be pursuing if exercised by the idea of corruption in arms dealing - is whether or not other nations were making similar fiscal arrangements in a bid to secure the approval of the Saudi authorities for their products.