/View.info/ Before embarking on my brief research, I would like to highlight the reason why I decided to write this article. I came across a hidden camera made by the British newspaper The Sun, where one of the prominent politicians in the Labor Party snorts cocaine and discusses various issues. At one point he was asked about Blair, and his reply was eloquent: “Tony Blair is making crazy money at the moment.”
After leaving their high-ranking posts, the heads of state indulge in a well-deserved rest or resume their party activities. Others start doing charity work, start foundations and spread a message through them. Some began to engage in lobbying and protection of private and corporate interests. The last group are those who start their own business or become part of an extremely successful company, getting quite good positions. Regardless of their activity, they do not go hungry, nor do they suffer from a lack of financial capital. The latter applies with particular force to one of the most colorful and controversial figures in British politics – the former prime minister from the Labor Party, Tony Blair.
Infamously nicknamed “Bush’s Poodle”, this politician bears sole responsibility for bringing Britain into the war against Iraq, which was launched because of suspicions in the Western elite that Saddam Hussein possessed “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. This, of course, turned out to be a fabricated lie – the reason for the invasion of Iraq. The New York Times recently released an op-ed showing that even if Saddam had such weapons, they were supplied to him courtesy of the West.(1.) Then, in his role as leader of the nation, he skillfully convinces his compatriots of his lofty and moral policy, which will “save” the poor Iraqi population from the “dictator”, and peace, prosperity and freedom will permanently settle in the country. Unfortunately, recent events suggest the exact opposite, but that’s a topic for another conversation.
An inquiry was launched against Blair a few years ago into his decision to take this path to war, but despite the profuse sweating and slurred speech, there was, and will never be, a verdict. The English establishment would not allow such an important figure to be crushed and humiliated in this way, much less be imprisoned. So we are left with one question: “Where is Tony Blair today? What is the former British Prime Minister doing?”
Wall Street.JP Morgan & Chase.
Immediately after leaving the post of Prime Minister, Tony Blair was appointed to the post of financial advisor at the American bank JP Morgan Chase. His starting salary was about 500,000 pounds a year, which was subsequently increased to 2 million. He was expected to use his network of connections in Britain and the Middle East to serve the bank’s interests. He works closely with CEO Jamie Dimon. He himself states:
“We are moving our business around the world and Tony Blair will bring to our leadership and client team a unique and invaluable global perspective that is very important in these turbulent times. Our company will greatly benefit from his knowledge and experience.”
It is good to note that in 2003, after the invasion of Iraq, during his tenure, JP Morgan Chase obtained the rights to run the Commercial Bank of Iraq.
During his trial, regarding the war and his decisions, a young man bursts into the courtroom and begins to accuse the former prime minister.
“This man is a war criminal. JP Morgan paid him for the war. Three months after it started, he handed over the Bank of Iraq to JP Morgan for $20 billion. They paid him $6 million for this service, and to this day he still gets a lot of money from them. “
An embarrassed Blair, of course, denies these claims, but the fact that he works for this very company today makes things suspicious.
Blair and his visits to Libya
A senior official at the Libyan Investment Fund, which distributes and invests oil money in foreign countries, said Blair was one of three European businessmen who met frequently with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Saif al-Islam and his aides monitor the fund’s activities and often direct officials where to invest that money. According to this person, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the “endeavors” they decided to pursue came under pressure from Blair, a British businessman and former US diplomat. “Tony Blair’s visits were pure lobbying, banking deals with JP Morgan,” he adds.
The Sunday Telegraph claims that Blair made three visits to Tripoli, two of which were before the release of the perpetrator of the Lockerbie tragedy, Abdelbasset Ali Megrahi. These visits were organized with the special assistance of Colonel Gaddafi.
The connection Colombia – Abu Dhabi
Now that Blair is off the front lines of British politics, it’s unclear exactly who he’s currently working for. On rare occasions we learn of its clients – such as the regimes of Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan – all rich in natural resources.
So Colombia is also getting advice from Tony Blair Associates (TBA) on how to spend the nearly £2 billion it gets a year from mining. The Colombian government, however, does not pay fees for its services. Instead, TVA’s services are paid for by Mubdallah, an Abu Dhabi fund that bought a gold mine in Colombia where Blair is an adviser.
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, a body for strengthening the Kingdom’s ties with Arab countries, said: “These events raise serious questions about the conflict of interest and Mr Blair’s role as a businessman and ambassador in The Middle East The UAE is supposed to be the leading country in its donation to Gaza and the West Bank, so the question is what is the priority for Tony Blair – his role as a diplomat or a businessman? all these contacts. There is still no transparency in these cases.”
This contract also raises concerns in Colombia as to why exactly the UAE is funding Blair and his role as an adviser. According to Ernesto Macias, a senator from Colombia’s Democratic Party, although the TVA does not receive funds for its consulting activities from the country’s national budget, Blair receives “valuable information that, in principle, should not reach consultants or advisors.” It also provides services to government and business interests in a country where workers’ rights are under constant attack with multiple casualties.
Serving the interests of “Big Money”
Colombia is not the only South American country to benefit from Tony Blair’s services. In Brazil, Blair has signed a £4m-a-year contract to advise the state administration of Sao Paulo, the economic engine behind the fast-growing economy.
Another Blair client is Mexico, where he attended a meeting between the bank’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, former Australian prime minister John Howard and Mexican President Nieto, as well as his finance minister, Luis Caso. According to Excelsior, one of the media that covered the meeting, the banking giant expressed interest in the Mexican government’s recent reforms in the areas of energy, finance, education and taxes, as well as “a desire to expand investment in the economy.” During his trip to Mexico, Blair lectured on government reforms, with particular emphasis on opening the country up to fracking.
Conflict of interest
As for Tony Blair, you never know whose interests he serves – those of the corporations or what he is paid for with public money – the protection of the public interest.
When he left politics in 2007, he immediately landed a high-paying job at JP Morgan Chase and Zurich International (a Swiss insurer). Although officially working as a “global warming adviser”, he was also involved in other things. In 2012, Blair brokered the £50bn merger between Swiss mining giant Xstrata and Glencore, working from a flat in London’s Claridge’s Hotel, for which he was paid £630,000 for just one hour’s work.
Whether lobbying for JP Morgan in Libya, advising the government in Kazakhstan, or pocketing the money from the war in Iraq, while of course receiving £70,000 for his service as British Prime Minister, Blair is a very controversial figure. Wherever he goes, whoever he works with, he makes a lot of money. Tony Blair is the perfect ambassador for a deeply rotten system of national and global governance.
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