Yer man F Forsyth often irritates me when he pontificates on things military and that shaded blue (light or dark, no preference) in particular. On this occasion in the Daily Express ( http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/ourcomments/view/9973 ), though, (OK, it's the Express) he shows a fair understanding of the matter.
An insight to dealing with Arabs and Orientals;
your most senior sales rep will never meet the king or the ministers, all his brothers and cousins. You have to engage the services of an intermediary. The closer to the throne, the better your chances. And yes, there will be a hefty commission fee. But there would be anywhere in the world. We secured the services of Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a Cranwell-educated fighter pilot and firmly pro-British (well, he was until the complainers got stuck in). He is the son of Prince Sultan, the defence minister, then and now. You could not get a higher-placed representative. That is why we got it and the French lost. But here is the rub.
The Saudis paid in oil, not cash, so how to pay the commissions? The Prince did not want a percentage of the oil so it had to be direct from BAE Systems to him, in the form of a bank transfer. But was it too much? Whatever the price of the fighters or the commission, that was the deal we cut 20 years ago and if you renege on a signed and sealed deal you will never do business in that, or any, part of the world again because word spreads.
Second, he was the conduit for a whole range of other agents who had worked under him on different parts of the deal.
Third, though it looks enormous it is not vast in percentage terms.
It's a shame that he spoils it in his last sentence
Now the £20billion Tornado deal will go through. The craftsmen at Filton and Bristol will keep their jobs. Rare as it is, well done Tony Blair.