Saudis Pressured Tony Blair Into Shutting Down Bribery Probe

Newsweek:

The United Kingdom's highest court today provided new details of how the Saudis pressured British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government to shut down a politically embarrassing bribery investigation two years ago that implicated the Saudi ambassador to Washington. The ruling, by a House of Lords judicial panel, offers an unusually revealing window into how international power politics is played in the post-9/11 era.

The five-member panel recounts how Blair, faced with Saudi threats to cut off cooperation on counterterrorism operations, personally intervened to scuttle a criminal investigation into billions of dollars in allegedly improper payments made by British Aerospace Systems (BAE) to obtain Saudi contracts.

But the former prime minister, the court found, acted out of good faith: he and his advisers were genuinely worried that, if the Saudis followed through on their threats, it could lead to another "7/7"--British shorthand for the devastating July 7, 2005, terrorist bombings in the London subway system that killed 52 commuters and injured 700.

Read the whole story: Newsweek

Comments

[RTIII]

Were it me, I'd at least have kept the investigation going, even if I withheld prosecution...

Better to _have_ the goods than not!
.

[Whinger]

Money says jump, Tony says how high!

You can trust a thief before a bLiar!

[vietveter]

Bu$hes buttboy has no spine

One more wealthy crook

England is well shed of him

[repugnicansfearme]

Pressure??!! Tony Blair does not cave to pressure!! Mean looks and someone sticking their tongue out, yes, he wets his trousers, but not pressure. No indeed sir!

[madmatt]

So blair caved in to a terrorist threat issued by the saudis so as to prevent a terrorist threat...what a scumbag...he should of just published the saudi threat and let public opinion go to work on the saudi scum!

[TekBoss]

What a bunch of poo. These guys are all so crooked it is a wonder they can stand up straight.

I wish to God whe had politicians with the back bone to stand up to Bush and Blair and the rest and THROW THEIR ASSES IN JAIL!

[layman]

Birds of a feather flock together.
Rich kids in position of power. People suffer.

[RJII]

whoa, the Saudis control Britain, like they do the US. It really sucks when your president is in their pockets.

[RTIII]

Yeah. WE wouldn't know what THAT is like, now would we?

P.S. they call them Prime Ministers..

[Grunty1]

"But the former prime minister, the court found, acted out of good faith: he and his advisers were genuinely worried that, if the Saudis followed through on their threats, it could lead to another "7/7"--"

YIKES. The British officials are willing to openly admit that the Saudis, our allies, are actually the terrorists?? Good for them.

Now get to work on the bribery probe again.

[debrouillard]

OOh Right!
When ever they do it,its called Out Of Good Faith,Being Patriotic.
But if another person does it,It is called something else in the line of a crime and especially if an Arab does it,then he is being referred to as either a terrorist or dictator.