(Guardian-UK) Ewen MacAskill and Rob Evans - Saudi Arabia has asked for three favors from Tony Blair and Defense Secretary John Reid, who have been to Riyadh trying to sell BAE Systems' Typhoon fighter planes. The Saudis want London-based dissidents expelled, British Airways to resume flights to Riyadh, and a major corruption investigation into BAE and a Saudi prince to be dropped. The Saudis' third demand seems difficult to comply with at this stage. The Serious Fraud Office has devoted a sizeable budget to its joint investigation with the Ministry of Defense police fraud squad. Last month it made a fresh round of arrests for questioning, after discovering a fleet of luxury cars supplied to Prince Turki bin Nasr had been shipped out of London this year.
2005-09-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive