Reply #2: Interesting (and note - published in NZ; will it show up in the US?) [View All]

[salin]

watch this: But sources familiar with the case said an investigation into Halliburton's Iran dealings was reopened last month after OFAC received new documents. OFAC had first looked at the issue in 2001 and then decided not to proceed further.

Halliburton did not reply to phone calls or e-mails but previously has said the company's subsidiaries were staffed and managed by non-US personnel and the company believed it had complied with US laws.

Two points... first "decided not to proceed further..." With no explanation as to why. Remember - during the election Cheney completely (and strongly) denied that while he was CEO of Halliburton the company used a foreign subsidiary to go around the US law and do business in Iraq. Eventually (after the election, I believe) when confronted with information - he had to admit it... but, iirc, claimed no knowledge of it and that it was legal. So, a similar investigation - same story line but a different country - gets disgarded in the same timeframe.... what a surprise?! So why is it picking it up again, now? Because the issue of companies investing in countries that are designated as supporting terrorist activities has been pushed by, I believe, some state attorney generals... In short, the hand was pushed to reopen it.

Second point... about those foreign subsidiaries of Halliburton that are claimed to be staffed and managed by non-US personnel... wasn't this just investigated and shown for a farce (for at least some of Halliburton's subsidiary) in an attempt to dodge taxes... on Sixty Minutes a few weeks ago? Shell offices with no personnel - and whose official correspondances get immediately sent to hq in Texas. Not very independent. It would behoove those pursuing this investigation to take a close look at that angle... which "foreign subsidaries" and were they really "independent" as is required to have that particular status?

Finally - this appears to be a Reuters news story... isn't Reuters carried by many US based newspapers? If so - I have to wonder if any of those papers included this story in their newspapers today...