Saudis confirm Eurofighter order (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Saudi Arabia has said it will start taking deliveries of 72 Eurofighter jets from UK defence company BAE Systems "very soon".

The comments come a month after the Serious Fraud Office controversially dropped an investigation into a 1980s BAE Systems deal with Saudi Arabia.

It was reported that the Saudis had threatened to cancel the Eurofighter deal unless the probe was halted.

The UK government said the inquiry was dropped for national security reasons.

Yet critics attacked the move, saying the government had put commercial interest before ethics and had given in to Saudi blackmail.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6238633.stm

I hope Bu**sh** doesn't learn the UK has a "Serious Fraud Office" ... no doubt he'll want one too, at least until the inevitable clarification.

[ewagner]

1. So....did they

choose the Eurofighter over the F-22 Raptor?

Is this a payback for offending the Saudi Government?

Did this have anything to do with Cheney's being "summoned" to Saudi Arabia?

These deals are generally steeped in political intrigue and I'm sure there's a huge story behind this.

[Texifornia]

2. Exactly!

That is exactly what this is.

Count on Abdulla throwing his weight around....he's no pushover like Fahd.

[FogerRox]

3. ewagner, excellent points/questions

SA went to Pakistan to buy its new gen short range ICBMs:

http://rdanafox.blogspot.com/2006/12/now-middle-east-gets-interesting.html

Pakistan nukes could fit on those Pakistan missiles too.

[Nihil]

4. Woohoo! Blackmail wins again!

Don't you just love it when Blair proves that blackmailers win every time?

:puke: