It is important to understand the breathtaking hypocrisy of Robertson’s comment attributing Haiti’s current suffering as a result of a pact with Satan. As is so often the case with evil people, they accuse others of things which they, themselves are guilty. During the 1990’s, Pat Robertson was involved in business ventures with both the late Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) for over 30 years and Charles Taylor of Liberia and Sierra Leone infamy, currently being tried for war crimes in The Hague. Robertson is said to be worth between 400 million and a billion dollars. Follow me below for details.
According to a report in the Virginian-Pilot on May 2, 1999, Mobutu granted Robertson diamond mining rights in Zaire in the early 1990’s. Robertson used the planes owned by his "relief" organization "Operation Blessing" almost exclusively to ferry diamond mining equipment to Zaire according to two pilots who flew for Operation Blessing. According to an article in The Nation, the Virginia Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a lengthy investigation and called for an indictment in 1999 based on the determination that Robertson, "willfully induced contributions from the public through the use of misleading statements and other implications." However, Virginia’s Attorney General at the time, Republican Mark Early declined to indict Robertson. Early’s largest campaign contribution to date -- $35,000—had come from Robertson’s PAC. Early claimed that the campaign contribution had nothing to do with his decision not to indict Robertson. He decided not to indict his friend and campaign contributor, because in addition to ferrying diamond mining equipment, Operation Blessing’s planes also ferried humanitarian aid and thus Robertson’s statements about Operation Blessing were not misleading. Read about it here
In 1999, Washington Post reported that the "Reverend" Robertson's joint venture company "Freedom Gold" registered in the Cayman Islands but located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and housed with his "Christian" media empire CBN was granted gold mining and exploration rights by Liberia’s President, Charles Taylor and he and several cabinet ministers were to receive 15% of the shares.
Robertson even criticized President George W. Bush on his show, the 700 Club, for calling on Charles Taylor to step down,
How dare the President of the United States tell a duly elected leader of another country to step down...we’re undermining a Christian, Baptist President to bring in Muslim rebels to take over the country
according to a CBS news report.
When CBS challenged him about his comments, Robertson said that his venture, "Freedom Gold" was intended to pay for humanitarian and evangelistic efforts in Liberia and he said that the war crimes indictment was "nonsense and should be quashed".
Robertson told a reporter for Christianity Today that the bloodbath that Liberia was experiencing was the result of the State Department’s failure to support Taylor. He said this of Taylor:
I have never met Taylor in my life. I don't know what he has done or hasn't done. I do know he was elected by the people, and he has maintained a relatively stable government in Liberia; and they observe the rule of law; they have a working legislature; they have courts. And though he may have certain dictatorial powers, so do most leaders in Africa.
Charles Taylor is being tried in The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity
Charles Taylor is charged with 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Sierra Leone from November 30, 1996, to January 18, 2002. The Prosecutor alleges that Mr. Taylor is responsible for crimes which include murdering and mutilating civilians, including cutting off their limbs; using women and girls as sex slaves; and abducting children adults and forcing them to perform forced labor or become fighters during the conflict in Sierra Leone. Mr. Taylor has pleaded not guilty.
During the life of the business venture between the "Reverend" Robertson and Charles Taylor, Mr. Taylor according to eyewitness and collaborator testimony engaged in the following:
Count3: Violence to life, health, and physical or mental well-being of persons, in particular murder. (War Crime)
Crime Bases:
• Kenema District: May 25, 1997 to May 19, 1999: Kenema and Tongo Fields.
• Kono District: Feb. 1, 1998 to January 31, 2000: Koidu, Tombodu, Koidu Gieya, Koidu Burma, Yengema, Paema or Peyima, Bomboa Fuidu, Bumpe, Njaiama Nimikoro, and Mortema.
• Kailahun: Feb 1, 1998 to June 30, 1998: Kailahun town
• Freetown and Western Area: Dec. 21, 1998 to Feb. 28, 1999: State House, Kissy, Fourah Bay, Upgun, Calaba Town, Allen Town, Tower Hill areas of the city, Hastings, Wellington, Tumbo, Waterloo, and Benguema.
- Sexual Violence
Count 4: Rape. (Crime Against Humanity)
Count 5: Sexual Slavery. (Crime Against Humanity)
Count 6: Outrages upon personal dignity. (War Crime)
Crime Bases
• Kono: Feb 1 1998 to Dec. 31, 1998: Koidu, Tombodu, Wondedu, Superman Ground, Guinea Highway and PC Ground
• Kailahun District: Nov. 30, 1996 to Jan. 18, 2002: Throughout the district.
• Freetown and the Western Area: Dec. 21, 1998 to Feb. 28, 1999: Throughout Freetown and the Western Area.
- Physical Violence
Count 7: Violence to life, health and physical or mental well-being of persons in particular cruel treatment. (War Crime)
Count 8: Other inhumane acts, i.e. widespread acts of physical violence against civilians. (Crime Against Humanity)
Crime Bases
• Kono District: Feb. 1, 1998 to Dec. 31, 1998: Mutilations/cutting off limbs or marking AFRC/RUF on body parts in Tombodu, Kaima and Wondedu.
• Kailahun District: Nov. 30, 1996 to Jan. 18, 2002: Beat civilians throughout Kailahun district.
• Freetown and Western Area: Dec. 21, 1998 to Feb. 28, 1999: Mutilated, including cutting of limbs and beat civilians at Kissy, around State House, Fourah Bay, Upgun, Kissy Mental Hospital, Hastings, Tombo, Wellington, Waterloo and Benguema.
- Child Soldiers
Count 9: Conscripting and enlisting children under age 15. (Other Serious Violation of International Humanitarian Law)
Crime Base
• Throughout Sierra Leone: Nov. 30 1996 to Jan. 18 2002.
- Abductions and Forced Labour
Count 10: Enslavement. I.e., abductions and use of civilians as forced labour. (Crime Against Humanity)
Crime Bases
• Kenema District: July 1, 1997 to Feb. 28, 1998: Forced labour in Tongo.
• Kono District: Feb. 1, 1998 to Jan. 18, 2002: Abducted civilians and used them as forced labour in AFRC/RUF Camps, Tombodu, Koidu and Wondedu.
• Kailahun District: Nov. 30, 1996 to Jan. 19, 2002: Forced labour throughout Kailahun district
• Freetown and Western Area: Dec. 21, 1998 to Feb. 28, 1999: Forced labour throughout Freetown and the Western Area.
Here is Pat Robertson in all his glory:
• A man whose salary is funded by donations to a "Christian" tax exempt entity which required its African-American employees to enter the premises through the back door and to eat in separate dining areas.
• A man who makes so much money from his association with this "Christian" tax-exempt entity that he can afford to spend over $500,000 to buy a race horse and name it Mr. Pat, after himself.
• A man who is so eager to increase his personal wealth that he enters a business venture with a cruel dictator to mine diamonds and uses the planes from his "Christian" aid organization, "Operation Blessing" almost exclusively to carry mining equipment while telling his followers that their contributions will fund relief efforts and not mining for blood diamonds.
• A man who is so eager to increase his personal wealth that he enters another business venture to explore and mine gold with a dictator/terrorist actively engaged in committing crimes against humanity including murder, torture, rape, child slavery, and forcing children to be soldiers to explore for gold. The joint venture being housed on the same location as the "Christian Broadcasting Network" his tax-exempt entity.
I have one question for the "Reverend" Pat Robertson:
Just who made a pact with the Devil?
