Coming out of the woodwork 'Whistleblowers'
EXCERPT:
Hamel, who is on the board of the Project on Government Oversight and formerly worked as an oil trader, has a long history with BP -- the company was forced to pay more than $1 billion in safety-related improvements to the 800-mile Alaska pipeline as a result of investigations prompted by Hamel.
Alyeska Pipeline, the company which
Whistleblower
EXCERPT:
Charles Hamel and the Trans Alaska Pipeline Whistleblowers(7)(8)(9)
The Alyeska Pipeline Service is the company that operates the Trans Alaska Pipeline. It is owned by a consortium of oil companies including Exxon, British Petroleum and Atlantic Richfield. In the early 1980's, Charles Hamel, an oil broker, got involved in a business dispute with Alyeska. Hamel felt he had been cheated and as a result began leaking information about Alyeska's environmental wrongdoing.
Sympathetic workers at Alyeska, who were disturbed by their employer's harmful environmental practices but were fearful of their jobs, began passing incriminating internal Alyeska documents to Hamel who, in turn, passed them on to regulators and Congress. Eventually Hamel accumulated a sizable network of fifteen whistleblowers within Alyeska and its member companies who had access to information which was not available to government inspectors and environmental enforcement officials.
This network provided Hamel with information about violations of the Clean Water Act by Exxon and British Petroleum that resulted in citations by EPA. They revealed air pollution violations at the Valdez terminal. They supplied Hamel with documents which showed that the system for detecting leaks in the Trans Alaska Pipeline was faulty, that the pipeline was severely corroded, and that neither federal nor state regulators were adequately monitoring its operations. This material was used in a report by the U.S. General Accounting Office. Hamel also exposed oil discoveries which industry was trying to keep secret in order to convince Congress of the need to drill in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
The network's revelations cost the oil companies millions of dollars in fines and more millions to correct the environmental problems. Hamel appeared frequently on television and in Congressional hearings and his charges were reported in the press all over the world.
In 1990, in an effort to stop the leaks, Alyeska hired the Wackenhut security agency to spy on Hamel. Wackenhut set up a bogus environmental organization called Ecolit which offered to help Hamel pursue litigation against the oil industry, but the real purpose was to find out who was leaking the documents. Wackenhut agents watched Hamel's home, picked through his trash, used sophisticated electronic eavesdropping devices, and obtained his credit, banking and telephone records, as well as personal information about his family. They even hired women to entice Hamel into revealing his sources.
However, with information supplied by disgusted Wackenhut agents at great personal risk, Hamel sued Alyeska, Wackenhut and Exxon for invasion-of-privacy and in December of 1993, they settled with Charles Hamel for an undisclosed amount, which is reported to be in the millions. While Charles Hamel may not have been primarily motivated by a moral desire to prevent Alyeska's defilement of the Alaskan environment, his anonymous sources clearly were so motivated and Hamel earned their and our gratitude by protecting those sources from Alyeska's wrath at great risk to himself.
The man who knew too much: Alyeska plugs a leaky pipeline w/its own private FBI
EXCERPT:
The man who knew too much: Alyeska plugs a leaky pipeline with its own private FBI
Sierra, March-April, 1992 by Paul Rauber
123Next ..Alyeska plugs a leaky pipeline with its own private FBI
Oil-industry gadfly Charles Hamel was sitting in Fletcher's Bar in Anchorage late one night when a "lovely young lady" attracted his attention. As he later told 60 Minutes, she was "pretty, blonde, tanned, and if I recall, I think her blouse was rather transparent." This struck him as odd attire for Anchorage in March; still, he was charmed when, a few days later, she turned up in the seat next to his on a flight out of town. The woman told Hamel she worked for a well-funded environmental legal group called Eco-Lit--which just happened to be in a position to help him out in his long-running battle with Alyeska, the consortium formed by Exxon, Arco, and British Petroleum to build and operate the Alaska pipeline. Broke and beleaguered, Hamel failed to recognize a situation too good to be true, and accepted EcoLit's offer to help. The trap snapped shut.
EcoLit was a sham, a phony organization set up by the Wackenhut Corporation, a Florida-based security firm; the woman in the see-through blouse was a Wackenhut agent. The company was under contract to Alyeska to snoop on Hamel, a former oil broker who was making life for the consortium both miserable and very, very expensive.
Hamel has been Alyeska's bete noire since 1980, when the company allegedly cheated him by selling him water-contaminated oil. Eager for revenge, he became a conduit for whistleblowers, and the information funneled through him cost Alyeska a fortune in fines. (One case alone, regarding air pollution at Alyeska's Valdez terminal, resulted in $30 million in penalties.) Hamel was also a major source for last August's alarming General Accounting Office report on the likelihood of a catastrophic oil leak along the pipeline. Alyeska was desperate to plug its leaks--not in the pipeline, but to Hamel. In February 1990, Alyeska President James Hermiller hired Wackenhut to do the job.
Exxon Valdez renamed SeaRiver Mediterranean
EXCERPT:
SeaRiver Mediterranean
Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil tanker owned by the Exxon oil company. The ship was renamed to SeaRiver Mediterranean after the March 24, 1989 oil spill in which the tanker hit Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef; this was the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
The vessel has an all steel construction, built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego. It was delivered to Exxon in December, 1986. The tanker is 300 m (987 ft) long, 50 m (166 ft) wide and 27 m (88 ft) in depth, weighing 30,000 tons empty and powered by a 31,650 s.h.p. diesel engine. The vessel could transport a maximum of 1.48 million barrels at a sustained speed of 16.25 knots and was employed to transport crude oil from the Alyeska consortium's pipeline terminal in Valdez, Alaska to the lower 48 states of the United States.
Veco Corp. Wikipedia
EXCERPT:
Exxon Valdez oil spill
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef, spilling eleven million gallons of crude oil into the waters of Prince William Sound. The Exxon Valdez oil spill was the largest in United States history.
VECO was responsible for large parts of the spill's clean up, hiring 2,500 workers to clean up the environmental disaster.
CH2M Hill bribe scandal CH2M Hill was VECO Corp
EXCERPT:
The troubled East Cleveland Water Department figured prominently in the bribery cases of former East Cleveland Mayor Emmanuel Onunwor and businessman Nate Gray, both of whom are in prison.
A 2005 federal indictment accused Gray of bribing Onunwor in connection with a no-bid, $3.9 million contract with Denver-based CH2M Hill, which managed the water and sewer systems in East Cleveland.
According to federal prosecutors, CH2M Hill provided as much as $10,000 a month in consulting fees to Cleveland engineer Ralph Tyler, who carried the money to Gray, who used it for bribes. Attorneys for CH2M Hill and Tyler said at the time that their clients did not know the money was used for bribes.
Ted Stevens and his bridge to nowhere
EXCERPT:
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 21, 2005
Republicans in Congress say they are serious about cutting spending, but they learned yesterday to keep their hands off the "Bridge to Nowhere."
VECO Corp. Ted Stevens and the Exxon Valdez Scandal
EXCERPT:
Alaska: The Senator and the Oil Man
This Week: Alaska: The Senator and the Oil Man | Inside the Scandal | Big Oil, Big Influence | Timeline: Alaska Corruption Scandal | Transcript
Video: Alaska: The Senator and the Oil ManAlaska Senator Ted Stevens has been indicted for failing to disclose gifts he received from VECO Corporation, an Alaska-based oil services company. But his indictment is only the latest news - and perhaps the tip of the iceberg - in an ongoing political scandal that's rocking the state and Congress.
This week, NOW goes behind the breaking headlines to shine a bright light on the scandalous connection between VECO and Alaska's old-boy political network. Three state legislators have already been convicted in Federal court for accepting bribes from VECO, and the FBI has video and audio evidence that reveal VECO executives shockingly handing out cash to those legislators in exchange for promises to roll back a tax on the oil industry. And more lawmakers - including Senator Stevens' own son, former Alaska State Senate President Ben Stevens - are being eyed in the growing scandal.
NOW continues its ongoing investigation into the bribes, the connections to big oil and the payoffs to obtain friendly tax policies.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Microbes that eat oil
MOP Environmental Solutions
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. Makes A Phenomenal Price Move
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. (MOPN.PK) made a phenomenal price jump on the market.
After being down for 6 months, MOPN’s stocks raised their price remarkably. Last week the company gained over 100%, after its stocks ran up from $0.09 to $0.19 for 1 day!
When analyzing the chart, we can see that MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. had earlier market losses. But after being designated as a resource by both British Petroleum (BP) and the United States Coast Guard to assist for the clean up efforts in the Gulf, MOPN surged 321% to $0.16 and made a 52-week high of $0.20 with over 17.34 million shares.
Though the sudden price jump, yesterday the price change for MOPN’s stocks was -24.14% at average traded volume over 1 million shares. The ballance sheet of MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. contains variable values and there is not enough sufficient information on the company.
Compared to MOPN, British Petroleum (BP) has pointed higher positions during the last months and is expected to strengthen the MOPN’s stocks on the market. Still we don’t know if that is a well-grounded claim or not, so we have to be aware of the future market moves. The investors are watching the situation closely as potential orders could translate to significant revenues, but they should be wary until the financials are posted.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100506006220&newsLang=en
May 06, 2010 09:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time
MOP Environmental Designated as Resource by British Petroleum (BP) and U.S. Coast Guard for Gulf Oil Recovery
BATH, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. (MOPN.PK) has been designated as a “Resource” by both British Petroleum (BP) and the United States Coast Guard to assist when needed for the clean up efforts in the Gulf. The Company is communicating daily with those close to the clean up efforts and is ready to deploy product to the area at a moments notice.
“Even more convincing is the review by Randy Fletcher, Safety Specialist of British Petroleum (BP), who concluded: “The booms and pillows performed above the standards established by other booms (i.e. polypropylene) and were found more economical than the competitive brands we have used.”
During the past week the Company has been working diligently to respond to three separate “bid-requests” for large orders of booms for the Gulf Coast. The Company feels very strongly that MOP sorbent is the ultimate solution for protecting the most fragile ecosystems and fisheries along the coastline. Unlike competitors, MOP sorbents are the only oil spill remediation products on the planet that are green from “cradle-to-cradle” being manufactured with green hydro-electric power, and all natural materials that are 100% Biodegradable and 100% Recycled.
Mr. Charles Diamond, MOP Environmental Solutions President & CEO was quoted as saying, “All of us are devastated by the scope and potentially disastrous effects of the spill in Louisiana. We pray the wellhead is capped soon to stop the spill from growing worse.”
Regarding MOP he commented, “On both, an oil pickup per pound basis, and cost per pound basis, MOP out-performs every other sorbent, and is the best solution for any oil spill clean up effort, including the tragedy in the Gulf.”
Diamond emphasized, “The dwindling supplies of polypropylene, commonly believed to be the only oil sorbent available for the oil spill in the Gulf, have resulted in its scarcity and its quadrupling in cost. However, our virtually unknown MOP sorbent has always had both a cost and a performance advantage over polypropylene. This presently places our patented MOP sorbent at a tremendous advantage over polypropylene, and with recognition of the superior qualities of MOP, it could soon be the #1 sorbent of choice over all other sorbents in the market.”
“But if you’re not convinced take a closer look and you’ll see more reasons why… EPA’s review found our sorbent fibers in compliance with Title 40 of the National Contingency Plan for use on any oil spill on land or water. Polypropylene fibers are not environmentally sound, and are restricted from similar uses,” says Diamond.
“Even more convincing is the review by Randy Fletcher, Safety Specialist of British Petroleum (BP), who concluded: “The booms and pillows performed above the standards established by other booms (i.e. polypropylene) and were found more economical than the competitive brands we have used.” His letter is reproduced on our web site,” says Diamond.
When the truth is known regarding MOP quality, cost, pickup capacity, and environmental soundness, our patented MOP wins every time," said Diamond confidently.
ABOUT MOP ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. manufactures and distributes MOP® Maximum Oil Pickup, a patented product that picks up and recovers oil spills on land and/or water. This revolutionary new absorbent material picks up to 30 times its own weight in oil, without absorbing water. It restores traction on slippery surfaces, biodegrades oil, and safely restores a clean, natural environment wherever an oil spill occurs.
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. is a public company traded on the Pink Sheets under the symbol MOPN. For information see www.mopenvironmental.com.
Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements: Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors affecting the company's operations, markets, products and prices as well as other factors addressed in the company's filings. For all such forward-looking statements, we claim the safe harbor for forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made herein.
http://www.carlyle.com/Media%20Room/News%20Archive/2010/item10898.html
March 18, 2010
#2010-017
The Carlyle Group and Environmental Defense Fund Launch EcoValuScreen; Innovative Due Diligence Process Identifies Hidden Economic Value
Washington, DC – The Carlyle Group (Carlyle) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced the creation of EcoValuScreen, a pioneering business review process that unlocks opportunities for operational improvement and value creation through enhanced environmental management at potential investments. The new analytic tool was developed in partnership with The Payne Firm (Payne), an international environmental consultancy, and builds on Carlyle’s established due diligence practices and EDF’s proven Green Returns approach.
EcoValuScreen goes beyond the traditional focus of risk mitigation during the due diligence process by identifying opportunities for operational enhancements that will lead to better environmental and financial performance before making an investment. This process will be used by Carlyle professionals to more effectively evaluate the operations of a target company, identify the most promising environmental management opportunities and incorporate them into the post-investment management, governance and reporting plans of Carlyle’s portfolio companies. Carlyle will first implement EcoValuScreen in its U.S. and European buyout funds.
“Our goal is to increase returns for our investors while enhancing environmental performance,” said William E. Conway, Jr., Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group. “We believe that financial performance and environmental improvements are complementary and in the best interests of our investors. This builds on our earlier work to develop and implement principles for responsible investing and establishes a new best practice for private equity investments. We are pleased to partner with EDF and we continue to explore other opportunities for collaboration.”
“This is a first for the private equity sector. In an industry where environmental due diligence has been limited to the downsides of liability and risk mitigation, we now have a way to systematically uncover the upside of real opportunities to enhance business performance while improving environmental performance,” said Gwen Ruta, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, EDF. “Together with our Green Returns framework for improving environmental performance of assets already under management, this new due diligence screen expands the significant role that environmental management can have in creating value in private equity and across the many industries and companies it touches.”
To develop the screen, Carlyle, Payne and EDF examined more than 320 current and former Carlyle portfolio companies to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs and minimize environmental impacts across five key areas – greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, water use, priority chemicals and forest products. The analysis revealed a high correlation between environmental impacts and common business activities that occur across Carlyle’s investments. The analysis also identified specific initiatives to enhance the environmental performance of these activities while driving financial savings. The new due diligence screen is designed to be flexible, broadly applicable and easily incorporated into Carlyle’s established due diligence practices.
To validate and improve this concept, Carlyle will apply the new screen and work with EDF to make refinements as necessary. Additional information about the screen is available at http://edf.org/duediligence, and case studies of its use will be made public when available, with the mutual goal of sharing lessons learned and best practices throughout the industry.
* * * * *
Environmental Defense Fund
A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20 year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, Environmental Defense Fund accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
The Payne Firm
The Payne Firm, Inc. is an environmental consulting firm that provides full life cycle services to private equity sponsors to improve performance of their portfolio companies. The Payne Firm has served as the environmental deal advisor in over 175 transactions with enterprise value in excess of $100 billion. The Payne Firm is a member of the Inogen Environmental Alliance, a global network of 165 member offices in six continents with over 4,800 professionals world-wide. www.paynefirm.com
# # #
Exxon Valdez Environmental Scandal Continues
EXCERPT:
The Exxon Valdez ruling: the Supreme Court once again defends big business
2 July 2008
On June 25, the next-to-last day of the current term, the United States Supreme Court slashed the punitive damages judgment for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which devastated Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The award was reduced from $2.5 billion to only $507.5 million—an amount equivalent to a few days’ profit for the giant oil company.
BP's part in Exxon Valdez/democracy now video
BP Played Central Role in Botched Containment of 1989 Exxon Valdez Disaster
The BP oil spill is the worst to hit the United States since the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. The devastation in the Gulf Coast has renewed attention on BP’s key role in the botched containment of Exxon Valdez. We speak to Zygmunt Plater, an environmental law professor at Boston College who headed the legal team for the state-appointed Alaska Oil Spill Commission that investigated the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. [includes rush transcript]
Exxon Valdez not skipper's fault
EXCERPT:
In light of the above and other findings, investigative reporter Greg Palast stated in 2008 "Forget the drunken skipper fable. As to Captain Joe Hazelwood, he was below decks, sleeping off his bender. At the helm, the third mate would never have collided with Bligh Reef had he looked at his Raycas radar. But the radar was not turned on. In fact, the tanker's radar was left broken and disabled for more than a year before the disaster, and Exxon management knew it. It was [in Exxon's view] just too expensive to fix and operate."[12]
Exxon Valdez and BP,
EXCERPT:
by Greg Palast for Truthout.org
May 5, 2010
I've seen this movie before. In 1989, I was a fraud investigator hired to dig into the cause of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Despite Exxon's name on that boat, I found the party most to blame for the destruction was ... British Petroleum. That's important to know, because the way BP caused devastation in Alaska is exactly the way BP is now sliming the entire Gulf Coast.
