1. The deal was timed by Freeport to make it possible to present a certain story about company stability and credibility to their shareholders at the April 30 meeting. This deal must therefore be critically reviewed in the larger context of how Freeport is claiming that they are cleaning up their relations with the environment, with the West Papuan landowners of their concession area, with the Indonesian state, and now with the US government.
2. Although the release does not say so explicitly, Freeport will not be allowed to reapply to OPIC for any future insurance once the renewed limited coverage runs out on December 31.
3. Documents related to this arrangement will not been sealed. One of the real worries about the arbitration process was that it might result in more restricted access. As all of you know, FOIA's to OPIC have been terribly slow since November. Many have been turned back on the grounds that the materials requested were either central to the arbitration or to the deliberative process relating to the October 1995 insurance cancellation. It is now essential that all concerned parties vigorously FOIA all materials from OPIC related to the original decision.
4. The terms of the deal indicate that OPIC will be allowed to monitor Freeport's implementation of recommendations from the Dames and Moore environmental audit. It is now essential that all concerned parties vigorously lobby OPIC to insist on careful on-site monitoring. We should all write Ruth Harkin to insist that OPIC make public the results of their monitoring process. Documents related to this process should be thoroughly FOIA'd by concerned NGOs and journalists.

Steven Feld,
Anthropology Board, UCSC, Santa Cruz CA 95064