I'm not certain that the Carlyle Group isn't a bit of a red herring here.
The UK has always been one of the main exporters of Arms and Munitions. From BSA (Birmingham Small Arms - an engineering group that went on to build motorcycles) through Vickers (Tanks, Rolls Royce engines etc) and BAe, we've sold guns, bombs, planes, tanks, and ships to one and all.
If they could pay.
Arms to Iraq and the BAe scandals are all part of the package. When VIPs needed kickbacks to guarantee contracts we'd happily pay in order that the folk involved bought our stuff rather than yours or the French manufacturers. If our bribes were bigger or better placed than the US's or the French equivalents, then we did the deal.
Business is business, after all, even when it's the arms business.
The Carlyle Group appears to be, if you like, the new Masons of the late 20th Century. All ills are ascribed to it. As a marketplace to launder Saudi money, or drugs money, or arms sales money or whatever, I can see it having some sort of despicable function.
When Roops or Lachlan or James becomes the leader of it, then I'll get really scared. GHWB had so many disagreements with GWB on foreign policy I doubt that the Carlyle Group had very much to do with Iraq War II, except perhaps by its members profiting on the quasi-military contract. I imagine Blackwater (or whatever its called now) has or had a representative somewhere in Carlyle, for example.
I remain uncertain about all this. Will delve a bit deeper before I have a proper opinion.
Re: some thoughts on the subject
The UK has always been one of the main exporters of Arms and Munitions. From BSA (Birmingham Small Arms - an engineering group that went on to build motorcycles) through Vickers (Tanks, Rolls Royce engines etc) and BAe, we've sold guns, bombs, planes, tanks, and ships to one and all.
If they could pay.
Arms to Iraq and the BAe scandals are all part of the package. When VIPs needed kickbacks to guarantee contracts we'd happily pay in order that the folk involved bought our stuff rather than yours or the French manufacturers. If our bribes were bigger or better placed than the US's or the French equivalents, then we did the deal.
Business is business, after all, even when it's the arms business.
The Carlyle Group appears to be, if you like, the new Masons of the late 20th Century. All ills are ascribed to it. As a marketplace to launder Saudi money, or drugs money, or arms sales money or whatever, I can see it having some sort of despicable function.
When Roops or Lachlan or James becomes the leader of it, then I'll get really scared. GHWB had so many disagreements with GWB on foreign policy I doubt that the Carlyle Group had very much to do with Iraq War II, except perhaps by its members profiting on the quasi-military contract. I imagine Blackwater (or whatever its called now) has or had a representative somewhere in Carlyle, for example.
I remain uncertain about all this. Will delve a bit deeper before I have a proper opinion.