French cement company pleads guilty in NYC to supporting terrorism

French cement company Lafarge pleaded guilty Tuesday to paying millions of dollars to the Islamic State group in exchange for permission to keep open a plant in Syria, a case the Justice Department described as the first of its kind. The company also agreed to penalties totaling roughly $778 million.

"The defendants routed nearly six million dollars in illicit payments to two of the world's most notorious terrorist organizations - ISIS and al-Nusrah Front in Syria - at a time those groups were brutalizing innocent civilians in Syria and actively plotting to harm Americans," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the Justice Department's top national security official, said in a statement.

The allegations involve conduct that was earlier investigated by authorities in France. Lafarge had previously acknowledged funneling money to Syrian armed organizations in 2013 and 2014 to guarantee safe passage for employees and supply its plant.

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French cement company paid ISIS $17M to protect plant in Syria, Justice Department saysA French cement company has been charged in the U.S. with making $17M in payments to ISIS in exchange for the protection of its plant in Syria, the Justice Dept. says. Lafarge/Holcim defended by saying these criminal acts were against their code of conduct. Well that is good. I'm glad their code of conduct doesn't encourage or endorse crimes. But the company says it was only the act of a few executives. That is bull. Shoulda hired private company like one that guards US embassy Iraq.
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