US Senators Hit A New Low

[English Noodles]

In the the US governments despicable attempts to destroy BP for their own political gain.

Lockerbie Hearing On Hold: US Attacks BP Boss


US senators have postponed their inquiry into the Lockerbie bomber's release and simultaneously accused BP's outgoing boss of valuing his multi-million pound pay-off over victims of the atrocity.


The politicians had been attempting to investigate rumours that Abdel Baset al Megrahihad been released from a Scottish prison after secret lobbying by the firm in favour of an oil deal with the African country.


Senators asked BP chief executive Tony Hayward to appear at the hearing but he refused.


And Mr Hayward, who has become something of a hate figure in the US, has since claimed he has been "demonised and vilified" in the states over the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.


The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee adjourned Thursday's hearing because of "stonewalling" by British and Scottish officials who refused to give evidence.


Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat who was due to chair the hearing, said "no witness of consequence has the courage" to step up and clear the air.


The committee is looking into whether BP sought al Megrahi's freedom to help secure a $900m (£578m) exploration agreement with Libya.


Mr Menendez said the Senate committee had called two Scottish officials, former Justice Secretary Jack Straw, and two BP executives - including Mr Hayward - but all had declined to testify.




Senator Robert Menendez



"It is utterly disappointing and I think pretty outrageous that none of these key witnesses will co-operate with our request to answer questions... they have stonewalled," he added.


"It is a game of diplomatic tennis that is worthy of Wimbledon but not worthy on behalf of the lives of the families who still have to deal with this terrorist act and the consequences of the lost loved ones."


Mr Menendez's spokesperson said the senator has assured the families of Lockerbie victims that when the hearing is finally held it will be "substantive".


The senator admitted that as a rule Senate panels cannot summon foreign nationals to appear.


But he added that his committee was looking at whether it could use legal powers in the case of a British citizen like Mr Hayward because he is part of a company doing business in the US.


BP has offered to send another representative, the head of the company's UK operations, Peter Mather.


But an aide to Mr Menendez said there was no indication Mr Mather had been in communication with Libya about the deal BP signed with Tripoli in 2007.


The Scottish government has denied it had any contact with BP before deciding to free the Lockerbie bomber last year.


Lockerbie Bomber Hearing Is Postponed: US Senators Attack BP Boss Tony Hayward | World News | Sky News

[thehighlander959]

It must be the mid term elections coming up in the US? All this grandstanding by senators over issues that were dealt with in the past. Just who do the fuck they think they are? A group of American senators wants to grill foreign politicans over an issue that has nothing to do with them.

As the Scottish Government says let America and the UK release all their documents into the public domain concerning the Lockerbie bombing.
Even better ask Tony Bliar and Jack Straw who signed the PTA (Prisoner Transfer Agreement) ie. the deal in the desert. Which was attended by American politicians so that they could get their finger in the pie also.

The US has around eighty oilfield contracts in Libya at the last count. Have a look at Occidental Oil.
The UK is only just starting out.

Smokescreen and Mirrors by senators who are wanting their pound of flesh from BP.

[sccrhound]

Smokescreen and Mirrors by senators who are wanting their pound of flesh from BP.

No these are the ones who want their pound of flesh.

Putting a Face on the Gulf Oil Leak - Lens Blog - NYTimes.com

[thehighlander959]

FFS its an oil leak and there has been a loss of life. It pales into insignificance in comparison when Occidental Oil killed 178 offshore workers on the Piper Alpha Platform in the North Sea. Due to their negligence.

If you look a little closer to home you,ll find the management team responsible for this incident was American. Most of them worked for Amoco before it was taken over by BP. Even the BP Companyman on the DH Rig was American.
Its the same as when the explosion happened in Texas City this refinery belonged to Amoco before the takeover, there was a lot of work to be done to bring it to a proper safety level as this was never carried out by Amoco because they knew an takeover was imminent.

Theres alot you aren,t being told especially concerning the other contractors Transocean,Halliburton and Cameron where are they in this fall out??

[BobR]

Rather sad reality that there is no such thing as morality or decency in politics.

[Ripley]

When someone pays you to clean their house and instead you shit in it and then leave it unlocked so it gets robbed , are they wrong to vilify you ?

[thehighlander959]

Just for all the do-gooders on here..
Type in Union Carbide Bhopal. See what comes up and ask why their CEO has never been back to India or paid out for the mass murder of personnel their.

[BobR]

Just for all the do-gooders on here..
Type in Union Carbide Bhopal. See what comes up and ask why their CEO has never been back to India or paid out for the mass murder of personnel their.

Union Carbide is owned by Dow Chemical, one of the companies that brought the World agent orange. They were also the sole supplier of napalm for the Vietnam War. Pure evil.

[thehighlander959]

Thanks Bob I already had that information.
But its good to see that some Americans believe in accountability.

Certainly not in Washington though...

[thehighlander959]

It looks like a dead thread now. Not to many American contributors..
What a pity!! I jst would like to think that that the US Congress and the US Senate can up their game to a decent political level.

[Dreadlord]

"The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee adjourned Thursday's hearing because of "stonewalling" by British and Scottish officials who refused to give evidence."

So, we are the bad guys because you morons would not show proof ? Even you EN cannot give proof of things when asked...

[BobR]

"The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee adjourned Thursday's hearing because of "stonewalling" by British and Scottish officials who refused to give evidence."

So, we are the bad guys because you morons would not show proof ? Even you EN cannot give proof of things when asked...

