That appealing Mr Clegg?

From an email that is 'doing the rounds':

'Enjoyed the Leaders Debates in Britain? Found Nick Clegg cute and appealing? Think again!

Behind the Obama-clone charisma and charm there lurks a danger for Britain.

Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat leader, who is coming into the upcoming British elections in an enhanced position is close, very close, to Nadhmi Auchi. If you care about shady characters behind those who rule I suggest you indulge yourself in a crash course on Mr. Auchi:

His personal fortune in excess of two billion Sterling makes him Britain's 32nd richest person. He has lived in Britain since 1980.
...
Auchi has funded the notorious George Galloway in his 'Viva Palestina' aids convoy with which he tried to break the blockage on Gaza.
Auchi recently said, "In the past the Arab community has not actively participated in British political life (!). I believe this is changing and we are now close to finding a party that is not only sympathetic to our views but whose policies actively seek to address our concerns".
Nadhmi Auchi made these remarks at a fund raising banquet in honour of Nick Clegg.
Auchi established the Anglo-Arab Organisation to promote understanding between Britain and the Arab world.
...
Auchi's Middle East Online website promotes material from well-known anti-Israelis, including Jeff Gates who runs the anti-Israel 'Criminal State' blog.

...

The banquet was organised under the Anglo-Arab Organisation banner. Alan Duncan, a Conservative Shadow Minister, is listed as a patron.
At the banquet, Clegg said that "the Arab community's values sit deep in the soul of the Liberal Democrats. I feel that there is a conjunction of aspirations, hopes, and values between members of the British Arab community and many of the things that the Liberal Democracts stand for today".
The Liberal Democrat leader has condemned Israel's action in Gaza saying "We will not stand aside when unimaginable human suffering is taking place".
Nahmi Auchi was convicted of fraud in the French Elf-Aquitaine oil company trial in 2003. He was given a suspended sentence.
Auchi is also involved in the case of a convicted Chicago fraudster, Tony Rezko, who was involved in a land deal with Barack Obama.

A US court revoked Rezko's bail when prosecutors discovered that Auchi had wired Rezko $3,500,000 from a Lebanese account.
Auchi is banned from into the US. Since 2003 Auchi has invested heavily in Iraq.

...

Clegg is not alone in his party for siding with Muslim and anti-Israel causes. The tongue of Jenny Tonge has exposed his party of openly anti-Israel sentiments.
More recently William Wallace, importantly the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, openly boasted that he had meetings with members of the Hamas terror organisation.
He also threatened to torpedo the renewal of the Israel-EU trade agreement, thereby hinting at support for a boycott of Israel.

...

My pre-Presidential predictions about Obama were spot on. They derived from a study of his close associates. As with Obama, you judge your politicians by those they associate with and are influenced by. These Clegg predictions will also, sadly, affect Israel and British Jewry.
As did Americans, I expect the Brits to go for the cheesecake smiles and ignore the subplot.

A closing warning to Israel. Beware of the country with whom you share classified intelligence information; the leaders may be closer to your enemies than you think.'

The above are not my views but those of the 'emailer' however the claims seem to fit with what The JC wrote last week, an article that included this

'Mr Auchi is fiercely protective of his reputation and has used libel lawyers Carter-Ruck to force several newspapers and blogs to remove references to his activities. Despite Lord Steel's approaches, Mr Lamb raised this issue in a Commons debate on libel in December 2008: "It is alleged that Mr Auchi and his lawyers, Carter Ruck, have been making strenuous efforts to close down public debate."'

The Mail also wrote about Mr Auchi and Mr Clegg the previous week, an article that included this denial:

'A Lib Dem spokesman insisted last night there was no ‘close association’ between Mr Clegg and Mr Auchi. ‘I don’t think it was an error of judgment for Nick Clegg to have attended that dinner. Nick attended because of his interest in Anglo-Arab issues.’'

Mr Clegg has had an easy ride, maybe now the media will question his choice of friends as well as his profiteering at the pockets of the EU when an MEP and his refusal to return a large donation from a convicted fraudster. On the latter matter, the Lib Dem line is always that they accepted the monies in good faith; is that really an acceptable defence in law? I would have thought not.

Of course in reality, anti-Israel sentiment and indeed anti-Semitism runs deep in the UK, so I doubt Nick Clegg will be tackled on his links to Nadhmi Auchi, indeed they might well win him some votes, as his opposition to the invasion of Iraq did in 2005.