Chiquita fined over terrorist payments

[gorbal]

Source: Chicago Sun-Times

March 20, 2007
Banana company Chiquita Brands International admitted in federal court Monday that for years it paid Colombian terrorists to protect its most profitable banana-growing operation.

The Cincinnati-based company pleaded guilty to one count of doing business with a terrorist organization. The plea is part of a deal with prosecutors that calls for a $25 million fine and does not identity the senior executives who approved the illegal protection payments.

Prosecutors say the company agreed to pay about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC. The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the AUC a terrorist group in 2001.

Read more: http://www.suntimes.com/business/304112,CST-FIN-chiquita20.article

[ClintonTyree]

1. Doesn't this give the Bush administration the authority....

to bomb Cincinnati and the Chiquita Brands International headquarters off the map now? :scared: And don't think they wouldn't do it! ;)

[Demeter]

2. Not The Campaign Donors!

Bomb them AFTER they run out of money, or turn coat, not before!

[gorbal]

3. This all makes me remeber the Journalist abducted by "guerilla's"

At first he thought he was abduted by FARC, then he found out it was really the AUC pretending to be FARC; I wonder how oftern they have done this, commited crimes in FARC'S name?

Not that I think FARC is blameless or anything, they just have different motivations than the AUC and seem much less murderous.

[eablair3]

4. Buying your way out of jail

This story just amazes me the more I hear about it:
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/03/19/daily24.html

If you want to commit a crime -- such as "supporting" or "doing business with a terrorist organization" -- just be part of a big corporation that makes big campaign contributions. Then, the worst that happens to you is really nothing -- the corporation pays a fine.

Didn't people who gave medicine to the civilian Iraqis before the "war" have to go to jail? Didn't people who gave money to Hamas for food and school books and supplies for children have to go to jail?

But, these Chiquita execs give millions to a "designated terrorist" organization in a foreign country, and the corporation pays a fine, which the corportation makes conditional on not identifying the actual people who engaged in the conduct. And, the Bush Administration refuses to hand over to the foreign country the names of these people involved in giving money to a "terrorist" organization" in that country.

Sounds like hush money for the Bush Adminstration to provide cover and protection to those individuals who "supported a terrorist organization." Bush and his government is really protecting "supporters of a terrorist organization." I guess that's really nothing new.