In an unusual step, BAE Systems, Britain’s largest military manufacturer, criticised one of its biggest customers on 26 January.
Roger Carr, BAE chair, told Sky News: ‘Two issues damaged the position of Saudi Arabia in the eyes of the world – the Khashoggi affair is one of them and also the war in Yemen.’
In relation to Jamal Khashoggi, ‘[p]oliticians didn’t believe the way that was done and handled was appropriate or acceptable and that’s exactly right’, said Carr (emphasis added). His words suggest that assassinating the Saudi journalist was not wrong in itself. Carr said BAE was helping Saudi Arabia to end the Yemen war ‘as soon as possible’.
Topics: Arms trade, Yemen