Bechtel Corp., the giant engineering and construction company, was required yesterday by the Supreme Court to honor an agreement that it not boycott firms blacklisted by Arab countries because the firms do business with Israel.
The Supreme Court refused to review an appeal by Bechtel Corp. which claimed that it did not have to abide by a consent decree greed to by the company and the Justice Department in 1977. According to Bechtel, before the decree was signed the Justice Department modified the decree, changing its meaning.
Five years ago the Justice Department accused Bechtel of violating anti-trust laws by refusing to deal with American companies blacklisted by Arab nations for doing business with Israel. The Justice Department also said Bechtel refused to deal with blacklisted persons and obtained blacklists to help with the boycott.
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