Co-conspirators will remember Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s weird podcast with leftist supremos Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. What was that about?
The links between the new Syrian regime and Labour’s top brass are deeper. As Guido revealed, staff from Powell’s former consultancy (which he founded), Inter Mediate, are embedded in Al-Sharaa’s Presidential Office in Damascus. The government has repeatedly refused to say how much taxpayer’s cash is being funnelled to Powell’s old shop, the FCDO partially funds it…
So it’s no shock that when Al-Sharaa visited London in March for a handshake with Keir Starmer, there were other events on the programme. FCDO minister and Labour nepo baby Hamish Falconer hosted a roundtable in partnership with the Syrian British Business Council, which posted on Facebook:
“Following the main reception, the SBBC and the FCDO jointly hosted a private roundtable Chaired by Minister Hamish Falconer MP and attended by sponsors and members, as well as Rob Dixon, FCDO Director; Ann Snow, the UK Special Representative for Syria; and David Hunt, Head of the Iraq, Syria and Yemen Department . . . Notable guests also included SBBC member representative Mr. Bahaa Hariri and prospective members Mr. Wafic Said and Mr. Ayman Asfari.”
One name stands out there…
Wafic Said is a longtime businessman and was a key broker in the famous Al-Yamamah arms deal. Powell’s brother Charles is a trustee of the Said Foundation Trust and Chairman of the Said Business School Foundation. As Arab newspaper The National put it: “This personal connection and the work done by the Said Foundation has given Mr Powell a long-standing and extensive knowledge of the country and the issues it faces, according to those who know him”. The Tories recently called for an inquiry into Powell’s work with Inter Mediate and its web of interests…
Did Powell meet Wafic Said during the London visit? As regional outlet Sana put it: “the outcomes of President al-Sharaa’s visit were reflected in the immediate visit of UK-based Syrian businessman Wafic Saïd to Damascus the following day to begin establishing a major international-standard hotel. He said Saïd’s meeting with the president gave him momentum to launch this significant economic and tourism investment”. The proximity of the National Security Adviser to such activities is eyebrow raising to say the least, but don’t expect transparency under the Starmer premiership…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”