Gold, Greed, and Terrorism -- Bush Sr. connection to Echo bay

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Gold, Greed, and Terrorism




Echo Bay Mines aided the New People's Army (NPA), pictured here. The NPA was labeled a terrorist group by the State Department in 1996.

The Cost of Doing Business Tell Some Friends!


By Marilyn Berlin Snell

"If you harbored a terrorist, if you fed a terrorist, if you hid a terrorist, you're just as guilty as a terrorist."
— President George W. Bush, February 2002


Echo Bay Mines aided the New People's Army (NPA), pictured here. The NPA was labeled a terrorist group by the State Department in 1996.
WHEN KAPITAN INGGO WALKED THROUGH THE GATES at Echo Bay's mining operation in the Philippines, he bypassed the reception area and went round the building to the offices of the security personnel. He didn't ask directions. Inggo, one of the Philippines' ten most-wanted men, knew his way around.

Allan Laird, the newly appointed project manager at the Kingking gold and copper mine, was in a warehouse when he saw the unfamiliar man walk by. A Filipino employee told Laird that the man was a murderer who specialized in extortion and the kidnapping of businessmen for ransom. There was a one-million-peso bounty on his head.

Laird had a crisis on his hands: Two board members from Echo Bay Mines Limited — a Denver-headquartered, Canadian-chartered company — were at a nearby hotel preparing for a site visit. Laird had to head them off. He raced to the hotel and found the men having breakfast with his Denver-based supervisor. "I told them not to come down to the offices because we had a security situation — Kapitan Inggo was on the premises and we needed to get rid of him," Laird says. He thought it strange at the time that the directors reacted "with equanimity" to news that a notorious criminal was in Echo Bay's office complex.

Trained as an engineer and employed by Echo Bay for nine years, Laird had been assigned to the Kingking exploration project on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao only the month before. Prior to his arrival in August 1996, he had been informed that ore grades were low, projected development costs high, and disposal of cyanide-laced mine tailings problematic. But he did not know about Kingking's security issues. "I was sent in blind," he says. "Superiors knew what I was getting into and didn't tell me."

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/page1.asp



1. Read the Documents


The Cost of Doing Business Tell Some Friends!



Read the Documents

Whistleblowers like Allan Laird, who come forward with stories of corporate wrongdoing, are often accused of not telling the truth. Fortunately for Mr. Laird — and for those who care about holding corporations accountable for their actions — he held onto the documents that substantiate his claims against Echo Bay Mines. Here are a few of the hundreds of pages he provided Sierra.

Receipts for payment to the New People’s Army
Receipt for payment to the Moro National Liberation Front
Project critique written for corporate headquarters after Kingking Mine project failed in 1997

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/documents /




Photos: Echo Bay Mines aided the New People's Army (top) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (middle), which has trained with Al Qaeda. The NPA and the MILF were labeled "terrorists" by the State Department in 1996. Bottom: Kingking mine headquarters.

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/




How We Got the Story:




How We Got the Story:
Interviews with Author Marilyn Berlin Snell
and Whistleblower Allan Laird

Sierra Magazine: Why did Allan Laird come to the Sierra Club with his information?

Marilyn Berlin Snell: Before Allan Laird came to the Sierra Club, he went to both his Colorado Congressman, Tom Tancredo, and Homeland Security. Tancredo didn't even bother to respond. Homeland Security, after a cursory interview and no follow up (including getting the documentation that Mr. Laird had offered to provide), told him via email: "The local U.S. Attorney's Office is not interested in prosecuting this matter. Please feel free to do with it as you see fit."

more
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/behind_the_story.asp


3. resource curse


It's no coincidence that developing countries rich in gold and diamonds have the poorest populations. According to the Worldwatch Institute, "Mineral dependence has been shown to slow and even reduce economic growth in developing countries — a phenomenon economists have dubbed 'the resource curse.'" In Africa, for example, 60 percent of all private investment goes to the mining sector, and extracting raw materials for export provides no added value. Countries like the Philippines are left with a dwindling patrimony and a legacy of environmental degradation.