BP and the Exxon Valdez
EXCERPT:
Yet the leader of botched containment efforts in the critical hours after the tanker ran aground wasn't Exxon Mobil Corp. It was BP PLC, the same firm now fighting to plug the Gulf leak.
MOP Environmental Solutions
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. Makes A Phenomenal Price Move
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. (MOPN.PK) made a phenomenal price jump on the market.
After being down for 6 months, MOPN’s stocks raised their price remarkably. Last week the company gained over 100%, after its stocks ran up from $0.09 to $0.19 for 1 day!
When analyzing the chart, we can see that MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. had earlier market losses. But after being designated as a resource by both British Petroleum (BP) and the United States Coast Guard to assist for the clean up efforts in the Gulf, MOPN surged 321% to $0.16 and made a 52-week high of $0.20 with over 17.34 million shares.
Though the sudden price jump, yesterday the price change for MOPN’s stocks was -24.14% at average traded volume over 1 million shares. The ballance sheet of MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. contains variable values and there is not enough sufficient information on the company.
Compared to MOPN, British Petroleum (BP) has pointed higher positions during the last months and is expected to strengthen the MOPN’s stocks on the market. Still we don’t know if that is a well-grounded claim or not, so we have to be aware of the future market moves. The investors are watching the situation closely as potential orders could translate to significant revenues, but they should be wary until the financials are posted.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100506006220&newsLang=en
May 06, 2010 09:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time
MOP Environmental Designated as Resource by British Petroleum (BP) and U.S. Coast Guard for Gulf Oil Recovery
BATH, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. (MOPN.PK) has been designated as a “Resource” by both British Petroleum (BP) and the United States Coast Guard to assist when needed for the clean up efforts in the Gulf. The Company is communicating daily with those close to the clean up efforts and is ready to deploy product to the area at a moments notice.
“Even more convincing is the review by Randy Fletcher, Safety Specialist of British Petroleum (BP), who concluded: “The booms and pillows performed above the standards established by other booms (i.e. polypropylene) and were found more economical than the competitive brands we have used.”
During the past week the Company has been working diligently to respond to three separate “bid-requests” for large orders of booms for the Gulf Coast. The Company feels very strongly that MOP sorbent is the ultimate solution for protecting the most fragile ecosystems and fisheries along the coastline. Unlike competitors, MOP sorbents are the only oil spill remediation products on the planet that are green from “cradle-to-cradle” being manufactured with green hydro-electric power, and all natural materials that are 100% Biodegradable and 100% Recycled.
Mr. Charles Diamond, MOP Environmental Solutions President & CEO was quoted as saying, “All of us are devastated by the scope and potentially disastrous effects of the spill in Louisiana. We pray the wellhead is capped soon to stop the spill from growing worse.”
Regarding MOP he commented, “On both, an oil pickup per pound basis, and cost per pound basis, MOP out-performs every other sorbent, and is the best solution for any oil spill clean up effort, including the tragedy in the Gulf.”
Diamond emphasized, “The dwindling supplies of polypropylene, commonly believed to be the only oil sorbent available for the oil spill in the Gulf, have resulted in its scarcity and its quadrupling in cost. However, our virtually unknown MOP sorbent has always had both a cost and a performance advantage over polypropylene. This presently places our patented MOP sorbent at a tremendous advantage over polypropylene, and with recognition of the superior qualities of MOP, it could soon be the #1 sorbent of choice over all other sorbents in the market.”
“But if you’re not convinced take a closer look and you’ll see more reasons why… EPA’s review found our sorbent fibers in compliance with Title 40 of the National Contingency Plan for use on any oil spill on land or water. Polypropylene fibers are not environmentally sound, and are restricted from similar uses,” says Diamond.
“Even more convincing is the review by Randy Fletcher, Safety Specialist of British Petroleum (BP), who concluded: “The booms and pillows performed above the standards established by other booms (i.e. polypropylene) and were found more economical than the competitive brands we have used.” His letter is reproduced on our web site,” says Diamond.
When the truth is known regarding MOP quality, cost, pickup capacity, and environmental soundness, our patented MOP wins every time," said Diamond confidently.
ABOUT MOP ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. manufactures and distributes MOP® Maximum Oil Pickup, a patented product that picks up and recovers oil spills on land and/or water. This revolutionary new absorbent material picks up to 30 times its own weight in oil, without absorbing water. It restores traction on slippery surfaces, biodegrades oil, and safely restores a clean, natural environment wherever an oil spill occurs.
MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. is a public company traded on the Pink Sheets under the symbol MOPN. For information see www.mopenvironmental.com.
Safe Harbor for Forward Looking Statements: Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors affecting the company's operations, markets, products and prices as well as other factors addressed in the company's filings. For all such forward-looking statements, we claim the safe harbor for forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. MOP Environmental Solutions, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made herein.
http://www.carlyle.com/Media%20Room/News%20Archive/2010/item10898.html
March 18, 2010
#2010-017
The Carlyle Group and Environmental Defense Fund Launch EcoValuScreen; Innovative Due Diligence Process Identifies Hidden Economic Value
Washington, DC – The Carlyle Group (Carlyle) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today announced the creation of EcoValuScreen, a pioneering business review process that unlocks opportunities for operational improvement and value creation through enhanced environmental management at potential investments. The new analytic tool was developed in partnership with The Payne Firm (Payne), an international environmental consultancy, and builds on Carlyle’s established due diligence practices and EDF’s proven Green Returns approach.
EcoValuScreen goes beyond the traditional focus of risk mitigation during the due diligence process by identifying opportunities for operational enhancements that will lead to better environmental and financial performance before making an investment. This process will be used by Carlyle professionals to more effectively evaluate the operations of a target company, identify the most promising environmental management opportunities and incorporate them into the post-investment management, governance and reporting plans of Carlyle’s portfolio companies. Carlyle will first implement EcoValuScreen in its U.S. and European buyout funds.
“Our goal is to increase returns for our investors while enhancing environmental performance,” said William E. Conway, Jr., Managing Director and Co-Founder of The Carlyle Group. “We believe that financial performance and environmental improvements are complementary and in the best interests of our investors. This builds on our earlier work to develop and implement principles for responsible investing and establishes a new best practice for private equity investments. We are pleased to partner with EDF and we continue to explore other opportunities for collaboration.”
“This is a first for the private equity sector. In an industry where environmental due diligence has been limited to the downsides of liability and risk mitigation, we now have a way to systematically uncover the upside of real opportunities to enhance business performance while improving environmental performance,” said Gwen Ruta, Vice President, Corporate Partnerships, EDF. “Together with our Green Returns framework for improving environmental performance of assets already under management, this new due diligence screen expands the significant role that environmental management can have in creating value in private equity and across the many industries and companies it touches.”
To develop the screen, Carlyle, Payne and EDF examined more than 320 current and former Carlyle portfolio companies to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs and minimize environmental impacts across five key areas – greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, water use, priority chemicals and forest products. The analysis revealed a high correlation between environmental impacts and common business activities that occur across Carlyle’s investments. The analysis also identified specific initiatives to enhance the environmental performance of these activities while driving financial savings. The new due diligence screen is designed to be flexible, broadly applicable and easily incorporated into Carlyle’s established due diligence practices.
To validate and improve this concept, Carlyle will apply the new screen and work with EDF to make refinements as necessary. Additional information about the screen is available at http://edf.org/duediligence, and case studies of its use will be made public when available, with the mutual goal of sharing lessons learned and best practices throughout the industry.
* * * * *
Environmental Defense Fund
A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Environmental Defense Fund has a 20 year track record of success in partnering with business. To maintain its independence and credibility, Environmental Defense Fund accepts no money from corporate partners; generous individuals and foundations fund its work. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
The Payne Firm
The Payne Firm, Inc. is an environmental consulting firm that provides full life cycle services to private equity sponsors to improve performance of their portfolio companies. The Payne Firm has served as the environmental deal advisor in over 175 transactions with enterprise value in excess of $100 billion. The Payne Firm is a member of the Inogen Environmental Alliance, a global network of 165 member offices in six continents with over 4,800 professionals world-wide. www.paynefirm.com
# # #
Exxon Valdez Environmental Scandal Continues
EXCERPT:
The Exxon Valdez ruling: the Supreme Court once again defends big business
2 July 2008
On June 25, the next-to-last day of the current term, the United States Supreme Court slashed the punitive damages judgment for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, which devastated Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The award was reduced from $2.5 billion to only $507.5 million—an amount equivalent to a few days’ profit for the giant oil company.
BP's part in Exxon Valdez/democracy now video
BP Played Central Role in Botched Containment of 1989 Exxon Valdez Disaster
The BP oil spill is the worst to hit the United States since the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989. The devastation in the Gulf Coast has renewed attention on BP’s key role in the botched containment of Exxon Valdez. We speak to Zygmunt Plater, an environmental law professor at Boston College who headed the legal team for the state-appointed Alaska Oil Spill Commission that investigated the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. [includes rush transcript]
Exxon Valdez not skipper's fault
EXCERPT:
In light of the above and other findings, investigative reporter Greg Palast stated in 2008 "Forget the drunken skipper fable. As to Captain Joe Hazelwood, he was below decks, sleeping off his bender. At the helm, the third mate would never have collided with Bligh Reef had he looked at his Raycas radar. But the radar was not turned on. In fact, the tanker's radar was left broken and disabled for more than a year before the disaster, and Exxon management knew it. It was [in Exxon's view] just too expensive to fix and operate."[12]
Exxon Valdez and BP,
EXCERPT:
by Greg Palast for Truthout.org
May 5, 2010
I've seen this movie before. In 1989, I was a fraud investigator hired to dig into the cause of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Despite Exxon's name on that boat, I found the party most to blame for the destruction was ... British Petroleum. That's important to know, because the way BP caused devastation in Alaska is exactly the way BP is now sliming the entire Gulf Coast.
BP and the Exxon Valdez
EXCERPT:
Yet the leader of botched containment efforts in the critical hours after the tanker ran aground wasn't Exxon Mobil Corp. It was BP PLC, the same firm now fighting to plug the Gulf leak.
Mexico
CAUSES of DEFORESTATION
INDEX
Dams and megaprojects
WRM Book on Dams
Articles published in the WRM Bulletin
WRM Special Bulletin on Dams
Other Relevant Information
Calls for action
Links
WRM BOOK ON DAMS
Dams. Struggles against the modern dinosaurs
This book gathers a selection of articles published in the monthly electronic bulletin of the World Rainforest Movement (WRM), addressing the issue of the impacts of large dams on forests and local communities, as well as the struggles developed at the local and global levels against them.
Also available in French and Spanish.
ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE WRM BULLETIN
On dams:
2010
Brazil: Women affected by dams – changes in their lifestyles
2009
Hydropower on the Mekong: Where dams may block the future of millions
Burma: The looming social and environmental disaster of the Tasang dam
Mekong Citizens to Hand 15,000 Signature “Save the Mekong” Petition to Thai PM
India: Lepchas arrested for opposing mega hydro project
Save the Mekong, a coalition to keep the river alive
Congo, D.R: Inga dams mean big business for corporations and no benefit for local communities
2008
Dams on the Mekong mainstream would destroy fisheries for millions
The problems faced by Gabon’s forests and the communities that depend on them: a menu of logging, dams, oil, mining, parks, railways, roads, ports
Malaysia: Sarawak forest peoples harassed by logging and dams français português
Burma: Dams in the Irrawaddy River Basin to displace thousands of people in rural areas
2007
Mekong: MRC doing the wrong checking
Laos: Damming the Sekong Norconsult wipes Cambodia off the map
Honduras: The reasons for defending the forest
Laos: Norwegian and Chinese “aid” helps dam the Xeset Riverb
Brazil: Dams would destroy isolated tribe Enawene Nawe’s livelihood
2006
Bolivia: Brazilian dam project threatens the lives of Amazon communities
Laos: Suez Energy International and the Houay Ho dam
Dams as ethnic cleansing: The Burmese junta’s war against the Karenni people
Ghana: A dam at the cost of forests
2005
Laos: Did The World Bank Fudge Figures to Justify Nam Theun 2?
Laos: World Bank finances the Nam Theun 2 dam regardless of its own policies
Laos: Nam Theun 2, the World Bank and corruption
Peru: Community resistance forces Yanacocha Mining Company to retreat
Large dams, climate change and forced eviction
2004
Vietnam: Government repression of Indigenous Peoples
Panama: The Naso people threatened by a dam project
Laos: Dams and the forgotten people of the Boloven Plateau
The Impact of Dams and Resettlement on Women's Lives
2003
Uganda: World Bank attempts to keep the Bujagali dam project alive
Laos: Vietnamese consortium plans to build six dams
Vietnam: Na Hang dam – the reality of sustainable development?
Second Meso-American Forum against Dams
Mexico: Women suffer the effects of market opening doubly
Laos: French company pulls the plug on Nam Theun 2
Laos: Villagers Mount Unprecedented Protest Against Dam in Laos
Belize: Another turn of the screw on the Chalillo dam project
Vietnam starts resettlement to make way for massive Son La dam
Laos: Asian Development Bank to support proposed Nam Theun 2 dam
Laos: The Nam Theun 2 Dam - WWF Thailand's position
Laos: Nam Theun 2 dam - Fighting corruption World Bank style
International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life
Skanska pulls out of dam-building . . . or does it?
Burma: Revival of the Weigyi dam
Brazil: Old hydroelectric dam project again threatens Amazon peoples
India: Rainwater harvesters and forest protectors of the Aravalli hills
2002
Uganda: Bujagali dam project comes back under a new disguise
Laos: The impact of the Nam Theun 2 dam on indigenous peoples
Vietnam: Swedish involvement in dam that will hit Cambodians
Uganda: Bujagali dam project questioned by World Bank's Inspection Panel
Brazil: Indigenous peoples restart their struggle against dams on the Xingu river
Central America: International forum against dams
Laos: IUCN's controversial role in the Nam Theun 2 dam
Vietnam: Na Hang dam threatens forests, people and wildlife
Belize: Canadian company to dam the Macal River
2001
Costa Rica: Opposition to hydroelectric dam
Laos: Planned Nam Theun 2 dam leads to increased logging
Indonesia: Mamberamo dam threatens nomadic tribes
Indonesia: ADB will not fund Mamberamo dam
Urgent action against the World Bank's proposed resettlement policy!!
Honduras: Peasants demand Government to halt hydroelectric project
Costa Rica: Indigenous territory threatened by hydroelectric dam
Strangling the life-source of millions: China dams the Mekong
Ghana: What's hidden behind the Bui Dam Project?
New World Bank Resettlement Policy Is Flawed
India: The Dandeli dam project scandal
2000
International Prize awarded to two Mapuche women
Burma: Human rights abuses linked to foreign investment in "development"
Bolivia: Hydroelectric dam project questioned
Uganda: The same old story about dams
Thailand: For the authorities, reality at the Pak Mun dam does not exist
Myanmar: a dam megaproject for the benefit of the people?
Thailand: free the Moon River!
Colombia: The U'wa and Embera join forces
Colombia: "the life and dignity of the Embera people won't be flooded"
Malaysia: why the Selangor Dam?
1999
Colombia: the Embera Katio's struggle for life
Malaysia: the "progress" brought by the Bakun dam in Sarawak
Thailand: letter to the Prime Minister on Rasi Salai dam
The Philippines: dam megaproject resisted
Thailand: local people's resistance to dams
Malaysia: conflict caused by Bakun dam continues in Sarawak
Thailand: Authorities play "Ethnic" and "Nationalist" cards
Brazil: Support for Extractive Reserve on islands of Tucuruí Dam reservoir
Peoples' demonstrations in Thailand
Malaysia: opposition to dam megaproject
Pristine Belize forests threatened by dam project
Dams generate environmental and social destruction in Laos
Thailand: Local people resist dams
Argentina: environmental justice in action
1998
Sarawak: field trip to interview people resettled by dam
Chile: World Bank acknowledges mistake and impacts in the Bio Bio Pangue dam
Defer Resettlement of Bakun residents in Sarawak
Laos: Hydropower megaprojects against forests and people
1997
Laos: dams, conservation and people
Sarawak: Bakun Dam
On other megaproyects:
2009
Bangladesh: Campaign for full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord to help the Jumma peoples regain control over their forests, lands, and destiny
2007
Mexico: Oil palm business at the expense of the poor
2009
Costa Rica: Depredatory tourism takes everything with it
Bolivia: The Amazon peoples discuss their future
2006
The Amazon: IIRSA thinks big, seeking business
India: Adivasis shot dead defending their land against takeover to Tata Steel
2003
Panama: Highway project threatens major biodiversity zone
2002
Chile: Resistance against a highway that will destroy forests and peoples
India: Supreme Court orders closure of a road which threatened the Jarawa's survival
Guatemala: Opposition to highway project threatening forest area
Mexico: The Puebla Panama Plan threathens Los Chimalapas tropical forest
India: Road brings death for isolated tribe
Brazil: Aggravated deforestation rates in Amazonian forests
Burma: New roads pave the way for massive logging
2001
Venezuela: Power line that kills
New World Bank Resettlement Policy Is Flawed
Special Bulletin
2000
Vietnam: Road-building threatens Phong Nha Nature Reserve
1999
Venezuela: the Pemons' struggle
A destructive megaproject for Tehuantepec Isthmus in Mexico
Bolivia: tropical dry forests in danger
1998
Venezuela: forests menaced...plantations promoted
Venezuela: highway blockade against electric transmission line
1997
Indonesia: Mega-project in Central Kalimantan
Brazil: New development projects threaten the Amazon
SPECIAL WRM BULLETIN ON DAMS
Bulletin nº 42 - January 2001 - complete version
For many years, local peoples and environmentalists have been opposing large dams due to the severe social and environmental impacts they entail. Since its creation, the WRM has been an active participant in the fight against dams, and included them as a major cause of forest loss already in its 1989 "Penang Declaration." During the past years, we have been trying to assist local peoples' struggles against dams and reflecting them in almost every issue of our bulletin
(all available at http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/dams.html ).
