Why stop at the Russian oligarchs with clampdown?  

The wealthy billionaire Saudis courted by the West must also be classified as oligarchs

Italian finance police stand by the yacht "Lady M", owned by Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, docked at Imperia's harbour, Italy. Picture: AP

No sooner had Roman Abramovich, newly targeted by the Britain's sanctions on Russian oligarchs, announced that he was selling Chelsea Football Club than the feeding frenzy began. An athletics icon, City grandees, and even a respected Times columnist, each representing different American multi-billionaires, descended on London in a race to buy theThe wsal club. Meanwhile, a host of London properties belonging to Russian oligarchs entered a long-overdue process of liquidation. What took so long?

To put it bluntly: the West’s legal foundations.