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/terrorism/



4. Support investigations into corporate ties to terrorism


http://whistler.sierraclub.org/action/tamain?alid=330

Americans have the right to know whether this was an isolated incident confined to the operations of one company, or if this is standard practice for extractive industries. There are many other U.S. multinationals involved in natural resource extraction operations in politically unstable countries around the world. We've always known that the mining industry is one of the planet's biggest polluters, but one company's greed should not jeopardize the environment abroad and our safety here at home.

This message will be sent to:
Your Representative
Your Senators
Governor Thomas Kean








Support investigations into corporate ties to terrorism


http://whistler.sierraclub.org/action/tamain?alid=330

Americans have the right to know whether this was an isolated incident confined to the operations of one company, or if this is standard practice for extractive industries. There are many other U.S. multinationals involved in natural resource extraction operations in politically unstable countries around the world. We've always known that the mining industry is one of the planet's biggest polluters, but one company's greed should not jeopardize the environment abroad and our safety here at home.

This message will be sent to:
Your Representative
Your Senators
Governor Thomas Kean






I believe Homestake is Barrick?

Commercial production commenced in 1977. In 1984, Homestake Mining Company acquired the Felmont Oil interest in the operation and, in 1985, Echo Bay Mines Inc. acquired Copper Range interest. Effective July 1, 2000, Homestake increased its interest in the Round Mountain mine from 25% to 50% when it acquired the Case Pomeroy interest. Effective December 14, 2001 Barrick Gold Corporation completed a merger with Homestake Mining Company thereby acquiring the Homestake interest in the mine.

http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:roUfK0bBUasJ:www.kinross.com/op/m...

So Barrick does own Round Mountain mine and

The Round Mountain mine, located in Nye County, Nevada, USA, is a 50:50 joint venture between Kinross, operator, and Barrick Gold Corporation. Kinross acquired its interest in the Round Mountain mine from Echo Bay Mines as part of the Kinross-Echo Bay-TVX Gold merger effective January 31, 2003.

http://www.kinross.com/op/min/rdm.htm


well they did do something together?


April 28, 1995 - The Company announced that it had reached agreement to purchase the Macassa Mine from Barrick Gold Corporation for consideration of U.S. $42.5 million and 2.5 million warrants to purchase Kinross common shares (at an exercise price of Cdn. $10.00 per share with an expiry date of October 31, 1997).




Algorem (591 posts) Thu Apr-15-04 10:36 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. Kinross,TVX,Echo Bay merger 12/31/03



Sierra Magazine Story Reveals U.S. Mining Company's Support of Terrorists


To: National Desk

Contact: Brian O'Malley of the Sierra Club, 202-675-6279 or 202-744-8487 (cell)

WASHINGTON, April 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Sierra Club announced today that an expose will appear in the May/June issue of Sierra, the official magazine of the Sierra Club, revealing how a Denver-based mining company secretly paid off Al-Qaeda- linked terrorists under the auspices of "international security."

The story also shows how the Bush administration's Homeland Security and Justice Departments turned a blind eye when first informed that Denver-based Echo Bay Mining Co. paid millions of dollars to the international terrorist group Abu Sayaff and other terror groups in the Philippines in exchange for protection of its gold-mining operations.

However, shortly before the Sierra magazine investigation was reported on tonight's edition of ABC's World News Tonight, the Justice Department reversed course and announced that it would open an investigation into Echo Bay's operations. Tipped off by the Sierra story, U.S. Reps. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Mark Udall, D-Co, also issued letters calling for a congressional investigation into Echo Bay and the general practice of U.S. corporate support for international terrorism.

"Americans have the right to know whether this was an isolated incident confined to the operations of one company, or if this is standard practice for extractive industries," Mills said. "Attorney General (John) Ashcroft should return to the 9-11 Commission to explain his failure to pursue this dangerous financial relationship with Al-Qaeda and other known terrorist groups. It makes you wonder if multinational polluters are exempt from the Patriot Act just because they are Bush campaign contributors

more
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=177-04152004






<...> "It empowers the mining companies to open up large, open-pit mines on ore bodies that are not worth it," said. "They can dump an unlimited amount of waste on public land and give it a higher priority than recreation, timber, grazing and clean water."

