Donald Rumsfeld

From TinWiki.org

Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, sat on the board of ABB Combustion Engineering from 1990 through 2000. During seven of these ten years, ABB aggressively sought to secure a contract with North Korea to build nuclear reactors. During this same period of time, in a blatant conflict of interest, Donald Rumsfeld headed the Rumsfeld Commission which looked into the growing ballistic missile threat.

In 1993, ABB entered bids to build two nuclear reactors in Yonggwang-kun, a southern province in North Korea. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy approved ABB-CE to participate in the construction of two "light-water" nuclear reactors in North Korea. In 1997, the first three contracts between ABB and North Korea were signed. These involved technology agreements, and the "design and manufacture of advanced pressurized water reactor systems technology".

In 1999, ABB was voted one of the world's 100 Best-Managed Companies by IndustryWeek. This was a momentous occasion for ABB since no technology and engineering company had ever made the list before. The criteria on which the company was selected is indicative of a management team and board who are making appropriate decisions for sustained company growth.

In January 2000, ABB won the contract worth $200 million (USD) to build two light-water nuclear reactors on the east coast of North Korea. The years of negotiation and partnering had paid off.

But during this same period of time (1997/98) Donald Rumsfeld was heading the Rumsfeld Commission to analyze the growing threat of ballistic missile use against the U.S.

In February, 2003, the Swiss news agency Swissinfo reported on this conflict of interest. Wolfram Eberhardt, spokesman for ABB, informed Swissinfo that Rumsfeld had been present at "nearly all the board meetings" during his tenure on ABB's Board of Directors. But would not confirm nor deny that the seven years of negotiations, contracts and work with North Korea on nuclear reactors had ever "been before the board".

On November 8th, 2006, Rumsfeld announced his resignation from the post of Secretary of Defense.

Original ATSNN.com article may be viewed here Rumsfeld's Dirty Bomb

According to NewsWithViews.com, Donald Rumsfeld was the CEO of Searle Laboratories in the 80's and assisted in the government approval of Aspartame after having been brought into government in Ronald Reagan's administration.

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