From Canadian Business:
BAE Systems PLC says first half profit rise, boosted by demands in Iraq, Afghanistan
David Stringer
August 1, 2008 – 07:31 a.m.
LONDON (AP) – BAE Systems PLC, Europe’s largest defense contractor, said Friday that first-half profit rose 14 percent, chiefly because of demand for armored vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Net profit in the six months to June 30 rose to 586 million pounds ($1.16 billion) from 515 million pounds in the same period a year ago. Revenue rose to 7.09 billion pounds ($14.05 billion) from 6.35 billion. …
Olver said Saudi Arabia remains a key overseas market, predicting that BAE will add to the 4,600 staff already employed there by the group. BAE is focussed on modernizing the Saudi armed forces, including the replacement of Tornado fighter jets with new Typhoon aircraft from next year.
But the company’s dealings with Saudi Arabia have been under intense scrutiny and are being investigated by authorities in the United States and Switzerland.
A controversial decision by Britain’s anti-fraud agency to halt an inquiry in 2006 into whether BAE offered bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts in Saudi Arabia was on Wednesday upheld by the country’s highest court.
The House of Lords committee decided unanimously that the Serious Fraud Office had acted lawfully when it decided to end the inquiry into the case.
Then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that Saudi officials would have likely withheld crucial cooperation on anti-terrorism intelligence if the inquiry continued.
The Serious Fraud Office currently is investigating possible BAE bribes to Tanzania, Romania, Chile and the Czech Republic in other arms contracts.
Olver said the company’s outlook for 2008 looks positive, with more orders for armored and mine protected vehicles likely — particularly to protect NATO forces in Afghanistan.
See also here.
Crisis, what crisis? for at least some people. This, however, will not stop corrupt BAE capitalists joining in with the chorus of ExxonMobil capitalists, Shell capitalists and other capitalists, clamoring for less well off people to “tighten their belts” because of bad times …
Jack Straw and BAE: here.
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
Posted by: “frankofbos” FrankOfBos@yahoo.com
Sat Aug 2, 2008 2:09 am (PDT)
Info Bush Keeps from Public to Protect Saudi Friends is “damning” –
Bush History 8/2
An LA Times story says that the info that President Bush keeps from the
public about 9/11 is “damning” to the Saudi government. The Bush
family has long ties and loyalties to the Saudis. Also, military
officers protests that Bush actions might harm captured US troops seem
to fall on deaf ears.
Read the details …
http://poorgeorgesalmanac.com/?p=355
Today’s categories: Failing the Troops, Human Rights/Human Wrongs, Revolt of the Generals, The Saudi’s Lapdog
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IAM A CONTRACTOR THAT JUST FINISHED AT
BAE IN PA. THE REGULAR EMPLOYEES ARE UNFRIENDLY AND DISLIKE CONTRACTORS . THE CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE A WHILE
TRY AND GET YOU FIRED . THE DESIGN SKILLS OF THIS COMPANY ARE AS CRUDE AS THE STONE AGE
THEY TOLERANCE PARTS LIKE THERE WERE SLAPPING
TOGETHER A TREE FORT. THE COMPANY IS A WAR PROFITEER AND DOSENT CARE ABOUT OUR ARMY
IN FACT BAE IS BASE IN ENGLAND AND PAYS
LITTLE US TAX EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE MADE BILLIONS. THIS COMPANY IS A DICRACE TO OUR
COUNTRY.
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Hi eric, I hope these points will become more widely known; and that the new Obama administration and/or others will act upon them.
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Firm signs ‘billion-euro’ Saudi security contract
Thursday 02 July 2009
European armaments firm EADS NV has won a major contract with Saudi Arabia to supply a border security system covering over 5,600 miles of the kingdom’s land and sea frontiers.
The firm didn’t disclose the value of the contract, but French weekly news magazine Le Point reported that it was worth about €2 billion (£1.72bn).
The security system will be put in place over the next five years.
EADS beat French, British and US rivals for the contract, with Thales, British Aerospace and Raytheon reportedly being in the running.
Saudi Arabia’s arms spending has been growing at one of the fastest rates in the world in recent years thanks to the oil-price boom earlier this decade.
The kingdom spent $38.3bn (£23.37bn) on “defence” last year and this is forecast to rise to $43.5bn (£26.55bn) this year, according to Jane’s Defence Budgets.
The US, Britain and France are Saudi Arabia’s largest military suppliers.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/world/firm_signs_billion_euro_saudi_security_contract
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U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales: report
Sun Sep 6, 2009 7:38pm EDT
By Jasmin Melvin
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States accounted for more than two-thirds of foreign weapons sales in 2008, a year in which global sales were at a three-year low, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
Citing a congressional study released on Friday, the Times said the United States was involved in 68.4 percent of the global sales of arms.
U.S. weapons sales jumped nearly 50 percent in 2008 despite the global economic recession to $37.8 billion from $25.4 billion the year before.
The jump defied worldwide trends as global arms sales fell 7.6 percent to $55.2 billion in 2008, the report said. Global weapons agreements were at their lowest level since 2005.
Italy, the second ranked country, amassed only $3.7 billion in arms sales, while Russia ranked third with sales falling to $3.5 billion in 2008, down from $10.8 billion in 2007.
The report attributed the increase in U.S. sales to “major new orders from clients in the Near East and in Asia” as well as to continued contracts for equipment and support services with globally based U.S. clients, the Times said.
The United States also led in arms sales to the developing world, signing 70.1 percent of these weapons agreements at a value of $29.6 billion in 2008, the report said.
Such deals with the developing world included a $6.5 billion air defense system for the United Arab Emirates, a $2.1 billion jet fighter for Morocco and a $2 billion attack helicopter for Taiwan.
India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil also reached weapons deals with the United States, the Times said.
The report revealed the United Arab Emirates was the top buyer of arms in the developing world with $9.7 billion in arms purchases in 2008.
Saudi Arabia ranked second with $8.7 billion in weapons agreements, and Morocco was third with $5.4 billion in deals.
(Reporting by Jasmin Melvin; Editing by Chris Wilson)
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