Inside a Dark Pact: Background and Evolution of a Scheme
Lafarge’s decision to keep its Syrian cement plant running during the Syrian Civil War led to secret dealings with armed groups, including U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, triggering one of the most significant corporate accountability cases of the past decade.
In 2022, Lafarge pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorist groups after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) found it had funneled nearly $6 million to the Islamic State of Syria (ISIS) and the al-Nusra Front (ANF) using U.S. financial systems and email services—the first corporate case of its kind in the U.S.
Lafarge’s Syrian plant started unassumingly, but the ordinary venture soon entangled the company in serious legal and ethical challenges.
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