I knew it!
Posted on 03/14/2007 3:27:56 PM PDT by Kaslin
WASHINGTON — Banana company Chiquita Brands International was charged Wednesday with doing business with a terrorist organization.
Federal prosecutors said the company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers did business with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia. The group is described in court documents as a violent right-wing organization that the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.
The company also did business with the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, according to prosecutors.
The payments were approved by senior executives at the Cincinnati-based company, prosecutors wrote in court documents. Corporate books were kept to conceal the deals, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Chiquita began paying the right-wing AUC after a meeting in 1997.
"No later than in or about September 2000, defendant Chiquita's senior executives knew that the corporation was paying AUC and that the AUC was a violent paramilitary organization," prosecutors wrote in Wednesday's court filing.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Hey, Mr. Tally-man ...
It is not necessary to post in Breaking, Front Page, and Extended News simultaneously. In fact, all that does is give the decision to me where the thread belongs.
Banana bombers?
Who knew that the war on terror would involve bananas? Oy.
When in Rome. Uncle Carl (Lindner) also is or was at one time the biggest donor to both the GOP and the Dim's. He always covers his bases.
pong
Ba-na-na-nah, Ba-na-na-nah,
hey, hey, hey-
Goodbye.
Actually... the story is kind of interesting. Chaquita was apparently paying protection-money to ~both~ sides in order to protect their employees. But company executives and their attorneys contacted the Justice Department and basically turned themselves in.
It sounds like they thought they were doing the right thing at the time, but then got good advice from their in-house counsel that they could not do it, and on their own contacted Justice.
It's an exercise in business ethics, and I'd say they passed. Would that more businessmen would have the personal ethics to do the same.
Yes, we have no terrorist ties
Osama Bin Belafonte.
This is stunning. I know Chiquita, as former CEO Carl Lindner owned the development where I once worked .. he's a real rags-to-riches billionaire tycoon, and kept his special banana yellow convertible there for his visits.
He's a incredible philanthropist, and also a huge Pubbie contributor, and would know W well, but also no slouch in his $$ to the Dims.
His sons must not be as conscientious as he.
http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/11/carl-linder-money_cx_lh_money06_0214linder.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://en.allexperts.com/e/c/ca/carl_lindner,_jr..htm
Carl Lindner, Jr.
Carl Lindner, Jr. (born 1919 in Dayton, Ohio) is a successful Cincinnati businessman and is among the world's richest people.
According to the 2004 issue of Forbes Magazine's 400 list, which lists the 400 richest people in America, he was ranked 124 and was worth an estimated $1.8 billion
http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/10/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=10&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=S22J&datatype=Person.
He helped to expand his family's ice cream business into United Dairy Farmers, a large chain of convenience stores in Cincinnati, Ohio.
With his three sons, he controls roughly 42% of American Financial Group, an insurance company. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Chiquita Brands International.
Lindner was a part owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Cincinnati Reds until he sold a majority interest to a group led by Robert Castellini on November 2, 2005 and stepped down as CEO.
At the time it was announced that Lindner would remain an active partner in the organization
Lindner has donated a great deal to many charitable causes and political campaign funds. In addition, the Lindner family has supported several Cincinnati private schools, including Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, which was founded by the Lindners, and Cincinnati Country Day School.
His Great American Insurance Company was once the title sponsor of the prestigious Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/president/players/lindner.html
Conservative financial support Carl Lindner and his family have been strong supporters of the Republican Party for quite some time.
During the 2004 election cycle, the Lindner family contributed tens of thousands of dollars (funneled through each member of the family) to various conservative groups, including the Republican National Committee and several Republican politicians.
A close ally of George W. Bush, Lindner secured the use of Great American Ballpark for the Bush's re-election campaign on October 31 2004, a few days before the 2004 Presidential Election.
~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/S22J.html
Oh, no, not Chiquita Banana.
I mean, it's from my childhood. Is nothing sacred, nothing safe?
*sigh* Is this intentional wrong doing?
This kinda reminds me of Woody Allen's "Bananas".
"I'm Chiquita Banana, and I'm here to say
Get rid of al-Qaeda the easy way,
Eat ze banana, put ze peel on ze floor,
And'a watch Osama go flying out ze door!
Cha-cha-cha!*
*Songwriting credit: the bad boys of the third grade, 1961, modified and adapted in 2007.
It appears they were in a Catch22 ..for the protection of their employees, but the solution apparently is illegal. They'll pay the fine, but I wonder what the legal solution is in such a lawless country going forward. If they decide to pull out, there go bananas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.