Lafarge – part of the Swiss group Holcim – has to pay a fine of almost 800 million dollars. She pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization” in a US court. This was the Islamic State, known for its brutality, to which Lafarge actually paid protection payments during the Syrian civil war. In addition, Lafarge wanted to continue to run a factory that he had opened just four years earlier.
So what exactly happened? How chaotic conditions in Syria really were at the time for local employees – documents that the disclosure platform Cryptome put online several years ago provide insight into that, mainly internal emails. Below is a selection of events discussed in such emails.
Putting life on the line
On September 9, a purchasing manager at Lafarge’s Syrian subsidiary received an email. A prominent member of ISIS writes: “You have not paid us our money for the past two months.” Please try to understand that this money belongs to a supplier who works with the strongest Islamic army on earth. “Lafarge shouldn’t mess with her.”
A day later, the purchasing manager urgently wrote a letter to her superiors, France’s number 1 in Syria. You have received an email from a company that supplies the plant with fuel. “I used to risk communicating with this person and risking my life for the sake of the company.” You have to stop now, someone else has to negotiate with this supplier. “I can’t keep risking my life.”
On September 19, ISIS attacks the factory. The Syrian manager of the cement factory received instructions from the French manager the day before. “When the fighting gets to the factory, the workers have to go into the tunnels and wait there.” The cars may not be used to flee until the safety of the roads has been fully checked.
An email will be sent to all Syrian staff on September 20; there is no sender, just an anonymous email address. On Friday, September 19, the entire factory was evacuated. “This difficult decision has been made to ensure the safety of all employees and suppliers.” Now you want to look at the situation of each individual employee.
A day later there is an angry reply from a Syrian employee, full of biting mockery. “I don’t know who sent us this funny email, full of lies.” It would have been better to thank God for saving the workers. «All credit belongs to you and only to you, dear God. Please remember us and save us if we gamble again in the future. Thanks again!”
Only accidentally escaped
The employee requests an investigation into the factory raid on behalf of the factory team. More than 30 “our Braveheart employees” were left at the factory up to an hour before the ISIS attack. Security guards were immediately ordered to lock the factory gates so that workers could not escape on the day of the ISIS attack. The evacuation bus was canceled two weeks before the attack and no alternative was organized. It was purely coincidental that there were still vehicles with which the employees could have escaped.
On September 29, the manager reports on his escape. “First of all, sorry for the long email,” he begins. According to his report, most of the employees lasted until the end and did not follow an official evacuation plan later on in escaping. He, his family and his driver had to drive through the war zone in their own car. “No people, no animals, no cars, just sounds of fighting and shaking.” It was then that he realized how wrong he was. “If the car stops for any reason, I will lose my life and my family.”
The email ends with an objection. “I’m asking all of you to help me? and find a way to send me $10,000.” He has to spend $500 a day on illegal housing, just a room and toilet for his extended family. He has been looking for a home for his family for three days now. “All I ask of my company is that it applies to me the same policies that I have applied to myself for the past two years to continue the factory and the business.”
After the storming of the factory, ISIS tries to make money with it. An email from Lafarge dated November 8 reads: “Some people, with the blessing of ISIS, want to take advantage of our camp.” On December 30, it was again reported that cement was stolen from the silos and sold in the area. The French superiors of Lafarge try estimates. Lafarge cement appears on the black market. On December 22, Lafarge received word that ISIS wanted to monetize 150,000 tons of cement in Syria and Iraq. (bzbasel.ch)
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
