I feel as if I'm a news ticker here . . . but this one seems pretty interesting.
Shell's grip on Nigerian state revealed - Shell infiltrated staff into all the main ministries of the Nigerian government
Quote:
The company's top executive in Nigeria told US diplomats that Shell had seconded employees to every relevant department and so knew "everything that was being done in those ministries". She boasted that the Nigerian government had "forgotten" about the extent of Shell's infiltration and were unaware of how much the company knew about its deliberations.
The cache of secret dispatches from Washington's embassies in Africa also revealed that the Anglo-Dutch oil firm swapped intelligence with the US, in one case providing US diplomats with the names of Nigerian politicians it suspected of supporting militant activity, and requesting information from the US on whether the militants had acquired anti-aircraft missiles.
[ . . . ]
Cables from Nigeria show how Ann Pickard, then Shell's vice-president for sub-Saharan Africa, sought to share intelligence with the US government on militant activity and business competition in the contested Niger Delta – and how, with some prescience, she seemed reluctant to open up because of a suspicion the US government was "leaky".
[ . . . ]
The cable concludes with the observation that the oil executive had tended to be guarded in discussion with US officials. "Pickard has repeatedly told us she does not like to talk to USG [US government] officials because the USG is 'leaky'." She may be concerned that ... bad news about Shell's Nigerian operations will leak out."
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...nigeria-spying
Reminds me a bit of Deus Ex. They're even exchanging intelligence with world governments. I don't suppose this is normal corporate behaviour?
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Last edited by HPLovecraft; 12-08-2010 at 03:42 PM.
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