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Mekong Citizens to Hand 15,000 Signature “Save the Mekong” Petition to Thai PM - Press Release - June 2009
Se viene la mayor batalla de la historia en defensa de la Amazonía boliviana - Pablo Cingolani - July 2007 (only in Spanish)
Hydroelectric Dams and the Forgotten People of the Boloven Plateau
by Phetsavanh Sayboualaven
Represas, los hijos no reconocidos del Plan Puebla Panamá
Boletín especial de Trópico Verde - Guatemala (only in Spanish)
Rivers for Life Proceedings, from the Second International Meeting of Dam-Affected People and their Allies, include regional reports as well as summaries of key issues discussed at Rivers for Life.
held in Rasi Salai, Thailand from November 28-December 3, 2003.
II Encuentro Mundial de Afectados por las Represas
Rasi Salai, Tailandia
28 de noviembre al 4 de diciembre de 2003
publicado en Ecoportal.net
Rivers for Life! The Rasi Salai Declaration
Endorsed at the Second International Meeting of Dam Affected People and their Allies, Rasi Salai, Tailandia, diciembre de 2003.
Declaración del II Foro Mesoamericano Contra las Represas "Por el Agua y la Vida de los Pueblos" (only in Spanish)
La Esperanza Intibuca, Honduras - julio del 2003
Citizens' Guide to the World Commission on Dams
by IRN - March 2002
Declaración del Foro Mesoamericano por la Vida "Agua, Luz y Tierra para los Pueblos" (only in Spanish)
Guatemala, 23 de marzo de 2002
The Report of the World Commission on Dams, November 2000 (Overview available in Deutsch, Español, Français and Português)
Recommended reading: "Silenced Rivers. The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams" - published by Zed Books Ltd - by Patrick McCully
"Dams incorporated. The record of Twelve European Dam building Companies" - published by SSNC - by Chris Lang, Nick Hildyard, Kate Geary and Matthew Grainger
"Dams on the Rocks: The Flawed Economics of Large Hydroelectric Dams" - The Corner House, Briefing 8
World Bank's Revised Draft Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12). This policy permits forcible relocation of indigenous peoples even when it will result in "significant adverse effects" on their "cultural survival."
Salvemos los Ríos y el Agua: Efectos Mundiales de las Represas y en los Pueblos Indígenas y Campesinos
por Gustavo Castro Soto (only in Spanish)
Plan Puebla Panama:
Foro Managua 2002 - "Frente al Plan Puebla Panamá el Movimiento Mesoamericano por la Integración Popular"
CIEPAC - "El Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP)"
Eco Portal - "17 Preguntas y Respuestas para comprender mejor el Plan Puebla Panamá"
Investigacción Rural - "Todo sobre el Plan Puebla Panamá"
RMALC - Plan Puebla Panamá
Acerca - Documents & Photo Gallery about PPP
Battle Over the Future of Southern Mexico and Central America - pdf booklet
Vs. el Plan Puebla Panamá
Corporate Watch - "PPP: Plan Puebla Panama, or Private Plans for Profit?"
12 de Octubre.net - Documentos varios sobre el Plan Puebla Panama
CALLS FOR ACTION
International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water & Life
March 14
International Rivers Network is inviting to participate in the International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life, which it defines as "a time to join together in solidarity to protest destructive development and celebrate our successes over the last year. It is also a time to fight for social justice and the rights of communities over their resources and lives."
LINKS
Save the Mekong
http://www.savethemekong.org/index.php
The World Commission on Dams: http://www.dams.org/
International Rivers Network: http://www.irn.org/
IRN supports local communities working to protect their rivers and watersheds. It works to halt destructive river development projects, and to encourage equitable and sustainable methods of meeting needs for water, energy and flood management.
Rivernet: http://www.rivernet.org/
A service provided by ERN (European Rivers Network). The aim of ERN and RiverNet is to interconnect all forces working for living rivers and to provide information on river-basins and organizations.
Magic River: http://www.magickriver.com
Friends of River Narmada: http://www.narmada.org/
The construction of large dams on the River Narmada in central India and its impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. The friends of the Narmada valley and its people hope to present here the perspective of grassroots people's organisations on the issue.
Probe International: http://www.probeinternational.org/
Berne Declaration: http://www.evb.ch/kampagne.cfm?folder_id=159
Rivers, Dams and Climate Change
http://www.irn.org/programs/greenhouse/
Salween Watch: http://www.salweenwatch.org/
CAUSES of DEFORESTATION
INDEX
Dams and megaprojects
WRM Book on Dams
Articles published in the WRM Bulletin
WRM Special Bulletin on Dams
Other Relevant Information
Calls for action
Links
WRM BOOK ON DAMS
Dams. Struggles against the modern dinosaurs
This book gathers a selection of articles published in the monthly electronic bulletin of the World Rainforest Movement (WRM), addressing the issue of the impacts of large dams on forests and local communities, as well as the struggles developed at the local and global levels against them.
Also available in French and Spanish.
ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN THE WRM BULLETIN
On dams:
2010
Brazil: Women affected by dams – changes in their lifestyles
2009
Hydropower on the Mekong: Where dams may block the future of millions
Burma: The looming social and environmental disaster of the Tasang dam
Mekong Citizens to Hand 15,000 Signature “Save the Mekong” Petition to Thai PM
India: Lepchas arrested for opposing mega hydro project
Save the Mekong, a coalition to keep the river alive
Congo, D.R: Inga dams mean big business for corporations and no benefit for local communities
2008
Dams on the Mekong mainstream would destroy fisheries for millions
The problems faced by Gabon’s forests and the communities that depend on them: a menu of logging, dams, oil, mining, parks, railways, roads, ports
Malaysia: Sarawak forest peoples harassed by logging and dams français português
Burma: Dams in the Irrawaddy River Basin to displace thousands of people in rural areas
2007
Mekong: MRC doing the wrong checking
Laos: Damming the Sekong Norconsult wipes Cambodia off the map
Honduras: The reasons for defending the forest
Laos: Norwegian and Chinese “aid” helps dam the Xeset Riverb
Brazil: Dams would destroy isolated tribe Enawene Nawe’s livelihood
2006
Bolivia: Brazilian dam project threatens the lives of Amazon communities
Laos: Suez Energy International and the Houay Ho dam
Dams as ethnic cleansing: The Burmese junta’s war against the Karenni people
Ghana: A dam at the cost of forests
2005
Laos: Did The World Bank Fudge Figures to Justify Nam Theun 2?
Laos: World Bank finances the Nam Theun 2 dam regardless of its own policies
Laos: Nam Theun 2, the World Bank and corruption
Peru: Community resistance forces Yanacocha Mining Company to retreat
Large dams, climate change and forced eviction
2004
Vietnam: Government repression of Indigenous Peoples
Panama: The Naso people threatened by a dam project
Laos: Dams and the forgotten people of the Boloven Plateau
The Impact of Dams and Resettlement on Women's Lives
2003
Uganda: World Bank attempts to keep the Bujagali dam project alive
Laos: Vietnamese consortium plans to build six dams
Vietnam: Na Hang dam – the reality of sustainable development?
Second Meso-American Forum against Dams
Mexico: Women suffer the effects of market opening doubly
Laos: French company pulls the plug on Nam Theun 2
Laos: Villagers Mount Unprecedented Protest Against Dam in Laos
Belize: Another turn of the screw on the Chalillo dam project
Vietnam starts resettlement to make way for massive Son La dam
Laos: Asian Development Bank to support proposed Nam Theun 2 dam
Laos: The Nam Theun 2 Dam - WWF Thailand's position
Laos: Nam Theun 2 dam - Fighting corruption World Bank style
International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life
Skanska pulls out of dam-building . . . or does it?
Burma: Revival of the Weigyi dam
Brazil: Old hydroelectric dam project again threatens Amazon peoples
India: Rainwater harvesters and forest protectors of the Aravalli hills
2002
Uganda: Bujagali dam project comes back under a new disguise
Laos: The impact of the Nam Theun 2 dam on indigenous peoples
Vietnam: Swedish involvement in dam that will hit Cambodians
Uganda: Bujagali dam project questioned by World Bank's Inspection Panel
Brazil: Indigenous peoples restart their struggle against dams on the Xingu river
Central America: International forum against dams
Laos: IUCN's controversial role in the Nam Theun 2 dam
Vietnam: Na Hang dam threatens forests, people and wildlife
Belize: Canadian company to dam the Macal River
2001
Costa Rica: Opposition to hydroelectric dam
Laos: Planned Nam Theun 2 dam leads to increased logging
Indonesia: Mamberamo dam threatens nomadic tribes
Indonesia: ADB will not fund Mamberamo dam
Urgent action against the World Bank's proposed resettlement policy!!
Honduras: Peasants demand Government to halt hydroelectric project
Costa Rica: Indigenous territory threatened by hydroelectric dam
Strangling the life-source of millions: China dams the Mekong
Ghana: What's hidden behind the Bui Dam Project?
New World Bank Resettlement Policy Is Flawed
India: The Dandeli dam project scandal
2000
International Prize awarded to two Mapuche women
Burma: Human rights abuses linked to foreign investment in "development"
Bolivia: Hydroelectric dam project questioned
Uganda: The same old story about dams
Thailand: For the authorities, reality at the Pak Mun dam does not exist
Myanmar: a dam megaproject for the benefit of the people?
Thailand: free the Moon River!
Colombia: The U'wa and Embera join forces
Colombia: "the life and dignity of the Embera people won't be flooded"
Malaysia: why the Selangor Dam?
1999
Colombia: the Embera Katio's struggle for life
Malaysia: the "progress" brought by the Bakun dam in Sarawak
Thailand: letter to the Prime Minister on Rasi Salai dam
The Philippines: dam megaproject resisted
Thailand: local people's resistance to dams
Malaysia: conflict caused by Bakun dam continues in Sarawak
Thailand: Authorities play "Ethnic" and "Nationalist" cards
Brazil: Support for Extractive Reserve on islands of Tucuruí Dam reservoir
Peoples' demonstrations in Thailand
Malaysia: opposition to dam megaproject
Pristine Belize forests threatened by dam project
Dams generate environmental and social destruction in Laos
Thailand: Local people resist dams
Argentina: environmental justice in action
1998
Sarawak: field trip to interview people resettled by dam
Chile: World Bank acknowledges mistake and impacts in the Bio Bio Pangue dam
Defer Resettlement of Bakun residents in Sarawak
Laos: Hydropower megaprojects against forests and people
1997
Laos: dams, conservation and people
Sarawak: Bakun Dam
On other megaproyects:
2009
Bangladesh: Campaign for full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord to help the Jumma peoples regain control over their forests, lands, and destiny
2007
Mexico: Oil palm business at the expense of the poor
2009
Costa Rica: Depredatory tourism takes everything with it
Bolivia: The Amazon peoples discuss their future
2006
The Amazon: IIRSA thinks big, seeking business
India: Adivasis shot dead defending their land against takeover to Tata Steel
2003
Panama: Highway project threatens major biodiversity zone
2002
Chile: Resistance against a highway that will destroy forests and peoples
India: Supreme Court orders closure of a road which threatened the Jarawa's survival
Guatemala: Opposition to highway project threatening forest area
Mexico: The Puebla Panama Plan threathens Los Chimalapas tropical forest
India: Road brings death for isolated tribe
Brazil: Aggravated deforestation rates in Amazonian forests
Burma: New roads pave the way for massive logging
2001
Venezuela: Power line that kills
New World Bank Resettlement Policy Is Flawed
Special Bulletin
2000
Vietnam: Road-building threatens Phong Nha Nature Reserve
1999
Venezuela: the Pemons' struggle
A destructive megaproject for Tehuantepec Isthmus in Mexico
Bolivia: tropical dry forests in danger
1998
Venezuela: forests menaced...plantations promoted
Venezuela: highway blockade against electric transmission line
1997
Indonesia: Mega-project in Central Kalimantan
Brazil: New development projects threaten the Amazon
SPECIAL WRM BULLETIN ON DAMS
Bulletin nº 42 - January 2001 - complete version
For many years, local peoples and environmentalists have been opposing large dams due to the severe social and environmental impacts they entail. Since its creation, the WRM has been an active participant in the fight against dams, and included them as a major cause of forest loss already in its 1989 "Penang Declaration." During the past years, we have been trying to assist local peoples' struggles against dams and reflecting them in almost every issue of our bulletin
(all available at http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/dams.html ).
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Mekong Citizens to Hand 15,000 Signature “Save the Mekong” Petition to Thai PM - Press Release - June 2009
Se viene la mayor batalla de la historia en defensa de la Amazonía boliviana - Pablo Cingolani - July 2007 (only in Spanish)
Hydroelectric Dams and the Forgotten People of the Boloven Plateau
by Phetsavanh Sayboualaven
Represas, los hijos no reconocidos del Plan Puebla Panamá
Boletín especial de Trópico Verde - Guatemala (only in Spanish)
Rivers for Life Proceedings, from the Second International Meeting of Dam-Affected People and their Allies, include regional reports as well as summaries of key issues discussed at Rivers for Life.
held in Rasi Salai, Thailand from November 28-December 3, 2003.
II Encuentro Mundial de Afectados por las Represas
Rasi Salai, Tailandia
28 de noviembre al 4 de diciembre de 2003
publicado en Ecoportal.net
Rivers for Life! The Rasi Salai Declaration
Endorsed at the Second International Meeting of Dam Affected People and their Allies, Rasi Salai, Tailandia, diciembre de 2003.
Declaración del II Foro Mesoamericano Contra las Represas "Por el Agua y la Vida de los Pueblos" (only in Spanish)
La Esperanza Intibuca, Honduras - julio del 2003
Citizens' Guide to the World Commission on Dams
by IRN - March 2002
Declaración del Foro Mesoamericano por la Vida "Agua, Luz y Tierra para los Pueblos" (only in Spanish)
Guatemala, 23 de marzo de 2002
The Report of the World Commission on Dams, November 2000 (Overview available in Deutsch, Español, Français and Português)
Recommended reading: "Silenced Rivers. The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams" - published by Zed Books Ltd - by Patrick McCully
"Dams incorporated. The record of Twelve European Dam building Companies" - published by SSNC - by Chris Lang, Nick Hildyard, Kate Geary and Matthew Grainger
"Dams on the Rocks: The Flawed Economics of Large Hydroelectric Dams" - The Corner House, Briefing 8
World Bank's Revised Draft Policy on Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12). This policy permits forcible relocation of indigenous peoples even when it will result in "significant adverse effects" on their "cultural survival."
Salvemos los Ríos y el Agua: Efectos Mundiales de las Represas y en los Pueblos Indígenas y Campesinos
por Gustavo Castro Soto (only in Spanish)
Plan Puebla Panama:
Foro Managua 2002 - "Frente al Plan Puebla Panamá el Movimiento Mesoamericano por la Integración Popular"
CIEPAC - "El Plan Puebla Panamá (PPP)"
Eco Portal - "17 Preguntas y Respuestas para comprender mejor el Plan Puebla Panamá"
Investigacción Rural - "Todo sobre el Plan Puebla Panamá"
RMALC - Plan Puebla Panamá
Acerca - Documents & Photo Gallery about PPP
Battle Over the Future of Southern Mexico and Central America - pdf booklet
Vs. el Plan Puebla Panamá
Corporate Watch - "PPP: Plan Puebla Panama, or Private Plans for Profit?"
12 de Octubre.net - Documentos varios sobre el Plan Puebla Panama
CALLS FOR ACTION
International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water & Life
March 14
International Rivers Network is inviting to participate in the International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life, which it defines as "a time to join together in solidarity to protest destructive development and celebrate our successes over the last year. It is also a time to fight for social justice and the rights of communities over their resources and lives."
LINKS
Save the Mekong
http://www.savethemekong.org/index.php
The World Commission on Dams: http://www.dams.org/
International Rivers Network: http://www.irn.org/
IRN supports local communities working to protect their rivers and watersheds. It works to halt destructive river development projects, and to encourage equitable and sustainable methods of meeting needs for water, energy and flood management.
Rivernet: http://www.rivernet.org/
A service provided by ERN (European Rivers Network). The aim of ERN and RiverNet is to interconnect all forces working for living rivers and to provide information on river-basins and organizations.
Magic River: http://www.magickriver.com
Friends of River Narmada: http://www.narmada.org/
The construction of large dams on the River Narmada in central India and its impact on millions of people living in the river valley has become one of the most important social issues in contemporary India. The friends of the Narmada valley and its people hope to present here the perspective of grassroots people's organisations on the issue.
