With the obstructionist Blair out of the picture now and the US Justice Department pressing for answers - after all, BAE won the bid and not a US company - some tense moments are ahead and the special relationship is bound to be tested as the US and other OECD countries press for answers.
The Saudis and BAE say the payments were all above board. But Mr Blair said the Saudi royals privately made threats to cut off intelligence links unless the investigations were halted. He claimed this might increase the risk of British citizens being murdered in al-Qaida terrorist attacks "on British streets".To the frequent observer of Blair (or Bush, for that matter) the red flags are raised when threats of "terrorists will come home and kill us" and "national security" are thrown around to casually. It's all too easy to drop threats of fear for these people without regard for the impact on a population or the impact on a democracy and rule of law.
The US justice department has sent its formal request for mutual legal assistance to the Home Office in London. This was confirmed by the SFO at the weekend. If ministers refuse to cooperate, they will face a fresh international crisis. The OECD, which polices international anti-bribery treaties, has already accused Britain of potentially breaching those treaties.
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