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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Saudis confirm Eurofighter order | Saudis confirm Eurofighter order |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Saudi Arabia has said it will start taking deliveries of 72 Eurofighter jets from UK defence company BAE Systems "very soon". | Saudi Arabia has said it will start taking deliveries of 72 Eurofighter jets from UK defence company BAE Systems "very soon". |
| The comments come a month after the Serious Fraud Office controversially dropped an investigation into a 1980s BAE Systems deal with Saudi Arabia. | The comments come a month after the Serious Fraud Office controversially dropped an investigation into a 1980s BAE Systems deal with Saudi Arabia. |
| It was reported that the Saudis had threatened to cancel the Eurofighter deal unless the probe was halted. | It was reported that the Saudis had threatened to cancel the Eurofighter deal unless the probe was halted. |
| The UK government said the inquiry was dropped for national security reasons. | The UK government said the inquiry was dropped for national security reasons. |
| Yet critics attacked the move, saying the government had put commercial interest before ethics and had given in to Saudi blackmail. | |
| 'Slush funds' | 'Slush funds' |
| BAE's 1980s Al Yamamah contract with Saudi Arabia - thought to have been worth £40m to the firm - involved Tornado and Hawk jets and a major airbase construction programme. | BAE's 1980s Al Yamamah contract with Saudi Arabia - thought to have been worth £40m to the firm - involved Tornado and Hawk jets and a major airbase construction programme. |
| The Serious Fraud Office's probe centred on accusations that the company had used slush funds to sweeten the deal, something BAE strongly denied. | The Serious Fraud Office's probe centred on accusations that the company had used slush funds to sweeten the deal, something BAE strongly denied. |
| The Saudi's latest comments, the first since the Serious Fraud Office dropped its probe, were made by Prince Sultan bin Abdul, the country's defence minister. | The Saudi's latest comments, the first since the Serious Fraud Office dropped its probe, were made by Prince Sultan bin Abdul, the country's defence minister. |
| Quoted by the official Saudi news agency, he said the 72 Eurofighter planes "will be sent to the kingdom very soon at specific dates". | Quoted by the official Saudi news agency, he said the 72 Eurofighter planes "will be sent to the kingdom very soon at specific dates". |
| The Eurofighter deal, which was negotiated between the UK Ministry of Defence and the Saudi government, is worth an estimated £10bn to BAE. | The Eurofighter deal, which was negotiated between the UK Ministry of Defence and the Saudi government, is worth an estimated £10bn to BAE. |
| A separate Serious Fraud Office investigation is continuing into a 1999 contract between BAE and the South African government. | A separate Serious Fraud Office investigation is continuing into a 1999 contract between BAE and the South African government. |