McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In Colombia

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

Carl H. Lindner Jr., the billionaire Cincinnati businessman, was CEO of Chiquita Brands International from 1984 to 2001, and remained on the company's board of directors until May 2002. Beginning under his tenure, Chiquita executives paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym AUC), which is described by George Washington University's National Security Archive as an "illegal right-wing anti-guerrilla group tied to many of the country's most notorious civilian massacres."

Following a Justice Department indictment last year, Chiquita admitted to illegally funding the paramilitaries and agreed to pay a $25 million fine. Chiquita's payments to the AUC began in 1997 and lasted seven years; roughly half of the funds came after the group was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in 2001.

According to the Justice Department, the payments "were reviewed and approved by senior executives" of Chiquita, who knew by no later than September 2000 "that the AUC was a violent, paramilitary organization."

Late last week, Lindner co-hosted a $25,000-per-person fundraiser for McCain and the Republican Party in the wealthy Indian Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The event raised about $2 million; Lindner also serves on McCain's Ohio Victory Team.

While Lindner was CEO of Chiquita, the company began sending money to the AUC through its shipping subsidiary Banadex. A report by the Organization of American States states that Banadex also engaged in arms trafficking, helping to deliver 3,000 Nicaraguan AK-47 rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition to the AUC in 2001. According to federal prosecutors, when company officials realized the arrangement was illegal, they switched to making the payments in cash.

"We believe they saved people's lives," a Chiquita spokesman told Time magazine last year, alleging that the company was simply trying to avoid violence against their employees.

Chiquita's funding of violent paramilitaries does not end with the right-wing AUC. The fruit giant "had been making similar payments to the leftist FARC and ELN guerrillas" since 1989, also on Lindner's watch. Those payments ended in 1997 as "control of the company's banana-growing area shifted" to the AUC, according to the Associated Press.

McCain, who is currently visiting Colombia to promote free trade, has described FARC as "one of the worst" terrorist groups and accused his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, of being unwilling to support Colombian President Uribe's anti-terrorist efforts.

That the Arizona Republican is raising funds from a man whose company once paid that very same terrorist group seems likely to sully his charge.

Aides to the Senator did not return request for comment, though they have repeatedly argued that the campaign does not have direct connections to companies represented by such fundraisers or advisers and, as such, should not be held accountable for their actions or presumed to be persuaded by their interests.

However, in the past, McCain has done favors on Lindner's behalf. Last May, the Washington Post reported that in the late 1990s, McCain "promoted a deal in Arizona's Tonto National Forest involving property part-owned by Great American Life Insurance, a company run by billionaire Carl H. Lindner Jr., a prolific contributor to national political parties and presidential candidates."

Moreover, McCain's chief political adviser, Charlie Black, lobbied for Chiquita on two separate occasions in 2001. According to records, Black was paid $80,000 to work on foreign trade issues.

Black, as the Huffington Post reported on Tuesday, has represented other controversial clients with operations in Colombia. From 2001 through 2007, his work brought his firm more than $1.6 million in lobbying fees from Occidental Petroleum, a company whose security arm was accused of bombing a Colombian village and killing 17 civilians in 1998.

McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In Colombia

[zqt3344 21]

Say what ever happened to the terrorist William Ayers of the Weathermen, oh how could I forget, he is a very good friend BHO! Say what ever happened to the criminal businessman Tony Rezko who backed BHO and helped him buy his home and land next to it in a real estate deal! Say whatever happened to that BHO backer who was involved in the subprime mortage investigation that was a BHO campaign committee person, Johson was his last name right? Number 6 is so blinded by BHO Kool Aid that he cannot see straight and is staggering around here drunk trying to dismiss the fine great patriot John McCain.

The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States.

Carl H. Lindner Jr., the billionaire Cincinnati businessman, was CEO of Chiquita Brands International from 1984 to 2001, and remained on the company's board of directors until May 2002. Beginning under his tenure, Chiquita executives paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (known by the Spanish acronym AUC), which is described by George Washington University's National Security Archive as an "illegal right-wing anti-guerrilla group tied to many of the country's most notorious civilian massacres."

Following a Justice Department indictment last year, Chiquita admitted to illegally funding the paramilitaries and agreed to pay a $25 million fine. Chiquita's payments to the AUC began in 1997 and lasted seven years; roughly half of the funds came after the group was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in 2001.

According to the Justice Department, the payments "were reviewed and approved by senior executives" of Chiquita, who knew by no later than September 2000 "that the AUC was a violent, paramilitary organization."

Late last week, Lindner co-hosted a $25,000-per-person fundraiser for McCain and the Republican Party in the wealthy Indian Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The event raised about $2 million; Lindner also serves on McCain's Ohio Victory Team.

