Corruption

Corruption is a major theme of the book. Corruption is a part of the culture of the Saudi royal family, according to Baer. There are more than thirty thousand members of the House of Sa'ud. They receive stipends from the king, which were generous under King Fahd. Many members of the royal family have lifestyles that exceed their stipends. They have palaces and huge estates around the world, yachts, expensive cars and like to spend their time in the casinos on the Riviera. They have to obtain money to support these extravagant life styles and many do it through corruption and crime. Bribery and kickbacks are a part of any business deal with the Saudis. Negotiating a deal to purchase aircraft from Boeing involves millions of dollars in kickbacks to the royal family member involved. The Saudis are used to buying whatever they want in terms of influence...