“The arms industry and its powerful political friends have forged a parallel political universe that largely insulates itself against the influence or judgement of others by invoking national security. This is the shadow world.” — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“Britain’s industry was kept buoyant by the decline of Empire, for as countries gained their independence they sought arms to enhance their status and… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“vividly revealed the arms industry’s ‘constant tendency towards bribery, and the playing off of one country against another to sell arms’. It also exposed the extent to which arms salesmen were supported by their governments: ‘It makes one wonder,’ commented the Senator, ‘whether the army or the navy are just organisations of salesmen for private industry, paid for by the… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“Mertins frequently upset his handlers, often selling to countries that were considered, at the very least, anti-American. His relationship with US Intelligence ended in 1972 during the Vietnam War,” — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“In August, Gehlen and a number of high-ranking colleagues were transported under Boker’s watch to Washington in the private plane of a US General and from there to the Pentagon. After initially being placed in solitary confinement,5 within a year, having impressed US Intelligence, who trained him intensively, Gehlen was returned to Germany to head a massive US-backed German spy-ring… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“To secure a contract, a company must secure the support not merely of a senior prince, often through an established agent through whom very… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“Unwilling to borrow substantially from abroad, the Saudis’ profligate arms spending was under threat. Some of the equipment bought under the first phase of Al Yamamah was intended to be sold on to Iraq but the end of the Iran–Iraq War in 1988 left the Saudis without a buyer.” — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“the biggest problem the Saudis had to contend with was the inadequacies of Airwork, the providers of the training and maintenance contracts. The company’s commitments proved beyond its resources. The Ministry of Defence was compelled to become more deeply involved. Ex-RAF pilots were recruited to fly the planes, becoming, in effect, sponsored mercenaries to the Saudis; and eventually the British… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“Merex produced police equipment – binoculars, bullet-proof jackets, radios and so on.” — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“Caught between two global forces, Gehlen and Wessel chose the West. Coming to this realization, Gehlen and his organization made plans. Large dossiers of German intelligence on Soviet activities, which included surveillance photos of Russian industrial complexes and detailed intelligence on the capacity of the Soviet air force, were consolidated and hidden, often in makeshift holes beneath the floorboards of… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“general amorality of the weapons business in their disdain for any kind of control over the arms trade, their dislike of attempts to promote… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“Over time, the Saudis gave $32m to the Contras.86 The routing of this money was linked to the AWACS sale in that a fund was created from the sale, from which the Contras’ monthly money was diverted.87 Bandar would say later: ‘I didn’t give a damn about the Contras – I didn’t even know where Nicaragua was.’88 This support was… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share
“The arms trade – an intricate web of networks between the formal and shadow worlds, between government, commerce and criminality – often makes us… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