Probe International: http://www.probeinternational.org/
Berne Declaration: http://www.evb.ch/kampagne.cfm?folder_id=159
Rivers, Dams and Climate Change
http://www.irn.org/programs/greenhouse/
Salween Watch: http://www.salweenwatch.org/
Oil Spill
Halliburton and it's cement job 20 hours before the spill
EXCERPT:
Firstly, a brief summary of what they did wrong:
BP, for instance, cut short a procedure involving drilling fluid that is designed to detect gas in the well and remove it before it becomes a problem, according to documents belonging to BP and to the drilling rig’s owner and operator, Transocean Ltd.
BP also skipped a quality test of the cement around the pipe—another buffer against gas—despite what BP now says were signs of problems with the cement job and despite a warning from cement contractor Halliburton Co.
Once gas was rising, the design and procedures BP had chosen for the well likely gave this perilous gas an easier path up and out, say well-control experts. There was little keeping the gas from rushing up to the surface after workers, pushing to finish the job, removed a critical safeguard, the heavy drilling fluid known as “mud.” BP has admitted a possible “fundamental mistake” in concluding that it was safe to proceed with mud removal, according to a memo from two Congressmen released Tuesday night.
Halliburton and it's cement job 20 hours before the spill
EXCERPT:
Firstly, a brief summary of what they did wrong:
BP, for instance, cut short a procedure involving drilling fluid that is designed to detect gas in the well and remove it before it becomes a problem, according to documents belonging to BP and to the drilling rig’s owner and operator, Transocean Ltd.
BP also skipped a quality test of the cement around the pipe—another buffer against gas—despite what BP now says were signs of problems with the cement job and despite a warning from cement contractor Halliburton Co.
Once gas was rising, the design and procedures BP had chosen for the well likely gave this perilous gas an easier path up and out, say well-control experts. There was little keeping the gas from rushing up to the surface after workers, pushing to finish the job, removed a critical safeguard, the heavy drilling fluid known as “mud.” BP has admitted a possible “fundamental mistake” in concluding that it was safe to proceed with mud removal, according to a memo from two Congressmen released Tuesday night.
Halliburton's responsibility Oil Spill
EXCERPT:
Halliburton in spotlight in gulf spill probe
Investigators look at the company’s role in cementing the deepwater drill hole in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean and BP also face questioning.
May 01, 2010|By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times
Investigators delving into the causes of the massive gulf oil spill are examining the role of Houston-based Halliburton Co., the giant energy services company that was responsible for cementing the deepwater drill hole, as well as the possible failure of equipment leased to British Petroleum.
Two members of Congress, Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), called on Halliburton on Friday to provide all documents relating to "the possibility or risk of an explosion or blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig and the status, adequacy, quality, monitoring, and inspection of the cementing work" by May 7.
Olberman syas BP spill is Dick Cheney's Katrina (video) Click to watch
Olbermann Finds BP Spill Culprit: It's 'Cheney's Katrina'
'Countdown' host uses a series of loose associations to declare former vice president is really to blame for Gulf tragedy.
By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
5/6/2010 9:46:48 AM
Usually, the crazy rantings of MSNBC host Keith Olbermann can be dismissed as the norm and easily ignored. But on May 5, Olbermann gave a glimpse of an obsession with former Vice President Dick Cheney – a man that has been out of office for 471 days – that was just too bizarre to let go.
Although Olbermann didn’t outright absolve the Obama administration for not responding quick enough to the BP oil spill, he channeled the blame in a strange direction.
“The effort to label the Gulf oil spill Obama’s Katrina appears to have sputtered, even though, as we will explain, Mr. Obama’s administration certainly did allow BP to bypass environmental requirements,” Olbermann said. “In our third story tonight, there is a growing pool of evidence, saying nothing of the oil, suggesting a far more apt name for this spill, ‘Cheney’s Katrina.’”
Olbermann admitted Obama was somewhat culpable for the spill since his Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, exempted BP from certain regulatory requirements. But to Olbermann, that’s not where the true focus should be.
Olbermann went to a 2000s-era well and determined that, since Halliburton had a degree of culpability, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s association with the company over a decade ago made it appropriate to call this “Cheney’s Katrina,” a charge his MSNBC colleague Chris Matthews flirted with earlier in the day.
“So why ‘Cheney’s Katrina?’ His former company, Halliburton, led by his former protégé, CEO David Lesar, did the cementing to seal the deepwater well, a process families of the dead now claim led to the fatal blow-out. Halliburton confirming it finished cementing only 20 hours before the damn thing blew. Just like Halliburton had just finished cementing this Australian well when it blew on August 21st of last year, causing what is now called the Montara spill. A government inquiry still underway there, but zeroing in on the cementing process.”
Then Olbermann found another tie – an incident that he alleges took place in 2001, in which Cheney and oil executives conspired to not require oil wells to have acoustic switches.
“Almost immediately after taking office, Vice President Cheney began meeting with more than 100 oil executives, compiling a wish list of things they wanted,” Olbermann expounded. “One thing the industry did not want was mandatory acoustic switches, which can shut wells remotely when blowout preventers fail. The administration knew preventers fail because the MMS [Materials Management Service] found hundreds of incidents in which they did. But it reversed a Clinton era decision requiring the essential acoustic backups, calling them too costly, and those faulty blowout preventers a fail safe.”
Olbermann’s final evidence for Cheney;s culpability is a 2007 report that “downplayed” the odds of a deepwater spill – a report approved by a man that was an intern for Cheney back in the early 1980s
“And the MMS report downplaying the odds of a deepwater spill, it was done back in 2007, signed off on by then director Randal Luthi, a Wyoming Republican, who goes back almost 30 years with Dick Cheney, to 1982 when he was an intern for Dick Cheney,” Olbermann said.
This conclusion was even a little much for Kieran Suckling, the director of a lefty environmental group called the Center for Biological Diversity, who also appeared on Olbermann’s program.
“You know what? Cheney’s not going to change,” Suckling said. “He’s old news. Obama can. And I think if we recognize that Obama erred in putting Salazar in charge of this critical agency, a man with deep, deep ties to the oil industry. And secondly he erred in listening to Salazar and opening up the Atlantic Coast, the eastern Gulf Coast of Mexico, and the Arctic in Alaska to new offshore oil drilling. That was a mistake.”
Suckling urged the president to reverse course on plans to open these areas up for drilling.
“The good news is the president can reverse course,” Suckling continued. “We’re early in that process. He can do that. He can reform the Mineral Management Service. And frankly, he can ask Ken Salazar to step down in the wake of this crisis. So there’s a lot of opportunities for the president to fix what’s going on out there.”
Montara Oil Spill
EXCERPT:
The Montara oil spill was a oil and gas leak and subsequent slick that took place in the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia. It is considered one of Australia's worst oil disasters.[1] The slick was released from the West Atlas mobile rig which began leaking oil on August 21, 2009, and continued leaking until November 3, 2009, when the leak was stopped by pumping mud into the well.[2][3] The West Atlas rig is owned by Seadrill, and operated by PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) which is in turn a subsidiary of PTT, the Thai state-owned oil and gas company. The rig is located off the Kimberley coast, 250 km (160 mi) north of Truscott airbase, and 690 km (430 mi) west of Darwin.[4][5][6] Sixty-nine workers were evacuated from the rig when oil and gas began leaking.[5
Agency MMS
Randall Luthi
EXCERPT:
Luthi formerly worked as a legislative assistant in the office of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson of Cody. He provided counsel on legal and legislative issues including oil and natural gas taxation. He later transferred to the office of then U.S. Representative Richard B. Cheney of Wyoming, later Vice President of the United States.[2]
Family ties in BP legal Case, former MMS guy and his cousin
EXCERPT:
Two key figures in the upcoming investigation and litigation phases in the case of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which killed 11 workers on April 20 and subsequently spewed millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, are first cousins.
Randall Luthi is the former director of the agency (MMS) that regulated BP and its Deepwater Horizon floating platform, and Jeffery Luthi, his cousin, is the clerk of the judicial panel that will render a crucial decision about where the lawsuits, which could total billions of dollars, will be tried. Both Luthis are both from Freedom, Wyoming, a town with just 135 residents.
Jeffery Luthi and the Toyota Scandal
EXCERPT:
A spokesperson from Toyota's US headquarters in Torrance, California, said: "We refuse to comment on pending litigation."
The panel of federal judges hearing the case on Thursday will make no determination about the merit of the claims.
Instead, their role will be to decide whether the mushrooming cases can be heard in one specific courthouse. The judges will not deliver their decision until about a week later, according to Jeffrey Luthi, clerk of the panel.
EXCERPT:
Halliburton in spotlight in gulf spill probe
Investigators look at the company’s role in cementing the deepwater drill hole in the Gulf of Mexico. Transocean and BP also face questioning.
May 01, 2010|By Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times
Investigators delving into the causes of the massive gulf oil spill are examining the role of Houston-based Halliburton Co., the giant energy services company that was responsible for cementing the deepwater drill hole, as well as the possible failure of equipment leased to British Petroleum.
Two members of Congress, Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), called on Halliburton on Friday to provide all documents relating to "the possibility or risk of an explosion or blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig and the status, adequacy, quality, monitoring, and inspection of the cementing work" by May 7.
Olberman syas BP spill is Dick Cheney's Katrina (video) Click to watch
Olbermann Finds BP Spill Culprit: It's 'Cheney's Katrina'
'Countdown' host uses a series of loose associations to declare former vice president is really to blame for Gulf tragedy.
By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
5/6/2010 9:46:48 AM
Usually, the crazy rantings of MSNBC host Keith Olbermann can be dismissed as the norm and easily ignored. But on May 5, Olbermann gave a glimpse of an obsession with former Vice President Dick Cheney – a man that has been out of office for 471 days – that was just too bizarre to let go.
Although Olbermann didn’t outright absolve the Obama administration for not responding quick enough to the BP oil spill, he channeled the blame in a strange direction.
“The effort to label the Gulf oil spill Obama’s Katrina appears to have sputtered, even though, as we will explain, Mr. Obama’s administration certainly did allow BP to bypass environmental requirements,” Olbermann said. “In our third story tonight, there is a growing pool of evidence, saying nothing of the oil, suggesting a far more apt name for this spill, ‘Cheney’s Katrina.’”
Olbermann admitted Obama was somewhat culpable for the spill since his Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, exempted BP from certain regulatory requirements. But to Olbermann, that’s not where the true focus should be.
Olbermann went to a 2000s-era well and determined that, since Halliburton had a degree of culpability, former Vice President Dick Cheney’s association with the company over a decade ago made it appropriate to call this “Cheney’s Katrina,” a charge his MSNBC colleague Chris Matthews flirted with earlier in the day.
“So why ‘Cheney’s Katrina?’ His former company, Halliburton, led by his former protégé, CEO David Lesar, did the cementing to seal the deepwater well, a process families of the dead now claim led to the fatal blow-out. Halliburton confirming it finished cementing only 20 hours before the damn thing blew. Just like Halliburton had just finished cementing this Australian well when it blew on August 21st of last year, causing what is now called the Montara spill. A government inquiry still underway there, but zeroing in on the cementing process.”
Then Olbermann found another tie – an incident that he alleges took place in 2001, in which Cheney and oil executives conspired to not require oil wells to have acoustic switches.
“Almost immediately after taking office, Vice President Cheney began meeting with more than 100 oil executives, compiling a wish list of things they wanted,” Olbermann expounded. “One thing the industry did not want was mandatory acoustic switches, which can shut wells remotely when blowout preventers fail. The administration knew preventers fail because the MMS [Materials Management Service] found hundreds of incidents in which they did. But it reversed a Clinton era decision requiring the essential acoustic backups, calling them too costly, and those faulty blowout preventers a fail safe.”
Olbermann’s final evidence for Cheney;s culpability is a 2007 report that “downplayed” the odds of a deepwater spill – a report approved by a man that was an intern for Cheney back in the early 1980s
“And the MMS report downplaying the odds of a deepwater spill, it was done back in 2007, signed off on by then director Randal Luthi, a Wyoming Republican, who goes back almost 30 years with Dick Cheney, to 1982 when he was an intern for Dick Cheney,” Olbermann said.
This conclusion was even a little much for Kieran Suckling, the director of a lefty environmental group called the Center for Biological Diversity, who also appeared on Olbermann’s program.
“You know what? Cheney’s not going to change,” Suckling said. “He’s old news. Obama can. And I think if we recognize that Obama erred in putting Salazar in charge of this critical agency, a man with deep, deep ties to the oil industry. And secondly he erred in listening to Salazar and opening up the Atlantic Coast, the eastern Gulf Coast of Mexico, and the Arctic in Alaska to new offshore oil drilling. That was a mistake.”
Suckling urged the president to reverse course on plans to open these areas up for drilling.
“The good news is the president can reverse course,” Suckling continued. “We’re early in that process. He can do that. He can reform the Mineral Management Service. And frankly, he can ask Ken Salazar to step down in the wake of this crisis. So there’s a lot of opportunities for the president to fix what’s going on out there.”
Montara Oil Spill
EXCERPT:
The Montara oil spill was a oil and gas leak and subsequent slick that took place in the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea, off the northern coast of Western Australia. It is considered one of Australia's worst oil disasters.[1] The slick was released from the West Atlas mobile rig which began leaking oil on August 21, 2009, and continued leaking until November 3, 2009, when the leak was stopped by pumping mud into the well.[2][3] The West Atlas rig is owned by Seadrill, and operated by PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) which is in turn a subsidiary of PTT, the Thai state-owned oil and gas company. The rig is located off the Kimberley coast, 250 km (160 mi) north of Truscott airbase, and 690 km (430 mi) west of Darwin.[4][5][6] Sixty-nine workers were evacuated from the rig when oil and gas began leaking.[5
Agency MMS
Randall Luthi
EXCERPT:
Luthi formerly worked as a legislative assistant in the office of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson of Cody. He provided counsel on legal and legislative issues including oil and natural gas taxation. He later transferred to the office of then U.S. Representative Richard B. Cheney of Wyoming, later Vice President of the United States.[2]
Family ties in BP legal Case, former MMS guy and his cousin
EXCERPT:
Two key figures in the upcoming investigation and litigation phases in the case of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which killed 11 workers on April 20 and subsequently spewed millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, are first cousins.
Randall Luthi is the former director of the agency (MMS) that regulated BP and its Deepwater Horizon floating platform, and Jeffery Luthi, his cousin, is the clerk of the judicial panel that will render a crucial decision about where the lawsuits, which could total billions of dollars, will be tried. Both Luthis are both from Freedom, Wyoming, a town with just 135 residents.
Jeffery Luthi and the Toyota Scandal
EXCERPT:
A spokesperson from Toyota's US headquarters in Torrance, California, said: "We refuse to comment on pending litigation."
The panel of federal judges hearing the case on Thursday will make no determination about the merit of the claims.
Instead, their role will be to decide whether the mushrooming cases can be heard in one specific courthouse. The judges will not deliver their decision until about a week later, according to Jeffrey Luthi, clerk of the panel.
MMS government
MMS government homepage
EXCERPT:
At Deepwater Horizon Response Area Command/Unified Command in Robert, LA., MMS Gulf Region leadership, (L to R) Mike Saucier, Field Operations regional supervisor; and Lars Herbst, regional director, discuss BP's procedures for securing the well as MMS petroleum engineer Warren Williamson monitors the response efforts.
Related Information:
Deepwater Horizon Incident
Offshore and telephone numbers
EXCERPT:
Deepwater Horizon Incident
On April 20, 2010 while working on an exploratory well approximately 50 miles offshore Louisiana, the semi-submersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon experienced an explosion and fire. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The MMS is working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the operator of the drilling rig in securing the well and protecting the environment. Updates regarding response operations can be found at Deepwater Horizon Response.
Report oiled or injured wildlife: call 1-800-557-1401.
Report spill related damage claims: 1-800-440-0858.
Report oil on land, general community and volunteer info: 1-866-448-5816.
Follow the Deepwater Horizon Response:
On Facebook...On Twitter...On Flickr...On YouTube
MMS Safety Alert on the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Fire Resulting in Multiple Fatalities and Release of Oil (4-30-2010)
Documents
BP's Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan ( 62 KB PDF)
BP Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan 582 pages PDF
MMS government homepage
EXCERPT:
At Deepwater Horizon Response Area Command/Unified Command in Robert, LA., MMS Gulf Region leadership, (L to R) Mike Saucier, Field Operations regional supervisor; and Lars Herbst, regional director, discuss BP's procedures for securing the well as MMS petroleum engineer Warren Williamson monitors the response efforts.
Related Information:
Deepwater Horizon Incident
Offshore and telephone numbers
EXCERPT:
Deepwater Horizon Incident
On April 20, 2010 while working on an exploratory well approximately 50 miles offshore Louisiana, the semi-submersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon experienced an explosion and fire. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The MMS is working with the U.S. Coast Guard and the operator of the drilling rig in securing the well and protecting the environment. Updates regarding response operations can be found at Deepwater Horizon Response.
Report oiled or injured wildlife: call 1-800-557-1401.
Report spill related damage claims: 1-800-440-0858.