While Lindner was CEO of Chiquita, the company began sending money to the AUC through its shipping subsidiary Banadex. A report by the Organization of American States states that Banadex also engaged in arms trafficking, helping to deliver 3,000 Nicaraguan AK-47 rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition to the AUC in 2001. According to federal prosecutors, when company officials realized the arrangement was illegal, they switched to making the payments in cash.

"We believe they saved people's lives," a Chiquita spokesman told Time magazine last year, alleging that the company was simply trying to avoid violence against their employees.

Chiquita's funding of violent paramilitaries does not end with the right-wing AUC. The fruit giant "had been making similar payments to the leftist FARC and ELN guerrillas" since 1989, also on Lindner's watch. Those payments ended in 1997 as "control of the company's banana-growing area shifted" to the AUC, according to the Associated Press.

McCain, who is currently visiting Colombia to promote free trade, has described FARC as "one of the worst" terrorist groups and accused his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, of being unwilling to support Colombian President Uribe's anti-terrorist efforts.

That the Arizona Republican is raising funds from a man whose company once paid that very same terrorist group seems likely to sully his charge.

Aides to the Senator did not return request for comment, though they have repeatedly argued that the campaign does not have direct connections to companies represented by such fundraisers or advisers and, as such, should not be held accountable for their actions or presumed to be persuaded by their interests.

However, in the past, McCain has done favors on Lindner's behalf. Last May, the Washington Post reported that in the late 1990s, McCain "promoted a deal in Arizona's Tonto National Forest involving property part-owned by Great American Life Insurance, a company run by billionaire Carl H. Lindner Jr., a prolific contributor to national political parties and presidential candidates."

Moreover, McCain's chief political adviser, Charlie Black, lobbied for Chiquita on two separate occasions in 2001. According to records, Black was paid $80,000 to work on foreign trade issues.

Black, as the Huffington Post reported on Tuesday, has represented other controversial clients with operations in Colombia. From 2001 through 2007, his work brought his firm more than $1.6 million in lobbying fees from Occidental Petroleum, a company whose security arm was accused of bombing a Colombian village and killing 17 civilians in 1998.

McCain Backer's Firm Pleaded Guilty To Funding Terrorist Group In Colombia

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Say what ever happened to the terrorist William Ayers of the Weathermen, oh how could I forget, he is a very good friend BHO! Say what ever happened to the criminal businessman Tony Rezko who backed BHO and helped him buy his home and land next to it in a real estate deal! Say whatever happened to that BHO backer who was involved in the subprime mortage investigation that was a BHO campaign committee person, Johson was his last name right? Number 6 is so blinded by BHO Kool Aid that he cannot see straight and is staggering around here drunk trying to dismiss the fine great patriot John McCain.

*Ahem*

Now we've got that load of old $hit out of the way - I'll render my opinion on the article, rather than let it be assumed (wrongly) by some borderline schizophrenic/amnesiac/psychotic nutjob who is in dire need of psychiatric medication and electro-convulsive shock therapy.

Chiquita are the "banana people" I believe - not to put too finer point on it Basically a big business corporate sponsor of the old school. This is kind of like taking an endorsement from Coca-Cola - with its ties to the murder and intimidation of union workers (also in Colombia I believe).

Given how sensitive these things have been with Obama - that he has had to disavow people, return campaign donations and the like, will Mr McCain be doing likewise for this?

[Amby 490]

Say what ever happened to the terrorist William Ayers of the Weathermen, oh how could I forget, he is a very good friend BHO! Say what ever happened to the criminal businessman Tony Rezko who backed BHO and helped him buy his home and land next to it in a real estate deal! Say whatever happened to that BHO backer who was involved in the subprime mortage investigation that was a BHO campaign committee person, Johson was his last name right? Number 6 is so blinded by BHO Kool Aid that he cannot see straight and is staggering around here drunk trying to dismiss the fine great patriot John McCain.

*Ahem*

Now we've got that load of old $hit out of the way - I'll render my opinion on the article, rather than let it be assumed (wrongly) by some borderline schizophrenic/amnesiac/psychotic nutjob who is in dire need of psychiatric medication and electro-convulsive shock therapy.

Chiquita are the "banana people" I believe - not to put too finer point on it Basically a big business corporate sponsor of the old school. This is kind of like taking an endorsement from Coca-Cola - with its ties to the murder and intimidation of union workers (also in Colombia I believe).

Given how sensitive these things have been with Obama - that he has had to disavow people, return campaign donations and the like, will Mr McCain be doing likewise for this?

[HAL 9000 96]

phhhheeewwwww!!

[Amby 490]

ok I just read the title of this thread as "mccains packers firm pleaded guilty to fondling terrorist group"

#######?