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Controversial Attorney General to quit

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Britain’s Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith, whose six years in office were dogged by controversies, has announced his decision to resign when Prime Minister Tony Blair leaves office next week.

The surprise announcement came amid growing pressure on him over his role in calling off a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office into allegations that BAE Systems gave millions of pounds in bribes to swing a £43-billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

He was accused of acting under pressure from Mr Blair who justified the decision on grounds of national interest. As the “bribes” scandal grew, there was much speculation that he was not likely to be included in the new government under Gordon Brown.

Lord Goldsmith was also attacked for his advice on the legality of the Iraq invasion. It was alleged that he caved in to political pressure from Downing Street in declaring that the invasion would be legal under international law.

Documents, which would show how he came to that judgement, have never been made public despite calls from MPs.

In his resignation letter, he referred to the “important legal questions” over the “conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan” as among the “challenges” he faced during his tenure. He said he had wanted to move on for sometime and this was the right time to do it.

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