Friday, December 15, 2006
Telling it like it is on the Saudi prosecution. So sue me.
The decision to drop the prosecution into BAE systems alleged corruption of the Saudi's leaves me absolutley appalled on so many levels. Not the decision to drop the prosecution which I fully support but the load of sanctimonious claptrap that is having its five minutes of righteous indignation.
If I was running the country we would have a massive shift away from the oil economy so you can't blame me for the mess that we are in but the fact is that the world economy is reliant on the cheap and plentiful supply of oil. This includes Britain as much as any other country.
Therefore it is our interests to see the continuation in office of the Saudi royal family. The reality is that it is not a nice regime but if we look at the alternative of militant political islamism then I know one which I prefer , ie actually live in the real world because the saudi's aren't going to convert to westernized liberal social democracy anytime soon.
Instead of attempting this absurd prosecution which is really the business of the Saudi's we should be lobbying the Saudi government on human rights as this my help the lives of ordinary saudi's and strengthen the Saudi royals. Why should the SFO care whether a corrupt regime take British or French bribes? Personally I think it is more important that we tackle Saudi torture than Saudi corruption. One step at a time.
There is lets be frank a huge amount of money and jobs at stake. This is not something that the government can blithly ignore to please the the likes of Iain Dale who must be deluding himself if he thinks that any other serious party of government would have decided anything different.
Also let us be in no doubt that our relationship with Saudi is one of key strategic importance and not just on the issue of oil but also on the issue of terrorism where cooperation on intelliengence could well prevent an atrocity on the streets of this nation.
There we go rant over. ¶ 11:35 am
If I was running the country we would have a massive shift away from the oil economy so you can't blame me for the mess that we are in but the fact is that the world economy is reliant on the cheap and plentiful supply of oil. This includes Britain as much as any other country.
Therefore it is our interests to see the continuation in office of the Saudi royal family. The reality is that it is not a nice regime but if we look at the alternative of militant political islamism then I know one which I prefer , ie actually live in the real world because the saudi's aren't going to convert to westernized liberal social democracy anytime soon.
Instead of attempting this absurd prosecution which is really the business of the Saudi's we should be lobbying the Saudi government on human rights as this my help the lives of ordinary saudi's and strengthen the Saudi royals. Why should the SFO care whether a corrupt regime take British or French bribes? Personally I think it is more important that we tackle Saudi torture than Saudi corruption. One step at a time.
There is lets be frank a huge amount of money and jobs at stake. This is not something that the government can blithly ignore to please the the likes of Iain Dale who must be deluding himself if he thinks that any other serious party of government would have decided anything different.
Also let us be in no doubt that our relationship with Saudi is one of key strategic importance and not just on the issue of oil but also on the issue of terrorism where cooperation on intelliengence could well prevent an atrocity on the streets of this nation.
There we go rant over. ¶ 11:35 am
