“The use of oil as the medium of exchange for the Al Yamamah contracts made bribes easier to hide, allowed Saudi Arabia to bypass OPEC’s restrictive quota guidelines and enabled the Saudi Ministry of Defence to continue to purchase weapons… — 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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“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
“Although the FBI and later the 9/11 Commission ultimately stated that the money was not intentionally being diverted to fund terrorists,9 investigators were surprised… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“Chinese authorities coveted a powerful and accurate 120mm cannon produced by the huge German conglomerate Rheinmetall. Mertins acquired the plans of the cannon and… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
“The deal, together with other initiatives to extend its military influence in the region, would culminate in the US using the kingdom as a… — Andrew Feinstein Copy Share Image
