Favorite bagman in the Middle East for Brits & Uncle Sugar
The cigar-smoking Prince Bandar bin Sultan has
been breezing into the White House and Downing Street for more than 20 years
now, working closely with prime ministers and presidents.
“I was paid for marketing services”
The cigar-smoking Prince Bandar bin Sultan has been breezing into the White House and Downing Street for more than 20 years now, working closely with prime ministers and presidents.
His personal Airbus, painted in the silver and blue colours of his favourite American football team, the Dallas Cowboys, is a familiar sight on both sides of the Atlantic, and he has landing rights at RAF Brize Norton, the airfield nearest to his Oxfordshire country estate.
Approached by Mrs Thatcher in December 1984 to ask for help in getting BAE Systems a fresh weapons contract, Prince Bandar got to work. The newly appointed Saudi ambassador to Washington cleared the deal with the Reagan administration, which was unable to sell to Saudi Arabia for fear of pro-Israeli congressional opposition.
The Al-Yamamah deal was to last for 20 years. It generated £43bn for BAE. It also got the Prince £120m a year in kickbacks!
An inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) into the transactions behind the £43bn Al-Yamamah arms deal is understood to have uncovered details of the payments to Prince Bandar. But the investigation was halted last December by the SFO after a review by the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith.
According to those familiar with the discussions at the time, Lord Goldsmith had warned colleagues that British “government complicity” was in danger of being revealed unless the SFO’s corruption inquiries were stopped.
British governments - Labour or Tory - it made no difference.
The money? It was funneled through Riggs Bank, the largest in Washington, DC. Notorious for money-laundering for dictators from around the world. Never investigated until the 9/11 Commission.
Posted: Thu - June 7, 2007 at 08:32 AM