| -Caveat Lector-
-Caveat Lector-
From American Atheists newsletter:
* Thousands of miles away is yet another theater of al Qaeda operations, and politics involving Enron friends and the American religious right.? Start with Ralph Reed, Enron political hit man and associate of televangelist Pat Robertson.? Robertson -- who recently spent $75 million in an unsuccessful bid to open a California oil refinery of his own -- is in business in Liberia thanks to close friend and associate Charles Taylor, the country's dictator.
In December, 1998, Robertson incorporated Freedom Gold Limited out of the Caymans, the same offshore shelter used by Enron and numerous other financial operators.? On May 18, 1999 Robertson, Charles Taylor and members of the Taylor puppet cabinet signed an operating agreement.? Robertson would invest money in the Freedom Gold Limited exploration, and the Taylor government -- Charles R.? Taylor -- would be given 10% equity investment and the right to "purchase" at least 15% of subsequent shares.
Robertson has become an outspoken defender of Taylor, despite his shabby record on human rights.? For those who have watched Pat Robertson and his global business dealings over the past quarter-century, this is a reminder of his earlier financial and personal relationship with former Zairian strongman Mobutu Sese-Seko. Robertson established the African Development Corporation and obtained lucrative mining and lumber contracts, all the while serving as Mobutu's advocate in the United States.? The dictatorial Mobutu, though, drained his nation's treasury, absconding to Switzerland with an estimated $2 billion in stolen assets.
Robertson has defended Taylor as a "Christian" statesman despite the scrutiny of human rights groups and now even links to the al Qaeda terrorist network.? This story begins in September, 1998 when, following an attack by Taylor's police on the U.S.? Embassy, al Qaeda operative Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah arrived in the capital of Monrovia and met with a top Taylor lieutenant, Ibrahim Bah.? According to a story in the New Republic magazine by Ryan Lizza, the two then flew in a government helicopter to meet with a senior commander of the Revolutionary United Front.? RUF "has controlled the diamond mines of Sierra Leon for the last four years," and was the source of "conflict diamonds" used to obtain funds for the American embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
"Since then ...? bin Laden has raised millions -- perhaps tens of millions -- of dollars buying cut-rate RUF diamonds and selling them in Europe," noted Lizza.
"This is all very bad news for Taylor's apologists and business associates in the United States, " added Lizza, "a motley crew that includes Jesse Jackson, Pat Robertson, New Jersey Representative Donald Payne, and former Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Lester Hyman..."
It has been bad news for Robertson as well, whose deal with Taylor calls for mining operations in a 900-square-kilometer section of southeastern Liberia.? Taylor's regime has even issued a press release quoting Robertson as saying, "I pray that this investment may become a wonderful blessing to the people of Liberia."
One functionary in the Taylor-Robertson deal is Jenkins Dunbar, Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy for the Taylor regime.? He has been reported as a collaborator with other cronies of the Liberian strongman in facilitating the work of international criminal gangs. Dunbar's name also surfaced in the fraud investigation into Greater Ministries International, an investment scam operated by Rev.? James W.? List of Tampa, Florida.? List has already been convicted in U.S. federal court for his participation in the scheme, and it was Dunbar who vetoed concerns by the Ministry of National Security, and ushered through the permits allowing List and his group to operate in Liberia. In addition, Dunbar has an indictment against him in the Oklahoma where he worked as an inspector for the state and monitored oil wells. According to Perspective magazine, Dunbar "orchestrated fraud and received bribes and kickbacks for ignoring safety hazards."
-- Robertson, Jackson and others defend Taylor against charges of corruption and megalomania; but the Freedom Gold operation in Liberia required direct intervention by Taylor who bypassed his own legislature in order to obtain mining concessions for the prominent American televangelist.? The Robertson-Taylor document was labeled "Mineral Development Agreement Between the Republic of Liberia and Freedom Gold Limited."? It gave Robertson control of gold mining concessions that had belonged to an established businessman named Ken Ross II, a supporter of an earlier regime.
The Liberian legislature, though, refused to ratify the Agreement.? A second contract was drawn up in October, 2000 which provided that the Taylor-Dunbar-Robertson deal would take effect "when approved by the president of Republic of Liberia."? Gone was language that provided for the document to be in force "in accordance with the constitution and laws of the Republic."
Even the conservative U.S.? News magazine was alarmed at the penchant of prominent Americans, including Robertson, Jesse Jackson and others, to turn a blind eye to the situation in Liberia.? Was there any hint of involvement between Taylor's regime and links to al Qaeda through the lucrative "conflict diamonds" trade?? Staff writer Michael Barone warned last November that Taylor's defenders and business partners "should have known that they were dealing with, and aiding, a very unsavory character indeed.'
* Questions linger as Capitol Hill gears up for hearings on the Enron collapse.? What is the full story involving oil giants like Enron, its network of literally hundreds of subsidiaries and partnerships, and the quest for oil in Central Asia and elsewhere?? Prior to September 11, did U.S.? government foreign policy turn a blind eye to the excesses of the Taliban regime in hopes of striking a lucrative deal? And why do the names of so many stalwarts and heroes of the religious right continue to be mention in connection with everything from Enron to "conflict diamonds"?
For further information:
http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/roberts5.htm ("Robertson in gold mining deal with Liberian strongman," 6/4/99)
http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/roberts6.htm ("Robertson to net up to $50 million as deal collapses," 6/6/99)
L L Milnes
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- [CTRL] Contracts, Monday, August 4, 2003 Jim Rarey
- Lyn Milnes
