Chile mine rescue leader: Obama 'not correct'

[Judi Lynn]

Chile mine rescue leader: Obama 'not correct'
Updated: January 27, 2011, 5:09 PM


SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - The leader of Chile's remarkable mine rescue says President Barack Obama exaggerated the role of an American drilling engineer.

Obama said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday that when Brandon Fisher saw the news that 33 men were trapped in a Chilean mine last year, "no one knew how to save them," and that Fisher "designed a rescue that would come to be known as Plan B."

The Plan B drill, using Fisher's unique piston-driven hammers, did provide the miners with a way out. But Chilean engineer Andre Sougarret, who began planning the rescue three days into the 69-day ordeal, says it's "not correct" to suggest that Fisher and other Americans "were the only participants in the success."

Sougarret noted in an interview with Chile's El Mercurio newspaper that Fisher's drilling company, Center Rock Inc. of Berlin, Pa., got paid $100,000 for its equipment, and was one of many companies involved.

http://www.buffalonews.com/business/24-hour-business-news/article325691.ece

[rabs]

1. Okay, here is the El Mercurio interview (The AP left out a lot)

Looks like someone did not fact check with the Chilean engineers and it leaves Obama looking mighty foolish in Chile.

Back in October some DUers were clamoring that had it not been for the "Americans," the miners would not have been rescued. I disputed that strongly, and got scorched.

Now the truth comes out and it looks like I was right. :rofl:

(Translating important points and quotes left out by AP)

El ingeniero André Sougarret, que dirigió el año pasado el rescate de los 33 mineros que sobrevivieron 69 días atrapados a 700 metros de profundidad dijo que el contratista estadounidense Brandon Fisher no ideó el plan, no fue el único participante, ni tampoco lo hizo gratis.

Sougarret: U.S. contractor Brandon Fisher "DID NOT DESIGN THE PLAN, WAS NOT THE ONLY PARTICIPANT, AND HE DID NOT DO IT FOR FREE.

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Sougarret: clarified that Fisher and his company 'Center Rock' DID NOT DESIGN PLAN B, BUT ONLY PROVIDED THE HAMMERS (DRILL HEADS) THAT WERE USED BY THE DRILLING MACHINE THAT REACHED THE MINERS.

Sougarret, que tras el rescate, concluido el pasado 13 de octubre, fue nombrado subgerente general de Operaciones de la mina 'El Teniente', de la estatal Corporación del Cobre (Codelco), aclaró que Fisher y su empresa 'Center Rock' no diseñaron el Plan B, sino que sólo proporcionaron martillos que fueron utilizados en la perforadora que llegó hasta el refugio donde estaban los mineros.
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Sougarret: "What they did was to put at our disposal a technique, but there were MORE. (Their's) WAS NOT EXCLUSIVE. That's why it was named Plan B, and Plan A and Plan C continued to function."

"Lo que ellos hicieron fue poner a nuestra disposición una técnica, pero hubo otras más. No fue la exclusiva. Por eso se llamó 'Plan B', y el 'Plan A' y el 'Plan C' siguieron funcionando", explicó.

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Sougarret: "Without doubt their complete team had a participation that finally permitted that we be successful. BUT TO THINK THAT THEY WERE THE ONLY PARTICIPANTS IN THE SUCCESS, I THINK IS TOO MUCH. IT DOES NOT SEEM CORRECT (TO ME).

"Sin duda que su equipo completo tuvo una participación que finalmente permitió que llegáramos al éxito. Pero creer que fueron ellos únicamente los partícipes del éxito creo que es demasiado. No me parece correcto", añadió.

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Sougarret: ADDED THAT THE CONTRIBUTION BY FISHER WAS NOT GRATIS EITHER, BUT THEY WERE PAID 100,000 DOLLARS FOR THE HAMMERS (DRILLS HEADS) AND THAT THE TECHNIQUE FOR THE PERFORATION DEVELOPED BY THE UNITEDSTATESIANS HAD BEEN BASED ON INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE PREVIOUS PILOT SHAFTS DESIGNED BY TECHNICAL TEAMS COMPOSED OF (ENGINEERS) FROM CODELCO AND OTHER CHILEAN COMPANIES, SUCH AS ESCONDIDA AND COLLAHUASI.

Sougarret añadió que la aportación de Fisher tampoco fue gratis, sino que se le pagaron cien mil dólares por los martillos y que la técnica se perforación desarrollada por los estadounidenses se basó en la información obtenida en los sondeos previos planificados por los equipos técnicos integrados por funcionarios de Codelco y otras empresas mineras chilenas, como Escondida y Collahuasi.

http://www.cooperativa.cl/sougarret-corrigio-a-obama-contratistas-de-ee-uu-no-fueron-los-unicos-ni-tampoco-fue-gratis/prontus_nots/2011-01-27/091226.html

[Billy Burnett]

2. Another case of American Exceptionalism.

#1. Again.