Report oil on land, general community and volunteer info: 1-866-448-5816.
Follow the Deepwater Horizon Response:
On Facebook...On Twitter...On Flickr...On YouTube
MMS Safety Alert on the Deepwater Horizon Explosion and Fire Resulting in Multiple Fatalities and Release of Oil (4-30-2010)
Documents
BP's Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan ( 62 KB PDF)
BP Gulf of Mexico Regional Oil Spill Response Plan 582 pages PDF
Friday, May 28, 2010
Whos is Elizabeth Birnbaum
EXCERPT:
A veteran of the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Birnbaum became director of MMS in the wake of a 2008 scandal in which former officials had received lavish gifts from oil company executives, as well as sexually cavorted and taken drugs with them.
MMS
EXCERPT:
Interior Dept. scandal: Sex, drugs, energy deals probed at Denver office
Denver Post staff and wire reports
Posted: 09/10/2008 12:45:36 PM MDT
Updated: 12/03/2008 07:20:59 PM MST
Johnnie Burton, former Minerals Management service director, resigned last year in the wake of an investigation into her department. (Bloomberg News | Carlos Javier Sanchez)
BP and MMS Cover-Ups
EXCERPT:
The Royalty in kind went from wyoming to the national stage
“The Department of the Interior is institutionally unwilling to aggressively collect the money owed to the American people by the oil industry,” stated Maloney’s report, titled A Wink and A Nod: How the Oil Industry and the Department of Interior are Cheating the American Public and California Schoolchildren. The report said that “for decades” Interior had given “loyal and devoted service to the petroleum industry” and had a record “replete with mismanagement, duplicity, evasions, and outright lies.”
EXCERPT:
A veteran of the administrations of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Birnbaum became director of MMS in the wake of a 2008 scandal in which former officials had received lavish gifts from oil company executives, as well as sexually cavorted and taken drugs with them.
MMS
EXCERPT:
Interior Dept. scandal: Sex, drugs, energy deals probed at Denver office
Denver Post staff and wire reports
Posted: 09/10/2008 12:45:36 PM MDT
Updated: 12/03/2008 07:20:59 PM MST
Johnnie Burton, former Minerals Management service director, resigned last year in the wake of an investigation into her department. (Bloomberg News | Carlos Javier Sanchez)
BP and MMS Cover-Ups
EXCERPT:
The Royalty in kind went from wyoming to the national stage
“The Department of the Interior is institutionally unwilling to aggressively collect the money owed to the American people by the oil industry,” stated Maloney’s report, titled A Wink and A Nod: How the Oil Industry and the Department of Interior are Cheating the American Public and California Schoolchildren. The report said that “for decades” Interior had given “loyal and devoted service to the petroleum industry” and had a record “replete with mismanagement, duplicity, evasions, and outright lies.”
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Stock Option Scandals/It's funny about that Bush family lots of people die in airplane crashes, eh?
Charles F. Fogarty Obituary
6 TEXASGULF EXECUTIVES VICTIMS OF PLANE CRASH: CHARLES F. FOGARTY, 59,
(The New York Times); Obituary
February 13, 1981, Friday
Late City Final Edition, Section B, Page 2, Column 1, 359 words
BOARD CHAIRMAN Charles F. Fogarty was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Texasgulf Inc. a worldwide oil and mining concern with headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Mr. Fogarty, who lived in Darien, Conn., was 59 years old. He joined the company on June 1, 1952, in Houston ...
Salt Lake City Is the Industrial Banking Center of the US
EXCERPT:
Overview
It is also the largest industrial banking center in the United States.[1] The city is known as the "Crossroads of the West" for its central geography in the Census defined western United States. Salt Lake is about an equal distance from Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Phoenix, and Seattle. As a result, Interstate 15 is a major corridor for freight traffic and the area is host to many regional centers such as Dannon Yogurt and Sysco.
Industrial banking
An industrial loan company (ILC) or industrial bank is a financial institution in the United States that lends money, and may be owned by non-financial institutions. Though such banks offer FDIC-insured deposits and are subject to FDIC and state regulator oversight, a debate exists to allow parent companies such as Wal-Mart to remain unregulated by the financial regulators. "FDIC-insured entities are subject to Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, which limits bank transactions with affiliates, including the parent company." (FDIC.gov) The ILC is permitted to have branches in multiple states (which is permitted by many states on a reciprocal basis). They are state-chartered, and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. They are currently chartered by seven states, with most chartered by Utah. Other states permitting them include California, Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, Hawaii, and Nevada.
Charles Fogarty
National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville,... - [Cached Version]
Published on: 2/24/2010 Last Visited: 2/24/2010
Fogarty, Dr. Charles F. National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville, Colorado, minerals, gems, history
National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville, Colorado, minerals, gems, history
...
Fogarty, Dr. Charles F.
...
Name:Fogarty, Dr. Charles F.
...
Dr. Charles Fogarty, an expert petroleum geologist, was instrumental in moving Texasgulf into its prominent position as an industry leader. e promoted technological advances and set an excellent example for all mining executives.
In 1952, after receiving his Doctorate in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines, he went to work for Texasgulf. e spent most of his early years on exploration assignments throughout the world. y 1973 he had reached the status of CEO.
SILVER INVESTOR - [Cached Version]
Published on: 6/14/2004 Last Visited: 10/4/2005
Ironically, by the mid-1970's, George Eccles was a director of Texas Gulf Sulphur, which had silver interests at the Kidd Creek mine in Ontario, Canada. Other Texas Gulf directors included Allan Shivers, once governor of Texas, and George Herbert Walker Bush, who became President and now we have his junior as President. (Strangely, in January 1981, Charles Fogarty CEO of Texas Gulf and five other top executives---but no board members---were killed in a plane crash.
Trading Article - Insider Trading in the Stock Market - [Cached Version]
Published on: 3/22/2006 Last Visited: 2/10/2010
Fogarty, an executive vice president of Texas Gulf, knew that the company had discovered a rich mineral lode in Ontario that it could not publicize before concluding leases for mineral rights.
...
Interestingly, Texas Gulf insider Charles Fogarty was subsequently elevated to chief executive officer of his company.
...
For example, if Fogarty had purchased Ontario mineral rights before Texas Gulf Sulphur agents could acquire them, Texas Gulf would have been injured.
Texas Gulf Inc.
Charles Fogarty in court
EXCERPT:
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, a Texas Corporation, and Charlesf. Fogarty, Petitioners, v. the Honorable Willis W. Ritter, Chief Judge of the Unitedstates District Court for the District of Utah,and George Gordon Reynolds, Respondents
United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit. - 371 F.2d 145
Jan. 3, 1967
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company
2 EXCERPTS:
TGS became known as Texasgulf, Incorporated, in April 1972. By the mid-1970s, two-thirds of Texasgulf's operating income was derived from its Canadian mines, and half of its employees were Canadian. However, the corporation had only one Canadian on its board of directors. In this context the Canadian Development Corporation, a company chartered by the Canadian government to oversee and protect Canada's natural resources, attempted a hostile take-over bid in 1973. CDC offered to buy ten million shares of Texasgulf at $29 a share. The $290 million offer would have given CDC controlling interest. Texasgulf went to federal court to prevent the take-over. Delays and confusion followed. In the end CDC purchased more than eight million shares (roughly 30 percent of Texasgulf stock). Management, led by Charles Fogarty, capitulated and put four CDC members on the Texasgulf board. Texasgulf then prospered. In 1980 it realized a net income of $325.6 million. Its directors included R. Allan Shivers, George H. W. Bush, George Brown, and Pierre Cote. The number of its employees rose to 6,480 and its common shareowners to 53,795. In 1980 Texasgulf produced 1,528,100 tons of sulfur in the United States and Canada, and its Mexican affiliate produced 551,300 tons. (Texas sulfur reserves are estimated at 15.1 million long tons; Mexican reserves at 19.3 million.) The company owned 2,100 railroad cars for transporting superphosphoric acid and liquid sulfur.
In January 1981, CEO Charles Fogarty died in a plane crash along with five other top executives of the company. Five months later, Elf Aquitaine, a French development corporation, acquired ownership of Texasgulf in a $5 billion deal. In order to finance the purchase, Elf Aquitaine sold the Canadian mining operations (50 percent of Texasgulf's assets) to the Canadian Development Corporation. Elf Aquitaine later sold interest in Texasgulf to Williams Companies of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Texasgulf was left to focus on sulfur production and the company's oil and gas interests. In 1984 the company completed a seventy-megawatt cogenerating plant at Newgulf to supply power to generate steam for the Frasch mining at the Boling Dome and other operations. By the early 1990s the fertilizer industry used 75 percent of sulfur produced. Sulfur recovery from sour gas and oil at refineries and gas-processing plants amounted to 60 percent of all sulfur production. In 1992 the Texasgulf plant at Newgulf, the former headquarters, produced approximately 300 long tons of sulfur a day. Although Texas remains in the title, company properties and activities are worldwide. In 1995 Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan purchased Texasgulf for more than $800 million.
Fortune Magazine Options Scandals
EXCERPT:
Sleazy CEOs have even more options tricks
Backdating may be just the beginning: A lot of other suspicious stuff tends to happen when companies grant options.
By Justin Fox, Fortune editor-at-large
November 14 2006: 4:42 PM EST
(Fortune Magazine) -- It is never really a shock to find executives enriching themselves at shareholders' expense. It can sometimes be surprising, though, just how clear the evidence is, and how long it takes us to notice.
Take the options-backdating scandal that has claimed such CEO scalps as that of Comverse's (Charts) Kobi Alexander (currently fighting extradition from Namibia), UnitedHealth's (Charts) William McGuire (ousted after 14 years of spectacular success) or KB Home's (Charts) Bruce Karatz (who voluntarily stepped down and agreed to pay the difference for incorrectly priced grants).
Short the CEO - Buy the Stock?
Kobi Alexander, former CEO of Comverse, fled to Namibia to avoid prosecution.
More from Fortune
Why hedge funds will not defect
Speed saves: How to instantly stop the next banking crisis
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The scandal has its roots in a 1992 SEC decree that companies list in their annual proxy statements the exact dates that they gave stock options to top executives. The dates had been disclosed before, but only in mailed-in filings that no one ever looked at.
David Yermack
EXCERPT:
Until recently, financial research has been puzzled by an unusual pattern of stock returns during the period surrounding stock option grant dates for CEOs and other top executives. David Yermack ("Good Timing: CEO Stock Option Awards and Company News Announcements," Journal of Finance, vol. 52, no. 2, June 1997) and Keith W. Chauvin and Catherine Shenoy ("Stock Price Decreases Prior To Executive Stock Option Grants," Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 7, no. 1, March 2001) first documented that stock prices tend to fall in the period before, and rise in the period following, employee stock option grant dates. Such circumstantial evidence suggested that companies withhold good news or publish bad news prior to long-term employee stock option awards to reduce stock prices. Erik lie ("On the Timing of CEO Stock Option Awards," Management Science, vol. 51, no. 5, May 2005) dug deeper into this phenomenon, documenting an unusual pattern of negative returns prior to option-award grant dates that reversed in the post-grant date period. lie concluded: "Unless executives have an informational advantage that allows them to develop superior forecasts regarding the future market movements that drive these predicted returns, the results suggest that the official grant date must have been set retroactively" (emphasis added). In solving this financial puzzle, lie touched off a firestorm with immediate and far-reaching public-policy implications.
Canary Scandal
EXCERPT:
How It Hurt Small Investors
The practices that Canary Capital and its partners in crime engaged in cost investors a lot of money. According to Stanford economist Eric Zitzewitz, late trading alone may cost shareholders as much as $400 million in a year. Because all investors in a fund share in the cost of the fund's transactions, the rapid-fire trading involved in market timing spreads costs across all the fund's investors. Canary Capital and other large institutional investors profited from these behaviors, leaving long-term mutual fund investors with the bill.
More on Funds Scandals
EXCERPT:
WHY WOULD MUTUAL FUND MANAGERS ALLOW THIS?
Fund managers, being fiduciaries for their investors, are supposed to do their best to protect their customers from the dilution that late trading and market timing cause. So why would fund managers allow late trading and rapid timing transactions to occur? It's all about the money. A hedge fund, such as Canary, makes sure that the illegal transactions that harm fund shareholders is worthwhile, financially speaking, for fund managers. Fund management fees increase with increased assets, and Canary was providing just that, investing millions of dollars in a long-term security while rapidly trading in and out of separate funds.
Peter Elkind describes how it works in his recent article in Fortune magazine:
Market-timing hedge funds ... negotiated secret 'capacity' arrangements in which they gained the right to run a predetermined amount of money in and out of a fund and were exempted from short-term redemption fees. In return, the market timer handed over a second predetermined amount of money to the fund company—'sticky assets,' which sat quietly and generated extra management fees for the fund complex (114).
Therefore, managers at certain fund companies were profiting at the expense of their buy-and-hold shareholders.
HOW CANARY DID IT
History of Scandals
EXCERPT:
SECURITIES FRAUD - Business History of Insider Trading, Compliance Violation, Stock Price Manipulation, Enterprise Corruption
1913 - Ivar Kreuger formed Svenska Tändsticks Aktiebolaget, STAB (Swedish Match Company); lent over $300 million dollars to governments in Europe, Latin America, and Asia in exchange for national match monopolies; became world's largest match manufacturer; built small, family-owned match business into a $600 million global match empire; owned manufacturing operations in 36 countries, had monopolies in 16 countries, controlled 40% of the world's match production; relied on international capital markets to finance acquisitions and monopoly deals; 1929 - Kreuger company stocks and bonds were most widely held securities in United States and world; 1932 - Krueger died in Paris (suicide?); forensic auditors discovered giant pyramid scheme; Kreuger accounts hid fictitious assets in maze of over 400 subsidiary companies; Swedish Match's deficits exceeded Sweden's national debt.
August 13, 1920 - Thousands of investors demanded their money back from Carlo Ponzi. Anticipating the collapse, had already attempted to gamble with the $2 million in a vain attempt to make up the lost money. Ponzi went to jail and was deported to Italy in 1934. He told reporters, "I hope the world forgives me." 1919 - told friends and potential investors that they would get a 50 percent return on their money within 90 days if they invested with him. The hapless investors were never told much about what Ponzi planned on doing with their money, but, when pressed, he told them that it had to do with international postal exchange coupons, an obscure field that virtually no one knew much about. Paid off his initial investors and soon the investment dollars were pouring in. Thousands of people came to his offices, where money was stuffed in every desk drawer and filing cabinet. Ponzi was taking in an estimated $200,000 a day at the frenzy's peak. When a local writer questioned Ponzi's financial record, he threatened to sue and scared off further inquiry. When state investigators finally began examining his books and interviewing his workers they found that there was no real investment going on. Of course, only the very early investors actually got any money back, and these funds came from later investors.
6 TEXASGULF EXECUTIVES VICTIMS OF PLANE CRASH: CHARLES F. FOGARTY, 59,
(The New York Times); Obituary
February 13, 1981, Friday
Late City Final Edition, Section B, Page 2, Column 1, 359 words
BOARD CHAIRMAN Charles F. Fogarty was chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Texasgulf Inc. a worldwide oil and mining concern with headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Mr. Fogarty, who lived in Darien, Conn., was 59 years old. He joined the company on June 1, 1952, in Houston ...
Salt Lake City Is the Industrial Banking Center of the US
EXCERPT:
Overview
It is also the largest industrial banking center in the United States.[1] The city is known as the "Crossroads of the West" for its central geography in the Census defined western United States. Salt Lake is about an equal distance from Los Angeles, Denver, San Francisco, Portland, Phoenix, and Seattle. As a result, Interstate 15 is a major corridor for freight traffic and the area is host to many regional centers such as Dannon Yogurt and Sysco.
Industrial banking
An industrial loan company (ILC) or industrial bank is a financial institution in the United States that lends money, and may be owned by non-financial institutions. Though such banks offer FDIC-insured deposits and are subject to FDIC and state regulator oversight, a debate exists to allow parent companies such as Wal-Mart to remain unregulated by the financial regulators. "FDIC-insured entities are subject to Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act, which limits bank transactions with affiliates, including the parent company." (FDIC.gov) The ILC is permitted to have branches in multiple states (which is permitted by many states on a reciprocal basis). They are state-chartered, and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. They are currently chartered by seven states, with most chartered by Utah. Other states permitting them include California, Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, Hawaii, and Nevada.
Charles Fogarty
National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville,... - [Cached Version]
Published on: 2/24/2010 Last Visited: 2/24/2010
Fogarty, Dr. Charles F. National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville, Colorado, minerals, gems, history
National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - Leadville, Colorado, minerals, gems, history
...
Fogarty, Dr. Charles F.
...
Name:Fogarty, Dr. Charles F.
...
Dr. Charles Fogarty, an expert petroleum geologist, was instrumental in moving Texasgulf into its prominent position as an industry leader. e promoted technological advances and set an excellent example for all mining executives.
In 1952, after receiving his Doctorate in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines, he went to work for Texasgulf. e spent most of his early years on exploration assignments throughout the world. y 1973 he had reached the status of CEO.
