Guardian Unlimited : Saudi Arabia links huge arms deal to expelling dissidents
Saudi Arabia-UK, Politics, 10/1/2005

The Guardian Unlimited reported on Tuesday that "If Downing Street bows to today's reported Saudi demands for concessions in the hope of a Eurofighter sale worth up to 40 billion (pounds), it will face dissent from the Foreign Office, the Serious Fraud Office, and British Airways. There will also be anger from such expatriate victims of Saudi behaviour as Ron Jones, who is trying to sue the regime for falsely imprisoning and torturing him."

The Guardian Unlimited said "The two dissidents that Saudi Arabia wants expelled from Britain are another sore point, although the London bombings have strengthened the hand of those who want them ejected. Mohammed al-Masari fled Saudi Arabia in 1994. The Major government, under pressure from Saudi Arabia and the arms company BAE, attempted unsuccessfully to deport him to Dominica in the Caribbean."

The Guardian Unlimited said "The expulsion of Saad al-Faqih, who has asylum and lives in Willesden, north London, would be even more controversial. He told the Guardian the Saudis had been complaining about him since 1994 but he has only been engaged in peaceful political dissent." Al-Faqih added: "If the British goverment is led by the Saudis and naive tabloids, I will be in danger."

Guardian Unlimited spoke in the report about Saudi desire for British Airways to resume its halted flight to Saudi Arabia, flights halted for fear of terrorism.

Guardian Unlimited report that: "The Saudis' third demand, that the BAE corruption investigation be dropped, seems difficult to comply with at this stage. The Serious Fraud Office, which would not comment on the allegations, has devoted a sizeable budget to its joint investigation with the Ministry of Defence police fraud squad... BAE's chief executive, Mike Turner, told the Sunday Telegraph in June that the Saudis had already made representations to the UK government over the corruption allegations. "They don't, rightly, like the fact that members of their royal family are being named in our press."

Previous Stories:
  Faqih plays down Saudi pardon to imprisoned reformers   (8/10/2005)
  Riyadh appoints new ambassador to London   (8/9/2005)
  Saudi opposition reject allegiance to King Abdullah   (8/4/2005)

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