American Families of Daesh Victims Sue French Cement Maker Lafarge over Payments to Terrorists
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – French cement giant Lafarge has been sued by relatives of American soldiers and US aid workers who were killed or injured by Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) and other terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.
The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in the district court for the Eastern District of New York, following Lafarge's conviction last year for bribing and paying Daesh and al-Nusra Front to continue operations in northern Syria.
After merging with Swiss building material company Holcim in 2015, Lafarge agreed to pay $778 million in forfeiture and fines as part of a plea agreement in October. The court documents revealed that the company admitted to providing almost $6 million in cash to the two terrorist groups.
The lawsuit claims that Lafarge's support for Daesh and al-Nusra Front was extensive, operating a lucrative cement plant in northern Syria and resorting to bribing terrorists to protect its profits.
The defendants named in the claim include Lafarge SA, its former Chairman Bruno Lafont, and other executives. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages and compensation for the victims. The court acknowledged Lafarge's crime impact on the victims of terrorist acts during the acceptance of the company's guilty plea last year.
The claimants consist of families of US aid workers and journalists, such as Steven Sotloff and James Foley, who were beheaded by Daesh on camera in 2014, as well as ten military personnel killed or injured in attacks by Daesh and al-Nusra Front in Syria, Iraq, and other regions.
Daesh initiated a campaign of terror almost a decade ago, seizing control of vast areas in Iraq and Syria through lightning attacks. The US has deployed forces and military equipment in Syria, claiming to fight against Daesh, but without authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.
While the US military argues its presence aims to prevent Daesh from gaining control of oilfields in the region, Damascus contends that the deployment is an illegal attempt to plunder Syria's natural resources.