An example of a Kinross open-pit gold mine is the Fort Knox/True North mine in Alaska. The loader photo and aerial photo are from the Northern Alaska Environmental Center.




Kinross Gold (KGC) and Barrick Gold (ABX) are both located in Toronto. And according to kinross.com, Kinross and Barrick are business partners in at least one venture, the Round Mountain Mine in Nevada. As noted in the May 24, 2003 UnderReported.com story Bush Sr. involved in "biggest gold heist since the days of Butch Cassidy", Bush Sr. is on the board of Barrick Gold. As noted in that story, U.S. gold is being handed over to a Canadian company. Only in this world where paper rather than gold is money, and where where we have free trade, can the giveaway of U.S. gold be considered a mere free-trade mining operation as opposed to an act of treason.





Greg Palast Discusses the Congo War and Reveals Internal USAID Documents that Outline a Master Plan for Reorganizing the Entire Economy of Iraq
Greg Palast has been called “the greatest investigative reporter of our time” (Tribune Magazine). His book The Best Democracy Money Can Buy exposed the racketeering, swindling and backroom deals that passes for democracy in the new global economy. It became a New York Times bestseller.

Today on Democracy Now!, he talks about internal USAID documents that outline a master plan for reorganizing the entire economy of Iraq. The plans include the elimination of trade protections and the mass privatization of every industry in Iraq, including selling-off the oilfields.

Palast’s book also explores the relationship between the Bush family and a Canadian mining company, the Barrick Corporation.

Palast explains how as president, George Bush Senior changed a century old mining law that allowed Barrick to “swiftly lay claim to the largest gold find in America”. In return, the company named Bush to a senior advisory position after he lost the White House. The company also poured money into the Republican party coffers during the 1997-2000 election cycle, an exceedingly generous gesture for a company based in Canada.

So, what is Barrick? According to Palast- the initial stake came from none other than Adnan Khashoggi- the Saudi arms dealer who arranged the Iran-Contra arms for hostage deal.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/05/27/1955236


Federal inquiry eyeing Echo Bay


Former worker says mining firm helped fund terror groups

By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News
April 16, 2004

Federal officials are investigating a Littleton man's claims that a now-defunct mining company based in Denver illegally aided terrorist groups in the Philippines by giving them an estimated $1.7 million in protection payments under the guise of "security."

Allan Laird, 62, a former project manager for Echo Bay Mines Limited, has spent the past year trying to persuade the Department of Homeland Security to investigate former company officials for what he says amounted to illegal funding of terrorism.




A former executive with the company, which was absorbed by a merger in 2003, categorically denied Laird's allegations Thursday and questioned why Laird didn't go public with them until after he had been laid off.

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a reporter's inquiries.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Colorado declined to comment on Laird's allegations but said the matter "remains under investigation."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_2...

Article Published: Friday, April 16, 2004
Firm accused of terrorist aid
Former Denver company: No record of pay for mine security


In the Sierra article, Laird said he issued repeated warnings to Echo Bay executives about what he viewed as a dangerous situation. Laird said one of his supervisors, John Anthony, responded with this e-mail: "You need to be more discreet in some of your observations ... and (in) the distribution of such a report which could be incriminating under certain scenarios."

Laird said he was aghast that Echo Bay executives viewed the terrorist payments as a routine cost of doing business.

"What disturbs me the most is there was a situation where a company was providing aid to terrorist groups," Laird said. "We should not be supporting terrorism under the guise of corporate security."

Laird was project manager of the Kingking mine for 14 months in 1996 and 1997, until shortly before Echo Bay abandoned the property and recorded a $50 million loss. He estimates that during Echo Bay's involvement in the mine from 1995 through 1997, terrorist groups were paid at least $1.8 million. The Sierra article estimates the payments "in excess of $1.7 million."

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2086949,00.html