This award has never been made public either by the British government or Bechtel. At the time Jack Straw, now Leader of the House of Commons, was Foreign Secretary. Although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing, questions are being asked about whether the Foreign Office kept the awards quiet for fear of a political backlash.
But the Foreign Office says this is normal practice. On releasing the information, the Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, said: 'Honorary awards to citizens where Her Majesty the Queen is not head of state are not formally announced.'
According to the Foreign Office list the Queen approved Bechtel's honour for 'services to UK-American commercial relations' on 25 April 2003 - just a week after the company won a bumper £430m contract to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure after the invasion.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/monarchy/story/0,,1800400,00.html
Note: http://www.guardian.co....
US Military Honoured In Secret By Britain
Posted on Monday, June 19 at 10:14 by Ed DeakContributed By
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Yet those who have given of themselves without the slightest desire for personal gain or profit but give by self sacrifice are rarely if never honored for showing and standing for the best and noblest ideals that man kind holds dear.
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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.
Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.
It only deprecates the value of all these honourary awards (including doctor's degrees and ambassodorial appointments) which has been going on for many years. Even the Order of Canada is suspect.