SILVER INVESTOR - [Cached Version]
Published on: 6/14/2004 Last Visited: 10/4/2005
Ironically, by the mid-1970's, George Eccles was a director of Texas Gulf Sulphur, which had silver interests at the Kidd Creek mine in Ontario, Canada. Other Texas Gulf directors included Allan Shivers, once governor of Texas, and George Herbert Walker Bush, who became President and now we have his junior as President. (Strangely, in January 1981, Charles Fogarty CEO of Texas Gulf and five other top executives---but no board members---were killed in a plane crash.
Trading Article - Insider Trading in the Stock Market - [Cached Version]
Published on: 3/22/2006 Last Visited: 2/10/2010
Fogarty, an executive vice president of Texas Gulf, knew that the company had discovered a rich mineral lode in Ontario that it could not publicize before concluding leases for mineral rights.
...
Interestingly, Texas Gulf insider Charles Fogarty was subsequently elevated to chief executive officer of his company.
...
For example, if Fogarty had purchased Ontario mineral rights before Texas Gulf Sulphur agents could acquire them, Texas Gulf would have been injured.
Texas Gulf Inc.
Charles Fogarty in court
EXCERPT:
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, a Texas Corporation, and Charlesf. Fogarty, Petitioners, v. the Honorable Willis W. Ritter, Chief Judge of the Unitedstates District Court for the District of Utah,and George Gordon Reynolds, Respondents
United States Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit. - 371 F.2d 145
Jan. 3, 1967
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company
2 EXCERPTS:
TGS became known as Texasgulf, Incorporated, in April 1972. By the mid-1970s, two-thirds of Texasgulf's operating income was derived from its Canadian mines, and half of its employees were Canadian. However, the corporation had only one Canadian on its board of directors. In this context the Canadian Development Corporation, a company chartered by the Canadian government to oversee and protect Canada's natural resources, attempted a hostile take-over bid in 1973. CDC offered to buy ten million shares of Texasgulf at $29 a share. The $290 million offer would have given CDC controlling interest. Texasgulf went to federal court to prevent the take-over. Delays and confusion followed. In the end CDC purchased more than eight million shares (roughly 30 percent of Texasgulf stock). Management, led by Charles Fogarty, capitulated and put four CDC members on the Texasgulf board. Texasgulf then prospered. In 1980 it realized a net income of $325.6 million. Its directors included R. Allan Shivers, George H. W. Bush, George Brown, and Pierre Cote. The number of its employees rose to 6,480 and its common shareowners to 53,795. In 1980 Texasgulf produced 1,528,100 tons of sulfur in the United States and Canada, and its Mexican affiliate produced 551,300 tons. (Texas sulfur reserves are estimated at 15.1 million long tons; Mexican reserves at 19.3 million.) The company owned 2,100 railroad cars for transporting superphosphoric acid and liquid sulfur.
In January 1981, CEO Charles Fogarty died in a plane crash along with five other top executives of the company. Five months later, Elf Aquitaine, a French development corporation, acquired ownership of Texasgulf in a $5 billion deal. In order to finance the purchase, Elf Aquitaine sold the Canadian mining operations (50 percent of Texasgulf's assets) to the Canadian Development Corporation. Elf Aquitaine later sold interest in Texasgulf to Williams Companies of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Texasgulf was left to focus on sulfur production and the company's oil and gas interests. In 1984 the company completed a seventy-megawatt cogenerating plant at Newgulf to supply power to generate steam for the Frasch mining at the Boling Dome and other operations. By the early 1990s the fertilizer industry used 75 percent of sulfur produced. Sulfur recovery from sour gas and oil at refineries and gas-processing plants amounted to 60 percent of all sulfur production. In 1992 the Texasgulf plant at Newgulf, the former headquarters, produced approximately 300 long tons of sulfur a day. Although Texas remains in the title, company properties and activities are worldwide. In 1995 Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan purchased Texasgulf for more than $800 million.
Fortune Magazine Options Scandals
EXCERPT:
Sleazy CEOs have even more options tricks
Backdating may be just the beginning: A lot of other suspicious stuff tends to happen when companies grant options.
By Justin Fox, Fortune editor-at-large
November 14 2006: 4:42 PM EST
(Fortune Magazine) -- It is never really a shock to find executives enriching themselves at shareholders' expense. It can sometimes be surprising, though, just how clear the evidence is, and how long it takes us to notice.
Take the options-backdating scandal that has claimed such CEO scalps as that of Comverse's (Charts) Kobi Alexander (currently fighting extradition from Namibia), UnitedHealth's (Charts) William McGuire (ousted after 14 years of spectacular success) or KB Home's (Charts) Bruce Karatz (who voluntarily stepped down and agreed to pay the difference for incorrectly priced grants).
Short the CEO - Buy the Stock?
Kobi Alexander, former CEO of Comverse, fled to Namibia to avoid prosecution.
More from Fortune
Why hedge funds will not defect
Speed saves: How to instantly stop the next banking crisis
Unlikely winners of financial reform
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The scandal has its roots in a 1992 SEC decree that companies list in their annual proxy statements the exact dates that they gave stock options to top executives. The dates had been disclosed before, but only in mailed-in filings that no one ever looked at.
David Yermack
EXCERPT:
Until recently, financial research has been puzzled by an unusual pattern of stock returns during the period surrounding stock option grant dates for CEOs and other top executives. David Yermack ("Good Timing: CEO Stock Option Awards and Company News Announcements," Journal of Finance, vol. 52, no. 2, June 1997) and Keith W. Chauvin and Catherine Shenoy ("Stock Price Decreases Prior To Executive Stock Option Grants," Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 7, no. 1, March 2001) first documented that stock prices tend to fall in the period before, and rise in the period following, employee stock option grant dates. Such circumstantial evidence suggested that companies withhold good news or publish bad news prior to long-term employee stock option awards to reduce stock prices. Erik lie ("On the Timing of CEO Stock Option Awards," Management Science, vol. 51, no. 5, May 2005) dug deeper into this phenomenon, documenting an unusual pattern of negative returns prior to option-award grant dates that reversed in the post-grant date period. lie concluded: "Unless executives have an informational advantage that allows them to develop superior forecasts regarding the future market movements that drive these predicted returns, the results suggest that the official grant date must have been set retroactively" (emphasis added). In solving this financial puzzle, lie touched off a firestorm with immediate and far-reaching public-policy implications.
Canary Scandal
EXCERPT:
How It Hurt Small Investors
The practices that Canary Capital and its partners in crime engaged in cost investors a lot of money. According to Stanford economist Eric Zitzewitz, late trading alone may cost shareholders as much as $400 million in a year. Because all investors in a fund share in the cost of the fund's transactions, the rapid-fire trading involved in market timing spreads costs across all the fund's investors. Canary Capital and other large institutional investors profited from these behaviors, leaving long-term mutual fund investors with the bill.
More on Funds Scandals
EXCERPT:
WHY WOULD MUTUAL FUND MANAGERS ALLOW THIS?
Fund managers, being fiduciaries for their investors, are supposed to do their best to protect their customers from the dilution that late trading and market timing cause. So why would fund managers allow late trading and rapid timing transactions to occur? It's all about the money. A hedge fund, such as Canary, makes sure that the illegal transactions that harm fund shareholders is worthwhile, financially speaking, for fund managers. Fund management fees increase with increased assets, and Canary was providing just that, investing millions of dollars in a long-term security while rapidly trading in and out of separate funds.
Peter Elkind describes how it works in his recent article in Fortune magazine:
Market-timing hedge funds ... negotiated secret 'capacity' arrangements in which they gained the right to run a predetermined amount of money in and out of a fund and were exempted from short-term redemption fees. In return, the market timer handed over a second predetermined amount of money to the fund company—'sticky assets,' which sat quietly and generated extra management fees for the fund complex (114).
Therefore, managers at certain fund companies were profiting at the expense of their buy-and-hold shareholders.
HOW CANARY DID IT
History of Scandals
EXCERPT:
SECURITIES FRAUD - Business History of Insider Trading, Compliance Violation, Stock Price Manipulation, Enterprise Corruption
1913 - Ivar Kreuger formed Svenska Tändsticks Aktiebolaget, STAB (Swedish Match Company); lent over $300 million dollars to governments in Europe, Latin America, and Asia in exchange for national match monopolies; became world's largest match manufacturer; built small, family-owned match business into a $600 million global match empire; owned manufacturing operations in 36 countries, had monopolies in 16 countries, controlled 40% of the world's match production; relied on international capital markets to finance acquisitions and monopoly deals; 1929 - Kreuger company stocks and bonds were most widely held securities in United States and world; 1932 - Krueger died in Paris (suicide?); forensic auditors discovered giant pyramid scheme; Kreuger accounts hid fictitious assets in maze of over 400 subsidiary companies; Swedish Match's deficits exceeded Sweden's national debt.
August 13, 1920 - Thousands of investors demanded their money back from Carlo Ponzi. Anticipating the collapse, had already attempted to gamble with the $2 million in a vain attempt to make up the lost money. Ponzi went to jail and was deported to Italy in 1934. He told reporters, "I hope the world forgives me." 1919 - told friends and potential investors that they would get a 50 percent return on their money within 90 days if they invested with him. The hapless investors were never told much about what Ponzi planned on doing with their money, but, when pressed, he told them that it had to do with international postal exchange coupons, an obscure field that virtually no one knew much about. Paid off his initial investors and soon the investment dollars were pouring in. Thousands of people came to his offices, where money was stuffed in every desk drawer and filing cabinet. Ponzi was taking in an estimated $200,000 a day at the frenzy's peak. When a local writer questioned Ponzi's financial record, he threatened to sue and scared off further inquiry. When state investigators finally began examining his books and interviewing his workers they found that there was no real investment going on. Of course, only the very early investors actually got any money back, and these funds came from later investors.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Mercenaries are shadow army in Shadow Gov./Was directed energy weapon used to kill Michael Jackson?
Russia's intelligence agency immediately posted after the death of the late pop star, Michael Jackson, that their spy satellites captured evidence of a directed energy weapon's beam directly over the home which MJ was staying at during the time in which he suffered a fatal heart attack. Russia's FSB claims that the DEW attack originated at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Radiation Weapons Used on American citizens
EXCERPT:
Victims maintain that marginalizing the persecuted as "unstable" or "mentally ill" is a tactic being used to cover up crimes against humanity.
Victims of these assaults also say their family finances are decimated by an array of secret "programs of personal financial destruction" that involve the forced cooperation of private enterprise; surveillance and interception of mail and telecommunications; and the forging of billing, utility, banking and mortgage statements -- what they charge is a process of expropriation and theft by deception.
Shadow Army in Secret Government youtube
Daniel Inouye on Shadow Government and Shadow Army youtube
JFK on Secret Government youtube
Eisenhower warning on the military industrial complex youtube
More on Shadow Government
Excerpt:
1947 was a critical year. It was the year in which UFOs became a matter of public concern, and in which it appears we recovered at least one crashed vehicle and perhaps at least one of its occupants. It is also the year that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was established, ostensibly to bring together the disparate intelligence agencies that had often been operating at cross-purposes. It was also the beginning of the use of "black budgets" for government programs, the existence of which was kept secret from both the public and most if not all members of Congress. This led later to the establishment of more agencies, such as the National Security Agency, whose entire budget was black, thus preventing effective oversight.
The situation had evolved to the extent that, at the end of President Eisenhower's second term, he warned in a speech of the potential danger to our freedoms from a "military-industrial complex". In fact, by that time, it had become a "intelligence- military-industrial-financial-political-media- criminal" complex, which reached into almost every institution in this country, and into many around the world.
What had developed was beginning to look more and more like the system of political control that prevailed in the Soviet Union, in which real decisions of government were made not by the official organs of government, but by the parallel structure of the Communist Party, backed by the KGB. In competing with the Soviets, we had taken on their methods and attributes of political control.
But this apparatus did not seem to function as an effective Shadow Government, able to make and enforce decisions apart from the official government, until it came together to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. That was the watershed event. After that, too many people had too much to hide to allow the situation to return to governance as usual.
Since then, the Shadow Government has grown and tried to strengthen its grip on every sector of the society, motivated in part by honest concern about the very real threats we have faced, and in part by venality and greed, which brought increasing corruption and the effective incorporation of organized crime into the mainstream of government.
It appears that 1963 is also the year in which the Establishment Media sector of the Shadow Government was given effective control over computerized voting in the United States, through its National Election Service, as part of a deal in which they went along with the coverup of the Kennedy Assassination through the Warren Commission. While campaign money continued to buy influence over elected officials, if it was not sufficient, the Shadow Government had other options. It put officials in compromising situations, then used its evidence to blackmail them into compliance. Failing that, it could easily select the winner of any election, and suppress the support which third-party candidates might attain.
NSA stuffs
EXCERPT:
(NOTICE the date on this article, what do you s'pose it's like today?)
The National Security Agency, headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland, controls a global network of electronic interception stations.
What happened next?
Like every army man, I went through a short course of basic training and was shipped off to the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, California. Originally I was to do a course in an Asian language, but in fact I started on nearly a year's course in Russian language, customs, institutions and so on.
How big is this school?
In my time, there were about 1200 students. Not all of them came from NSA. Russian (with about 600 students) was the biggest thing, then Vietnamese and then Chinese, at that time. The school was teaching 48 languages and had a capability for teaching up to 112. Our instructors, men and women, were native Russian speakers. They'd come west in the immediate postwar years. So, to keep up to date we got a lot of contemporary Russian material as well. After two months, we lived in barracks where only Russian was spoken, the latrine and no smoking signs were in Russian, and we played Russian language Scrabble.
XXXXXed circuit TV programs in Russian. Monterey's special feature was a Russian shop using rubles and Soviet goods.
Did you know what you were going to do with all this?
Only in an informal way, from our instructors. A number of students dropped out, and, before we came to the next stage of our training, we had to get top secret security clearance.
What was the next stage?
There are four places you can go. Some trainees go to more than one. First, there's the Ames Research Center at California, which is run by NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration]. It trains people in the intelligence uses of computer programs and equipment.
Second, there is Two Rock ranch, in northern California. It gives courses in Soviet communications and techniques, in general communications theory and in atmospheric physics.
Third, there's a training school within NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland. It deals with Soviet missile operations, cryptography and mathematical semantics.
The fourth, and the biggest, is the Goodfellow air force base at San Angelo, Texas. San Angelo itself is subsidiary to Fort Devon, Massachusetts, the main training centre for technicians. The guy that wrote in Ramparts a year ago (August 1972) had been trained in San Angelo where they give instruction in interception techniques and traffic analysis and the use of the apparatus for these purposes. The Ramparts article was clearly written by a traffic analyst and, although a lot of manpower goes into that, he exaggerates the role of this work. A number of NSA units have special tasks set for them. He also made some minor technical errors.
The Mother of all Black Operations
EXERPT:
An Actuary Would Have A Field Day With This Case
Is this another instance of directed energy weaponry being used in which to covertly murder someone? Russia's intelligence agency immediately posted after the death of the late pop star, Michael Jackson, that their spy satellites captured evidence of a directed energy weapon's beam directly over the home which MJ was staying at during the time in which he suffered a fatal heart attack. Russia's FSB claims that the DEW attack originated at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
We later find that a powerful group of real estate speculators was attempting to obtain Jackson's desirable "Neverland Ranch" estate prior to his untimely death.
Anna Nicole Smith's son, Daniel, dies suddenly while visiting his Mother after she gives birth to his baby sister. Was Daniel's death a warning to Anna Nicole, to give up her rights to her late husband's estate? If so, this threat did not work, because Smith continued her legal battle after Daniel's death and right up until the time that Smith, herself, was reported to have died under suspicious circumstances; thus effectively ending the battle with her late husband's son over the nearly half a billion dollars which Smith had been left by the late mogul.
Now Simon Monjack dies of a sudden heart attack at the age of 39, and not long after filing a lawsuit against Warner Brothers, regarding the wrongful death of his actress/wife, Brittany Murphy; who just happens to have also died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 32.
Radiation Weapons Used on American citizens
EXCERPT:
Victims maintain that marginalizing the persecuted as "unstable" or "mentally ill" is a tactic being used to cover up crimes against humanity.
Victims of these assaults also say their family finances are decimated by an array of secret "programs of personal financial destruction" that involve the forced cooperation of private enterprise; surveillance and interception of mail and telecommunications; and the forging of billing, utility, banking and mortgage statements -- what they charge is a process of expropriation and theft by deception.
Shadow Army in Secret Government youtube
Daniel Inouye on Shadow Government and Shadow Army youtube
JFK on Secret Government youtube
Eisenhower warning on the military industrial complex youtube
More on Shadow Government
Excerpt:
1947 was a critical year. It was the year in which UFOs became a matter of public concern, and in which it appears we recovered at least one crashed vehicle and perhaps at least one of its occupants. It is also the year that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was established, ostensibly to bring together the disparate intelligence agencies that had often been operating at cross-purposes. It was also the beginning of the use of "black budgets" for government programs, the existence of which was kept secret from both the public and most if not all members of Congress. This led later to the establishment of more agencies, such as the National Security Agency, whose entire budget was black, thus preventing effective oversight.
The situation had evolved to the extent that, at the end of President Eisenhower's second term, he warned in a speech of the potential danger to our freedoms from a "military-industrial complex". In fact, by that time, it had become a "intelligence- military-industrial-financial-political-media- criminal" complex, which reached into almost every institution in this country, and into many around the world.
