the right to remain silent

Our sublime ports are still deafeningly silent on Al-Bandar report. Six weeks on the breakout of the biggest political scandal in this island’s modern history, and the authorities are yet to break their long fast of silence. (To be fair, so are the leaders of those in whose name this whole plan sought to shore up- mainstream Sunni Bahrain).

Or in the words of one Italian poet:

“Silent as a man to be shaved.”

But we can take a day sailing detour from Al-Bandar affair in KKA to another Abu-Bander affair in KSA. The Guardian of today (28/10) has a delicious sequel to its investigation of the famous Al-Yamama-Tornado deal. (The first part alleges Saudi princes received yachts and sexual favours in return). This time, someone in the British bureaucracy made the terrible gaffe of sending some of the deal's classified documents to the Archives. The mistake was soon rectified, but not before some of the juicy stuff, just like in our Al-Bandar case- found its way to a Xerox machine nearby. And the top man here is none other than Abu Bandar, HRH Prince Sultan.

You can read about here :

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foi/story/0,,1933764,00.html

This classified document briefs Thatcher on Sultan:

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Politics/documents/2006/10/27/PJ5_39BriefforThatcherSept85.pdf

"He is not highly intelligent but he has charm". " He speaks freely and authoritatively, though not always coherently".

Prince Saud:

"Very bright, but perhaps not so bright as he thinks".

And about Bandar himself:

" Born 1950, son of the Minister of Defence by a nigress. His father at first neglected him because of his dark skin, but later recognized his qualities".