“SUCH A NICE BOY” — for a suicide bomber. Plus, praise for Shearman & Sterling’s legal work.

UPDATE: A reader emails:

I was an associate at Shearman & Sterling many years ago, when being posted to the Abu Dhabi office was almost as prestigious as being sent to London or Paris. The firm took pains to point out that its work was about money, not politics, and was diligent in providing reassurances to associates who expressed concern. I even remember one large orientation meeting in which a junior associate (maybe even a summer) asked whether Jewish lawyers were eligible for the AD office. Of course, responded the partner, a position that might have come as a surprise to consular officials in the Emirates but which was firm policy nevertheless.

To the extent that any of us speculated about the firm’s involvement with the politics of the region, we were more suspicious of the oil companies than of the banks, and (IIRC) most of our work at the time was for banks. Our thinking, I believe, was that it took deeper involvement with the government to get oil concessions than to get financing deals so it was easier for a firm with financial clients to keep its distance from the icky stuff. My own experience involved briefly working on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (anti-boycott) compliance matters, and I never saw either lawyers or clients try to push the envelope.

I was therefore somewhat surprised to learn of Shearman & Sterling’s involvement with the Kuwaiti detainees, at least until I read that the firm’s clients were oil companies. I’m still a little surprised, because the firm was always so discreet. Unless they just blundered from a PR perspective, I can only imagine that they view public opinion in this country as sufficiently anti-Guantanamo that they could participate in this without repercussions. If the mainstream media picks this up, we may find out.

Indeed.