‘ISIS Is Coming!’ How a French Company Pushed the Limits in War-Torn Syria<br />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<br />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.<br />The company acknowledged “unacceptable errors committed in Syria,” and said that it “deeply regrets what happened.”<br />It also said that while the use of an intermediary was a “serious concern,” its internal<br />review “could not establish with certainty the ultimate recipients of the funds.”<br />LafargeHolcim’s chief executive, Jan Jenisch, said the company is cooperating with French authorities.<br />LafargeHolcim, in its statement, said its internal investigation “showed<br />that the safety of those on site was a constant concern of management and there was an evacuation plan in place.”<br />Amid the chaos, ISIS militants kidnapped two of Lafarge’s Christian employees, according to internal Lafarge documents and the internal review.<br />The company relocated employees to Manbij, a town near the plant,<br />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.<br />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<br />that former employees were put on paid leave for more than 12 months after the closing of the site.
