‘ISIS Is Coming!’ How a French Company Pushed the Limits in War-Torn Syria
All told, Lafarge agents shelled out over $5 million to armed groups, according to the documents, which include testimony to investigators by former Lafarge officials, testimony
and witness accounts of former employees, company correspondence and a confidential internal review of Lafarge’s Syria operations by the global law firm Baker McKenzie.
The company acknowledged “unacceptable errors committed in Syria,” and said that it “deeply regrets what happened.”
It also said that while the use of an intermediary was a “serious concern,” its internal
review “could not establish with certainty the ultimate recipients of the funds.”
LafargeHolcim’s chief executive, Jan Jenisch, said the company is cooperating with French authorities.
LafargeHolcim, in its statement, said its internal investigation “showed
that the safety of those on site was a constant concern of management and there was an evacuation plan in place.”
Amid the chaos, ISIS militants kidnapped two of Lafarge’s Christian employees, according to internal Lafarge documents and the internal review.
The company relocated employees to Manbij, a town near the plant,
and provided lodging for others inside the factory compound so they could keep working as road travel grew more risky, according to testimony by former executives and employees.
In its statement to The Times, LafargeHolcim said Lafarge Syria “maintained its operations as long as the plant and its employees could remain secure.” It added
that former employees were put on paid leave for more than 12 months after the closing of the site.