What had developed was beginning to look more and more like the system of political control that prevailed in the Soviet Union, in which real decisions of government were made not by the official organs of government, but by the parallel structure of the Communist Party, backed by the KGB. In competing with the Soviets, we had taken on their methods and attributes of political control.
But this apparatus did not seem to function as an effective Shadow Government, able to make and enforce decisions apart from the official government, until it came together to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. That was the watershed event. After that, too many people had too much to hide to allow the situation to return to governance as usual.
Since then, the Shadow Government has grown and tried to strengthen its grip on every sector of the society, motivated in part by honest concern about the very real threats we have faced, and in part by venality and greed, which brought increasing corruption and the effective incorporation of organized crime into the mainstream of government.
It appears that 1963 is also the year in which the Establishment Media sector of the Shadow Government was given effective control over computerized voting in the United States, through its National Election Service, as part of a deal in which they went along with the coverup of the Kennedy Assassination through the Warren Commission. While campaign money continued to buy influence over elected officials, if it was not sufficient, the Shadow Government had other options. It put officials in compromising situations, then used its evidence to blackmail them into compliance. Failing that, it could easily select the winner of any election, and suppress the support which third-party candidates might attain.
NSA stuffs
EXCERPT:
(NOTICE the date on this article, what do you s'pose it's like today?)
The National Security Agency, headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland, controls a global network of electronic interception stations.
What happened next?
Like every army man, I went through a short course of basic training and was shipped off to the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, California. Originally I was to do a course in an Asian language, but in fact I started on nearly a year's course in Russian language, customs, institutions and so on.
How big is this school?
In my time, there were about 1200 students. Not all of them came from NSA. Russian (with about 600 students) was the biggest thing, then Vietnamese and then Chinese, at that time. The school was teaching 48 languages and had a capability for teaching up to 112. Our instructors, men and women, were native Russian speakers. They'd come west in the immediate postwar years. So, to keep up to date we got a lot of contemporary Russian material as well. After two months, we lived in barracks where only Russian was spoken, the latrine and no smoking signs were in Russian, and we played Russian language Scrabble.
XXXXXed circuit TV programs in Russian. Monterey's special feature was a Russian shop using rubles and Soviet goods.
Did you know what you were going to do with all this?
Only in an informal way, from our instructors. A number of students dropped out, and, before we came to the next stage of our training, we had to get top secret security clearance.
What was the next stage?
There are four places you can go. Some trainees go to more than one. First, there's the Ames Research Center at California, which is run by NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration]. It trains people in the intelligence uses of computer programs and equipment.
Second, there is Two Rock ranch, in northern California. It gives courses in Soviet communications and techniques, in general communications theory and in atmospheric physics.
Third, there's a training school within NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland. It deals with Soviet missile operations, cryptography and mathematical semantics.
The fourth, and the biggest, is the Goodfellow air force base at San Angelo, Texas. San Angelo itself is subsidiary to Fort Devon, Massachusetts, the main training centre for technicians. The guy that wrote in Ramparts a year ago (August 1972) had been trained in San Angelo where they give instruction in interception techniques and traffic analysis and the use of the apparatus for these purposes. The Ramparts article was clearly written by a traffic analyst and, although a lot of manpower goes into that, he exaggerates the role of this work. A number of NSA units have special tasks set for them. He also made some minor technical errors.
The Mother of all Black Operations
EXERPT:
An Actuary Would Have A Field Day With This Case
Is this another instance of directed energy weaponry being used in which to covertly murder someone? Russia's intelligence agency immediately posted after the death of the late pop star, Michael Jackson, that their spy satellites captured evidence of a directed energy weapon's beam directly over the home which MJ was staying at during the time in which he suffered a fatal heart attack. Russia's FSB claims that the DEW attack originated at the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
We later find that a powerful group of real estate speculators was attempting to obtain Jackson's desirable "Neverland Ranch" estate prior to his untimely death.
Anna Nicole Smith's son, Daniel, dies suddenly while visiting his Mother after she gives birth to his baby sister. Was Daniel's death a warning to Anna Nicole, to give up her rights to her late husband's estate? If so, this threat did not work, because Smith continued her legal battle after Daniel's death and right up until the time that Smith, herself, was reported to have died under suspicious circumstances; thus effectively ending the battle with her late husband's son over the nearly half a billion dollars which Smith had been left by the late mogul.
Now Simon Monjack dies of a sudden heart attack at the age of 39, and not long after filing a lawsuit against Warner Brothers, regarding the wrongful death of his actress/wife, Brittany Murphy; who just happens to have also died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 32.
BP and Mercenary Armies
Mike Papantonio on Hardball... (video) "Stop Acting like Ghandi"
16 mercenary armies in service to global corporations
EXCERPT:
One of these security companies is Defense Systems Limited (DSL). DSL is run by two ex-Special Air Service commandos out of London offices, across the street from Buckingham Palace. Their clients include petrochemical companies, multinational banks, embassies, nongovernmental organizations, and national and international organiza-tions. One of DSL’s biggest contracts is with Mark Heathcote, a former M16 (British equivalent of the CIA) officer who ran operations in Argentina during the Falklands War. Heathcote is now the chief of security for British Petroleum (BP). In 1996, DSL sent a group of British personnel to train Colombian Police on BP-owned rigs. Training included lethal-weapons handling, sniper fire, and close quarter combat.
BP and Mercenaries
4 EXCERPTS:
1)BP hands 'tarred in pipeline dirty war'Colombia's military have been blamed for the murder of thousands of civilians. New claims link the British oil company to a security campaign supplying equipment to a notorious army unit and running a spy network of former troops
2)Many of the tortured and decapitated bodies - community leaders, trade unionists, church workers, peasant farmers and human rights defenders - are buried in the land around the pipeline.
3) BP is a major shareholder in the Ocensa consortium, along with the Canadian firms TransCanada and IPL Enterprises and the French oil company Total. 'In the past this brigade brought in an Israeli security company to provide mercenary training for paramilitaries operating under its control,' she said. 'These death squads went on to commit widespread atrocities against the civilian population.'
4)Silver Shadow was not involved in that operation. Its director, Asaf Nadel, is a former Israeli army officer who once worked at the embassy in Colombia. The Turn Key Project was his first commercial venture there.
Sourcewatch Defence Systems Limited
"Who are the sorts of people that would be our clients? Petrochemical companies, mining or mineral extraction companies and their subsidiaries, multinationals, banks, embassies, non-governmental organizations, national and international organizations. Those people who operate in a very dodgy, hostile type of environment." -Stephen Carr-Smith [1]
"The benefit of engaging DSL [Defence Systems Limited] Consultants in the formation and training of a police tactical force is that the client is buying the United Kingdom police army model, which is a proven, tried and regularly-tested set of concepts and responses to violent crime and terrorism. DSL instructors bring with them operational experience that has been gained in counter-terrorist operations since 1972, in the UK and in all subsequent major incidents." -Sinclair Dinnen quoting from a DSL document advertising their services. [2]
Overview
Defence Systems Limited (DSL) was one of the earliest Private Military Corporations (PMCs), formed in 1981 by a group of ex-SAS officials riding the swell brought on by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's yardsale of Britain's defense industry to cold war warriors of worth. DSL was initially started with private financial support from London bankers, and possibly some Middle East investors. Over the next fifteen years they established a reputation in the security industry and a small fortune, before selling all to Armor Holdings, Inc. in 1997 for $26 million [3].
What was DSL became ArmorGroup, a one stop shop spot for a variety of products pertaining to defense and riot situations. They then reached out to old foes and brought on ex-KGB commandos when they acquired the Alpha Firm. [4]; [Singer, Corporate Warriors; pg. 84]
DSL has provided protection and training services to a variety of elite niches in the security sector. In addition to major corporations, DSL has received contracts from governments around the world. They guarded the embassies of the United States, South Africa and Switzerland in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the embassies of England, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, and the US in Angola. They have provided camps for workers rebuilding a railway line in Mozambique, trained policemen in Somalia, demined areas of the former Yugoslavia[5] and worked with various NGOs.
DSL has provided oil line protection and security force training for oil firms around the world. In the Democratic Republic of Congo they protected the SOCIR oil refinery installations belonging to Congo-SEP, a subsidiary of Belgian Petrofina. In Angola, where they were guarding oil and diamond companies, they were forced to expel 103 of their personnel for violating laws regarding the use of foreign corporate nationals. [6] Some other past clients include: Amoco, Andarko Petroleum, Bechtel, British Petroleum, Broken Hill Propriety Petroleum, Cambior, Chevron, De Beers, Exxon, Mobile and NGOs CARE and Goal.
They have also worked extensively with the United Nations and the World Bank.
Personnel
Alastair Morrison: co-founder, was a colonel in the SAS and achieved public fame for his role in the successful rescue of hostages held in an airplane in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1977. After leaving Armor Holdings, he went onto help start Erinys International Ltd. and recently has taken a position at Kroll, Inc. [7]
Richard N. Bethell: joined in 1991 [8], is a former SAS and Scots Guards officer, the current Lord Westbury known also as "Tarzan", was the man in charge of Colombian operations. Bethell, who has started a new company, the Hart Group, is a veteran of the Falkland's War.[9]
Maj. Gen. Viscount of Brenchley Gilbert Monckton[10]:, a former advisor to the royal family and father to past Daily Standard editor Christopher Monckton[11] and recently revealed MI6 agent Anthony Monckton[12], was the first chairman of the board [13]
Maj. Gen. Stephen Carr-Smith: Senior staffer [14]
Gen. Sir David Ramsbotham: One time Director of International Affairs [15]
David Abbott: Director
Will Daniell: Ran the DSC office in Bogota
Colombia
As early as 1990, Richard Bethell was in Colombia protecting oil operations from Marxist rebels, and they have been there since operating through the subsidiary Defence Systems Colombia. They have provided the training of troops for the purposes of securing the 500 mile long OCENSA oil line from rebel attacks, as well as supplies and equipment to carry out the job.
Mark Heathcote of British Petroleum and formerly of the MI-6, is the chief of security for BP's operations in the region. In 1997, DSC run security measures saw BP's oil line, the longest in the country, blown up only once. In comparison, Occidental Petroleum's pipeline, the country's second longest, was blown up 65 times[16]. Incidentally, Oxy Petro along with AirScan Inc. and the Colombian Air Force were responsible for dropping a cluster bomb on the town of Santo Domingo the following year.
The improved security may have come at humanitarian costs [17]. DSC trained and supplied soldiers have been implicated in serious acts of repression. The soldiers were from a known right-wing death squad, including a certain Maj. Gen. Herman Guzman Rodriguez, that has been implicated in several massacres.
The extent to which DSC was willing to go in protecting the pipeline included training troops in psychological warfare operations and setting up spy organizations in communities that were not ambivalent to BP's destructive path and inconsideration [18]. Troops armed with equipment brought to them by DSC, OCENSA, and Israeli firm Silver Shadow, were responsible for disposing of dissenters, setting examples for others, and gathering more information under torture [19][20][21] [22]
Said Amnesty International on what has occurred in Colombia: "In the context of the current human rights crisis in Colombia -- in which the Colombian security forces have been responsible for widespread extrajudicial executions, torture and "disappearances" of civilians -- it would be extremely difficult to guarantee that any form of military, security and police training arranged by a private company to protect their own interests is not directly or indirectly contributing to further abuses against the local population."[23]
16 mercenary armies in service to global corporations
EXCERPT:
One of these security companies is Defense Systems Limited (DSL). DSL is run by two ex-Special Air Service commandos out of London offices, across the street from Buckingham Palace. Their clients include petrochemical companies, multinational banks, embassies, nongovernmental organizations, and national and international organiza-tions. One of DSL’s biggest contracts is with Mark Heathcote, a former M16 (British equivalent of the CIA) officer who ran operations in Argentina during the Falklands War. Heathcote is now the chief of security for British Petroleum (BP). In 1996, DSL sent a group of British personnel to train Colombian Police on BP-owned rigs. Training included lethal-weapons handling, sniper fire, and close quarter combat.
BP and Mercenaries
4 EXCERPTS:
1)BP hands 'tarred in pipeline dirty war'Colombia's military have been blamed for the murder of thousands of civilians. New claims link the British oil company to a security campaign supplying equipment to a notorious army unit and running a spy network of former troops
2)Many of the tortured and decapitated bodies - community leaders, trade unionists, church workers, peasant farmers and human rights defenders - are buried in the land around the pipeline.
3) BP is a major shareholder in the Ocensa consortium, along with the Canadian firms TransCanada and IPL Enterprises and the French oil company Total. 'In the past this brigade brought in an Israeli security company to provide mercenary training for paramilitaries operating under its control,' she said. 'These death squads went on to commit widespread atrocities against the civilian population.'
4)Silver Shadow was not involved in that operation. Its director, Asaf Nadel, is a former Israeli army officer who once worked at the embassy in Colombia. The Turn Key Project was his first commercial venture there.
Sourcewatch Defence Systems Limited
"Who are the sorts of people that would be our clients? Petrochemical companies, mining or mineral extraction companies and their subsidiaries, multinationals, banks, embassies, non-governmental organizations, national and international organizations. Those people who operate in a very dodgy, hostile type of environment." -Stephen Carr-Smith [1]
"The benefit of engaging DSL [Defence Systems Limited] Consultants in the formation and training of a police tactical force is that the client is buying the United Kingdom police army model, which is a proven, tried and regularly-tested set of concepts and responses to violent crime and terrorism. DSL instructors bring with them operational experience that has been gained in counter-terrorist operations since 1972, in the UK and in all subsequent major incidents." -Sinclair Dinnen quoting from a DSL document advertising their services. [2]
Overview
Defence Systems Limited (DSL) was one of the earliest Private Military Corporations (PMCs), formed in 1981 by a group of ex-SAS officials riding the swell brought on by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's yardsale of Britain's defense industry to cold war warriors of worth. DSL was initially started with private financial support from London bankers, and possibly some Middle East investors. Over the next fifteen years they established a reputation in the security industry and a small fortune, before selling all to Armor Holdings, Inc. in 1997 for $26 million [3].
What was DSL became ArmorGroup, a one stop shop spot for a variety of products pertaining to defense and riot situations. They then reached out to old foes and brought on ex-KGB commandos when they acquired the Alpha Firm. [4]; [Singer, Corporate Warriors; pg. 84]
DSL has provided protection and training services to a variety of elite niches in the security sector. In addition to major corporations, DSL has received contracts from governments around the world. They guarded the embassies of the United States, South Africa and Switzerland in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as the embassies of England, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, and the US in Angola. They have provided camps for workers rebuilding a railway line in Mozambique, trained policemen in Somalia, demined areas of the former Yugoslavia[5] and worked with various NGOs.
DSL has provided oil line protection and security force training for oil firms around the world. In the Democratic Republic of Congo they protected the SOCIR oil refinery installations belonging to Congo-SEP, a subsidiary of Belgian Petrofina. In Angola, where they were guarding oil and diamond companies, they were forced to expel 103 of their personnel for violating laws regarding the use of foreign corporate nationals. [6] Some other past clients include: Amoco, Andarko Petroleum, Bechtel, British Petroleum, Broken Hill Propriety Petroleum, Cambior, Chevron, De Beers, Exxon, Mobile and NGOs CARE and Goal.
They have also worked extensively with the United Nations and the World Bank.
Personnel
Alastair Morrison: co-founder, was a colonel in the SAS and achieved public fame for his role in the successful rescue of hostages held in an airplane in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1977. After leaving Armor Holdings, he went onto help start Erinys International Ltd. and recently has taken a position at Kroll, Inc. [7]
Richard N. Bethell: joined in 1991 [8], is a former SAS and Scots Guards officer, the current Lord Westbury known also as "Tarzan", was the man in charge of Colombian operations. Bethell, who has started a new company, the Hart Group, is a veteran of the Falkland's War.[9]
Maj. Gen. Viscount of Brenchley Gilbert Monckton[10]:, a former advisor to the royal family and father to past Daily Standard editor Christopher Monckton[11] and recently revealed MI6 agent Anthony Monckton[12], was the first chairman of the board [13]
Maj. Gen. Stephen Carr-Smith: Senior staffer [14]
Gen. Sir David Ramsbotham: One time Director of International Affairs [15]
David Abbott: Director
Will Daniell: Ran the DSC office in Bogota
Colombia
As early as 1990, Richard Bethell was in Colombia protecting oil operations from Marxist rebels, and they have been there since operating through the subsidiary Defence Systems Colombia. They have provided the training of troops for the purposes of securing the 500 mile long OCENSA oil line from rebel attacks, as well as supplies and equipment to carry out the job.
Mark Heathcote of British Petroleum and formerly of the MI-6, is the chief of security for BP's operations in the region. In 1997, DSC run security measures saw BP's oil line, the longest in the country, blown up only once. In comparison, Occidental Petroleum's pipeline, the country's second longest, was blown up 65 times[16]. Incidentally, Oxy Petro along with AirScan Inc. and the Colombian Air Force were responsible for dropping a cluster bomb on the town of Santo Domingo the following year.
