52 former British diplomats criticize Blair Iraq/Israel policy; now, let the conflicts of interest begin!

"Chutzpah" is a term that apparently is well understood by these people: Many British ex-diplomats who issued anti-Blair policy statement are on the Arab take:

Some of the most prominent former diplomats who condemned Tony Blair's policies in the Middle East have business links with Arab governments, The Telegraph can reveal.

In a letter published last week, 52 former British diplomats condemned the invasion of Iraq and the Government's support for Israel.

The letter failed to disclose, however, that several of the key signatories, including Oliver Miles, the former British ambassador to Libya who instigated the letter, are paid by pro-Arab organisations.

Some of the others hold positions in companies seeking lucrative Middle East contracts, while others have unpaid positions with pro-Arab organisations.

The disclosure last night prompted allegations - denied by the diplomats - that they were merely promoting the interests of their clients. Andrew Dismore, the Labour MP for Hendon, said: "If an MP had made statements like these without declaring an interest in the subject they would have been before the standards and privileges committee (and) we would have had their guts for garters.

"This casts a very different light on what the former diplomats have said."

Did these morons really think that no one would check to see if they perhaps had some vested interest in this matter? Even better are the pathetic "I didn't know I was getting Arab money" so-called defenses from some of the now thoroughly discredited, IMO, signers of the statement found later in the Telegraph article...