McCain Chased Off Reservation By Pissed-Off Navajo Activists

[Zorra]

43. Nice try. "In Arizona, a controversial federal land swap leaves Apaches

in the lurch."

Why is Congress giving federally protected Arizona land sacred to the Apache to a massive mining conglomerate?

(The Details, details).

SUPERIOR, Ariz. – A place of great natural beauty, popular among rock climbers and campers, a part of Tonto National Forest known as Oak Flat has been under federal protection from mining since 1955, by special order of President Eisenhower.
snip---
Year after year the bills failed to pass. But in December, the legislation was was quietly passed into law as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has long championed the deal, said the land exchange would “maintain the strength of the most technologically advanced military in the world” since copper is the second-most-utilized mineral by the Department of Defense.

As part of the deal, Resolution Copper will swap roughly 7.8 square miles of land scattered across Arizona for roughly 3.8 square miles of Tonto National Forest, which includes Oak Flat. The new legislation will open up Oak Flat for copper mining.

But critics say the move allows the company to privatize the land and make an end run around critical environmental and cultural protections. What’s more Resolution Copper can’t promise that any of the copper produced by the mine will remain in the United States – which raises the question: How does this help national defense?

http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2015/2/20/in-arizona-the-governments-copper-grab-leaves-apaches-in-the-lurch.html