The improved security may have come at humanitarian costs [17]. DSC trained and supplied soldiers have been implicated in serious acts of repression. The soldiers were from a known right-wing death squad, including a certain Maj. Gen. Herman Guzman Rodriguez, that has been implicated in several massacres.
The extent to which DSC was willing to go in protecting the pipeline included training troops in psychological warfare operations and setting up spy organizations in communities that were not ambivalent to BP's destructive path and inconsideration [18]. Troops armed with equipment brought to them by DSC, OCENSA, and Israeli firm Silver Shadow, were responsible for disposing of dissenters, setting examples for others, and gathering more information under torture [19][20][21] [22]
Said Amnesty International on what has occurred in Colombia: "In the context of the current human rights crisis in Colombia -- in which the Colombian security forces have been responsible for widespread extrajudicial executions, torture and "disappearances" of civilians -- it would be extremely difficult to guarantee that any form of military, security and police training arranged by a private company to protect their own interests is not directly or indirectly contributing to further abuses against the local population."[23]
9/11 Commissioners slips up, says missile hit Pentagon (Tim Roemer)
9/11 Commissioners slips up, says missile hit Pentagon Youtube (Tim Roemer
Tim Roemer who said missile hit Pentagon in RIGHT WING thinktank???
Story Updated. Roemer on board of Right Wing think tank
by kos
Roemer on board of Right Wing think tank Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 09:45:31 AM PDT
Tim Roemer, who is Reid and Pelosi's latest choice for DNC chair, looks worse and worse by the day. See The Forest has the latest dirt:
Tim Roemer is a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and president of the Center for National Policy.
What is the Mercatus Center? Dave Johnson explains in great detail, but in short, it's part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, a Scaife funded right-wing think tank. But it gets worse.
One of the ways the Right "educates" public officials, opinion leaders,etc., is to send them to expensive "retreats" at exclusive resorts, nice hotels, etc. where they are wined and dined and treated to first-class amenities [...] Following is the text of an e-mail Roemer recently sent out to Congressional Chiefs of Staff, inviting them to a retreat:
Subject: 2005 Chief of Staff Retreat
Dear Fellow Democrats,
I would like to encourage you to join me in Philadelphia on February 4th and 5th, 2005 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for the 2005 Chief of Staff Retreat. This Retreat is probably the best opportunity of the year for gathering with other senior-level
congressional staff both from our party but also with our colleagues across the aisle.
The Retreat is hosted by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. I have been affiliated with this organization for the past two years in an effort to promote sound economic thinking that leads to a more prosperous and fiscally responsible America. The Mercatus Center is a non-profit and non-partisan group that seeks to educate congressional staff about markets, global prosperity for the poor and economics as they relate to the issues you are working on in your congressional or committee office.
This year's program is highly relevant to the issues facing the 109th Congress. We will discuss topics ranging from drug reimportation to Social Security, tax and pension reform, to understanding learning disparities between black and white children. I will be there to discuss national security and intelligence reforms. While we have made important progress in modernizing our intelligence system, there are several important issues confronting congress.
At a time of partisan divide, this is an opportunity to share thoughts and ideas. Any time that you can get away from the Hill to view issues from different angles, you should do it. I look forward to seeing you there.
If you are interested in learning more, or registering, please click here.
Best regards,
Tim Roemer
This isn't an ideological issue between "conservative" Democrats and "liberal" Democrats. This is about a candidate for the DNC chairmanship, on the board of a Scaife-funded right wing think thank, urging Democrats to attend a "retreat" hosted by said right wing think tank.
Can we please strike this guy from the list?
For the record, I think Pelosi and Reid signed on to Roemer's bid without properly vetting the candidate, based entirely on his excellent 9/11 Panel performance. They should evaluate in light of recent revelations.
More on Tim Roemer
Roemer a VRWC mole
by kos
Share this on Twitter - Roemer a VRWC mole Sat Jan 22, 2005 at 08:37:05 AM PDT
As previously disclosed, DNC candidate Tim Roemer of Indiana is affiliated with the Mercatus Center, a Scaife/Olin/Koch/Walton-funded right-wing think tank.
As part of his duties at Mercatus, Roemer has invited every Democratic chief of staff to a retreat sponsored by this right wing organization. Chris Bowers looks at the agenda (PDF), and there's plenty not to like. There's this session:
Social Security Reform I: The Coming Fiscal Crisis
Texas A&M economist Russel Roberts, a vocal supporter of social security privatization, will give a presentation opposing drug reimportation from Canada. And so on.
Roemer's star has fallen in the DNC race, and hopefully it stays fallen. It's simply amazing to think that a member of the VRWC could be getting serious consideration for the leadership of the Democratic Party. It's evidence of 1) how we have fallen as a party, and 2) how insidious and far-reaching the VRWC truly is.
Charlie Rose on Timothy Roemer
Tim J. Roemer is the American president of the Center for National Policy (CNP) and a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Prior to joining CNP, Roemer was a partner at Johnston and Associates. A Democratic politician, Roemer served from 1991-2003 as a U.S. Representative from the Third District of Indiana.
Roemer was a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, better known as the 9/11 Commission. He was the Ranking Member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, one of the first members of Congress to call for a cabinet-level department to oversee national security, and an original sponsor of the legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security.
Source - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_roemer
Tim Roemer who said missile hit Pentagon in RIGHT WING thinktank???
Story Updated. Roemer on board of Right Wing think tank
by kos
Roemer on board of Right Wing think tank Fri Jan 07, 2005 at 09:45:31 AM PDT
Tim Roemer, who is Reid and Pelosi's latest choice for DNC chair, looks worse and worse by the day. See The Forest has the latest dirt:
Tim Roemer is a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and president of the Center for National Policy.
What is the Mercatus Center? Dave Johnson explains in great detail, but in short, it's part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, a Scaife funded right-wing think tank. But it gets worse.
One of the ways the Right "educates" public officials, opinion leaders,etc., is to send them to expensive "retreats" at exclusive resorts, nice hotels, etc. where they are wined and dined and treated to first-class amenities [...] Following is the text of an e-mail Roemer recently sent out to Congressional Chiefs of Staff, inviting them to a retreat:
Subject: 2005 Chief of Staff Retreat
Dear Fellow Democrats,
I would like to encourage you to join me in Philadelphia on February 4th and 5th, 2005 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for the 2005 Chief of Staff Retreat. This Retreat is probably the best opportunity of the year for gathering with other senior-level
congressional staff both from our party but also with our colleagues across the aisle.
The Retreat is hosted by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. I have been affiliated with this organization for the past two years in an effort to promote sound economic thinking that leads to a more prosperous and fiscally responsible America. The Mercatus Center is a non-profit and non-partisan group that seeks to educate congressional staff about markets, global prosperity for the poor and economics as they relate to the issues you are working on in your congressional or committee office.
This year's program is highly relevant to the issues facing the 109th Congress. We will discuss topics ranging from drug reimportation to Social Security, tax and pension reform, to understanding learning disparities between black and white children. I will be there to discuss national security and intelligence reforms. While we have made important progress in modernizing our intelligence system, there are several important issues confronting congress.
At a time of partisan divide, this is an opportunity to share thoughts and ideas. Any time that you can get away from the Hill to view issues from different angles, you should do it. I look forward to seeing you there.
If you are interested in learning more, or registering, please click here.
Best regards,
Tim Roemer
This isn't an ideological issue between "conservative" Democrats and "liberal" Democrats. This is about a candidate for the DNC chairmanship, on the board of a Scaife-funded right wing think thank, urging Democrats to attend a "retreat" hosted by said right wing think tank.
Can we please strike this guy from the list?
For the record, I think Pelosi and Reid signed on to Roemer's bid without properly vetting the candidate, based entirely on his excellent 9/11 Panel performance. They should evaluate in light of recent revelations.
More on Tim Roemer
Roemer a VRWC mole
by kos
Share this on Twitter - Roemer a VRWC mole Sat Jan 22, 2005 at 08:37:05 AM PDT
As previously disclosed, DNC candidate Tim Roemer of Indiana is affiliated with the Mercatus Center, a Scaife/Olin/Koch/Walton-funded right-wing think tank.
As part of his duties at Mercatus, Roemer has invited every Democratic chief of staff to a retreat sponsored by this right wing organization. Chris Bowers looks at the agenda (PDF), and there's plenty not to like. There's this session:
Social Security Reform I: The Coming Fiscal Crisis
Texas A&M economist Russel Roberts, a vocal supporter of social security privatization, will give a presentation opposing drug reimportation from Canada. And so on.
Roemer's star has fallen in the DNC race, and hopefully it stays fallen. It's simply amazing to think that a member of the VRWC could be getting serious consideration for the leadership of the Democratic Party. It's evidence of 1) how we have fallen as a party, and 2) how insidious and far-reaching the VRWC truly is.
Charlie Rose on Timothy Roemer
Tim J. Roemer is the American president of the Center for National Policy (CNP) and a distinguished scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Prior to joining CNP, Roemer was a partner at Johnston and Associates. A Democratic politician, Roemer served from 1991-2003 as a U.S. Representative from the Third District of Indiana.
Roemer was a member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, better known as the 9/11 Commission. He was the Ranking Member on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, one of the first members of Congress to call for a cabinet-level department to oversee national security, and an original sponsor of the legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security.
Source - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_roemer
Monday, May 24, 2010
A bunch of stuffs on the Billarys/Global Crossing Scanda bigger than Enron???? OMG!
Enron is seen having link with Global Crossing
EXCERPT:
By DAVID BARBOZA with SIMON ROMERO
Published: May 20, 2002
HOUSTON, May 19— Enron and Global Crossing used a complex deal brokered by a third company to sidestep accounting rules in a March 2001 transaction that was designed to help Global Crossing disguise a loan and allow each company to book revenue, according to executives and traders involved in the transaction.
GlobalCrossingGate Scandal
EXCERPT:
Welcome to the newest site dedicated to exposing the democratic scandal that closely ties with Enrongate. The Global Crossing scandal has been virtually ignored by the liberal media, which have basically been trying to linger on Enron and ridiculously trying to make it out to be a Bush scandal despite strong evidence that it is another Clinton scandal.
Like Enron, you have what appear to be top corporate bigwigs making out with millions. Gary Winnick made off with something in excess of 700 million dollars alone. That was more than the entire sum Enron Executives got put together. Global Crossing had its books audited by Arthur Andersen as well.
More on Global Crossing and this time add George Bush
EXCERPT:
Then there's the story about George Bush, the current president's father. In 1998, six months before the company went public, Bush appeared on Global Crossing's behalf at an event in Tokyo. His normal fee for such an appearance: $100,000.
But during a breakfast with the company's co-chairmen, Winnick and Lodwrick Cook (an old Bush friend and former head of Atlantic Richfield Co.) sold Bush on Global Crossing's prospects. Bush agreed to be compensated instead with $80,000 in Global Crossing stock.
A Mighty Heart
Angelina Jolie (CFR member) and the Clinton Initiative
Brad Pitt and clinton's global initiiative youtube
Riady 2009 and Clinton
EXCERPT:
Riady's return to the United States poses a prickly question for Hillary Clinton's State Department: How and why did a foreign billionaire stained by Clinton-era scandals get a U.S. visa after being kept out for so long under the Bush administration?
The ethnic Chinese magnate's ties to the Clintons have been a source of heated controversy since the late 1990s, when Riady became embroiled in one of the murkiest episodes of the Clinton presidency -- a campaign fundraising scandal that caused a big political ruckus in Washington amid Republican Party allegations, never proved, of meddling by China's intelligence services in American politics.
CFR and Angelina Jolie and Council on Foreign Relations
EXCERPT:
Angelina Jolie Joins Council on Foreign Relations
By Mary Green
Thursday June 07, 2007 07:00 PM EDT
FacebookTwitterYahoo BuzzE-mailAngelina Jolie has been showing her glamorous side lately – walking red carpets from Cannes to Hollywood – but Thursday she was honored for her philanthropic work by joining the Council on Foreign Relations, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.
The prestigious think tank officially approved Jolie's membership nomination, adding her to a group whose membership includes presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, ABC's Diane Sawyer, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and journalist Tom Brokaw.
Hillary Friends
EXCERPT:
Since Mrs. Clinton announced her campaign for president, controversies involving her husband's business and philanthropic endeavors have occasionally raised questions about the potential for ethical conflicts should she win the White House. Among them is Mr. Clinton's partnership with Ronald W. Burkle, the billionaire investor and supermarket magnate, whose deals have included investing money for the government of Dubai and acquiring a stake in a Chinese media company.
Samuel Rivera (another crook)
EXCERPT:
Political career
Rivera ran for Passaic City Council in 1993 and 1995, losing both times.[6] Later in 1995 he won a special election to the Council by 11 votes.[6] He then ran a losing campaign for mayor in 1997, and then again in 2001, winning the race.[6] New Jersey Governor Donald DiFrancesco attempted to prevent Rivera from taking office due to his status as a Puerto Rican felon, but Superior Court judge Robert Passero allowed Rivera to be sworn in, finding that the state had failed to prove that Rivera's crime was a crime of "moral turpitude".[1][6]
Rivera is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition and, when he served as mayor, was a member of Hillary Clinton's Mayors Council[8] and National Hispanic Leadership Council.[9] During the course of his tenure as mayor, Rivera had the City Council nearly triple his salary from $40,000 to $117,000.[1]
EXCERPT:
By DAVID BARBOZA with SIMON ROMERO
Published: May 20, 2002
HOUSTON, May 19— Enron and Global Crossing used a complex deal brokered by a third company to sidestep accounting rules in a March 2001 transaction that was designed to help Global Crossing disguise a loan and allow each company to book revenue, according to executives and traders involved in the transaction.
GlobalCrossingGate Scandal
EXCERPT:
Welcome to the newest site dedicated to exposing the democratic scandal that closely ties with Enrongate. The Global Crossing scandal has been virtually ignored by the liberal media, which have basically been trying to linger on Enron and ridiculously trying to make it out to be a Bush scandal despite strong evidence that it is another Clinton scandal.
Like Enron, you have what appear to be top corporate bigwigs making out with millions. Gary Winnick made off with something in excess of 700 million dollars alone. That was more than the entire sum Enron Executives got put together. Global Crossing had its books audited by Arthur Andersen as well.
More on Global Crossing and this time add George Bush
EXCERPT:
Then there's the story about George Bush, the current president's father. In 1998, six months before the company went public, Bush appeared on Global Crossing's behalf at an event in Tokyo. His normal fee for such an appearance: $100,000.
But during a breakfast with the company's co-chairmen, Winnick and Lodwrick Cook (an old Bush friend and former head of Atlantic Richfield Co.) sold Bush on Global Crossing's prospects. Bush agreed to be compensated instead with $80,000 in Global Crossing stock.
A Mighty Heart
Angelina Jolie (CFR member) and the Clinton Initiative
Brad Pitt and clinton's global initiiative youtube
Riady 2009 and Clinton
EXCERPT:
Riady's return to the United States poses a prickly question for Hillary Clinton's State Department: How and why did a foreign billionaire stained by Clinton-era scandals get a U.S. visa after being kept out for so long under the Bush administration?
The ethnic Chinese magnate's ties to the Clintons have been a source of heated controversy since the late 1990s, when Riady became embroiled in one of the murkiest episodes of the Clinton presidency -- a campaign fundraising scandal that caused a big political ruckus in Washington amid Republican Party allegations, never proved, of meddling by China's intelligence services in American politics.
CFR and Angelina Jolie and Council on Foreign Relations
EXCERPT:
Angelina Jolie Joins Council on Foreign Relations
By Mary Green
Thursday June 07, 2007 07:00 PM EDT
FacebookTwitterYahoo BuzzE-mailAngelina Jolie has been showing her glamorous side lately – walking red carpets from Cannes to Hollywood – but Thursday she was honored for her philanthropic work by joining the Council on Foreign Relations, PEOPLE has learned exclusively.
The prestigious think tank officially approved Jolie's membership nomination, adding her to a group whose membership includes presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, ABC's Diane Sawyer, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and journalist Tom Brokaw.
Hillary Friends
EXCERPT:
Since Mrs. Clinton announced her campaign for president, controversies involving her husband's business and philanthropic endeavors have occasionally raised questions about the potential for ethical conflicts should she win the White House. Among them is Mr. Clinton's partnership with Ronald W. Burkle, the billionaire investor and supermarket magnate, whose deals have included investing money for the government of Dubai and acquiring a stake in a Chinese media company.
Samuel Rivera (another crook)
EXCERPT:
Political career
Rivera ran for Passaic City Council in 1993 and 1995, losing both times.[6] Later in 1995 he won a special election to the Council by 11 votes.[6] He then ran a losing campaign for mayor in 1997, and then again in 2001, winning the race.[6] New Jersey Governor Donald DiFrancesco attempted to prevent Rivera from taking office due to his status as a Puerto Rican felon, but Superior Court judge Robert Passero allowed Rivera to be sworn in, finding that the state had failed to prove that Rivera's crime was a crime of "moral turpitude".[1][6]
Rivera is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition and, when he served as mayor, was a member of Hillary Clinton's Mayors Council[8] and National Hispanic Leadership Council.[9] During the course of his tenure as mayor, Rivera had the City Council nearly triple his salary from $40,000 to $117,000.[1]
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