I guess they don't know or care about the 5th Amendment to our Bill of Rights. (Right against forced testimony/self incrimination) Funny thing now that I think about it, the men who wrote that wonderful document and its amendments were all from Britain.

Guess that makes us like a rotten child turning on his/her parents.

[Humbert]

Just for all the do-gooders on here..
Type in Union Carbide Bhopal. See what comes up and ask why their CEO has never been back to India or paid out for the mass murder of personnel their.

Highlander, I don't know why you keep dragging Bhopal into the discussion about BP and the recent gulf spill. They are separate incidents. I wish the families of the victims of the Bhopal tragedy were made whole again by proper compensation and I am disturbed that the villians responsible were not brought to justice. I don't see Tony Hayward in the stocks yet either. Quite the contrary, it looks as if he is going to enjoy a rather hefty golden parachute pay out.

[The Ghost Of The Moog]

I bought 5000 BP shares at GBP 3.01 thanks to a TD topic in which Buriram Boy gave a steer towards the undervalued stock.

As a shareholder, I do not think BP should pay one cent in damages. Its just an accident of Mother Earth. If it was not God's will that this happened, it would not have.

BP dividends to shareholders should be re-established immediately. This is what Jesus would have done.

[sabang]

The Heat is moving on to BP's equity partners and Transocean now.

I think it was a great shame that BP continued to be slagged off by cheap politicians even after it put down some serious dosh to pay Claims- this was responsible corporate behaviour (which is not to excuse them for any procedural wrongdoings).

What sort of example does this set for other corporations? Might as well act like Exxon (Valdez), Amoco (Cadiz) or Union Carbide (Bhopal) then. Of course the Directors will say with a straight face 'they are only acting in the interests of shareholders'.

Really, you'd have thought one US politician would have at least paused to acknowledge BP's 10,000,000,000 "gesture". I never heard one do so. It took 19 years before Exxon paid anything besides lawyers.

[billy the kid]

Just for all the do-gooders on here..
Type in Union Carbide Bhopal. See what comes up and ask why their CEO has never been back to India or paid out for the mass murder of personnel their.

Union Carbide is owned by Dow Chemical, one of the companies that brought the World agent orange. They were also the sole supplier of napalm for the Vietnam War. Pure evil.

,, yeah, but who authorised it's use ?

[Jools]

Rather sad reality that there is no such thing as morality or decency in politics.

Yes, if only politicians were as moral and decent as huge corporations.

[thehighlander959]

Highlander, I don't know why you keep dragging Bhopal into the discussion about BP and the recent gulf spill. They are separate incidents. I wish the families of the victims of the Bhopal tragedy were made whole again by proper compensation and I am disturbed that the villians responsible were not brought to justice. I don't see Tony Hayward in the stocks yet either. Quite the contrary, it looks as if he is going to enjoy a rather hefty golden parachute pay out.

Where was the accountability to the Indian people maimed and killed at Bhopal. The CEO never returned to the country either, I am sure their was a reason for that??? Fear!!
But the CEO of BP went to the US and BP are paying for the damage.
You are all very quick to cry foul in America and expect people to come vist your country to stand in front of Senate Foreign Relations committee,s when it suits you
Personally anyone from another government who goes in front of these committee,s is a yes man to the US political system.

My own views I don,t give a flying fuck about your senate committee,s they mean nothing to anyone outside of the US.

You lot over their need to get a grip of yourselves...

[sccrhound]

I bought 5000 BP shares at GBP 3.01 thanks to a TD topic in which Buriram Boy gave a steer towards the undervalued stock.

As a shareholder, I do not think BP should pay one cent in damages. Its just an accident of Mother Earth. If it was not God's will that this happened, it would not have.

BP dividends to shareholders should be re-established immediately. This is what Jesus would have done.

I didn't know Dick Cheney was on TD

[aras]

Rather sad reality that there is no such thing as morality or decency in politics.

Apparently the same is lacking in society while we dont admitt it ourselves. How could you explaine that we all keep voting for people who have a history of lying and immoralities??

[Humbert]

You lot over their need to get a grip of yourselves...

Thanks for the advice. Maybe you should stop grounding your arguments in fallacy.

[thehighlander959]

It just goes to show that the BP CEO had bigger ball than Union Carbide CEO. He has stood in front of your senate committee like a lapdog. The Union Carbide or Dow Industries CEO have they ever answered any question to the Indian people concerning the loss of life in and around the plant at Bhopal?? No didn,t think so.

But when the shoe is on the other foot you demand that all questions should be answered to your politicians who agreed on the drilling in the first place.
Lets start with Obama he wanted more drilling and it was his government and the previous government that wanted to make the US more self sufficient concerning oil.

A second term for Obama?? Fuck me are you Yanks really that stupid..

[king of uranus]

What do you call a foreign enterprise spreading toxins in your waterways and shores...
who illegaly detains free citizens, on sovereign soil, doing legal activities (taking pictures, helping wildlife)...
And turning them over to their Stazi minions (local police)...

There's a term for that. It starts with a T and ends in an ism!

F BP!!!! and all it pissant supporters .

[thehighlander959]

So it was OK for Exxon Mobil to spread their toxins in the waterways of Alaska?
It took a minimum of 17 years for Exxon to pay out any money concerning the Exxon Valdez spill. They also closed up and forbid the people in the local area to talk to the press and paid them handsomely to shut the f*ck up.

The reason that BP are in the GOM is basically because your so called whiter than white politicians wanted them their. Along with the risks.

[thehighlander959]

^^

I never knew BP were into tourism..