"This may also be a way for them to soften the public to the idea an International company will be doing the mining."

No offence Midas but that comment doesn't make sense to me. What sector of the public needs softening up? The public has been softened enough by this mess all the way through the permitting process to the point of bond and taxes paid. If that didn't say who will mine it I dodn't know what will. All the crap that has gone on since though has certainly told another story.

In the end I would say the public has been hardened, lol.

I don't think anyone(public) believes squat until such time as the final pen stroke gets made.