Can anyone explain WHY Mark Thatcher wanted Equatorial Guinea?

[underpants]

I don't mean this as a belittlement of EG but I was trying to explain this to my wife last night. They reported on it on BBC World and I told I was sorta familiar with it (thanks DU) but neither one of us could figure out why Thatcher and the rest of them wanted to rule Equatorial Guinea.

I looked it up in an Atlas (see us Americans do have them) and in the Almanac. The natural resources listed did mention diamonds and gold but they were listed behind Bauxhite and iron (I think).

The best we could guess at was:
-hey if you wanted to rule a country EG would be a good pick especially since they only thought they would need 70 mercenaries to get the job done
-establish a new Cayman island type situation?
-A playgorund for the rich?
-just a good old fashioned colonial plantation type situation?

This morning on NPR they mentioned that EG was "oil rich". Was that it?

[AlCzervik]

1. I thought it was about oil.

[Stephanie]

2. Undoubtedly it's the oil

I heard this on NPR too. Amazing that he got off with a suspended sentence and that they allowed him to claim that he thought the helicopter was for an ambulance.

[underpants]

3. Yeah the gunship ambulance

you know...just in case.

[AlCzervik]

5. And how many bush pioneers backed thatchers coup attempt?

[underpants]

7. Oooh good question

Why perhaps we shold have us an investigation.

[AlCzervik]

9. We need names of his "Friends" in Houston and other parts

[havocmom]

10. Thatcher was heading to Texas when the excrement hit the ventilator.

Suppose he got a job offer after his service to the industry?

[papau]

4. oil - a possible as big as Kuwait situation n/t

n/t

[underpants]

6. Is this a new discovery?

The almanac was from 2002 so it could be that this find is that new.

[papau]

8. Rather new - the potential size is new. - and one person /family controls

via the gun.

Seems like easy money to pick up -

But like the GOP always does - they tried to do it on the cheap with only 60 men!

:-)

[Jose Diablo]

11. Black Gold, Texas Tea

There is oil off-shore, lots of it.

[seemslikeadream]

12. Here's some stuff I have about EG

Riggs and Equatorial Guinea
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=11993&page=
Threads on Equatorial Guinea
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=18254&page=
Threads on Equatorial Guinea part 2
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=125&topic_id=9558&mesg_id=25607&page=

[underpants]

15. Thanks

:hi:

[clem_c_rock]

13. Surprise - OIL!!!!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1101-2004Sep6.html

[Robbien]

16. Riggs Bank corporate raiders ride again

Riggs had a fine time raiding the black gold and making sure the people of Equatorial Guinea stayed poor and oppressed. Once Equatorial Guinea threw out its old corrupt president, the corporate elite had no choice but to attempt a coup and take possession of the black gold by force.

[underpants]

17. "Mr Rumsfeld was a non-executive director of ABB"

ABB by the way built the nuclear reactors in North Korea


From the article you linked
Two subsidiaries of ABB Ltd. -- ABB Vetco Gray of Houston and ABB Vetco Gray UK of Scotland -- pleaded guilty in the United States in July to violating the corrupt practices act. Federal regulators said they made more than $1.1 million in illicit payments to Nigerian government officials to gain advantage on oil and gas projects.

The two faces of Rumsfeld
http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,952289,00.html

[clem_c_rock]

19. Nice - thanks for the great article - I've been looking for more on this

[Jacobin]

14. Maybe he wanted a country named after him

Remember "Rhodesia", named after the British thug who discovered how well machine guns worked on natives after they were first invented? And then named the place he conquered after himself.

Neo-colonialist, like Rumsfeld and company.

[underpants]

18. Charming

discovered how well machine guns worked on natives

[OneTwentyoNine]

20. Cause he's been a LOSER all his life just like Bush..

He figured if Chimp could invade a country illegally then why not Boy Mark?? Oh yeah...didn't someone mention OIL??