"FWR and Clf want to drive the votes in the other direction towards NOT."
I've been thinking the same thing. I think that Cliffs is worried about the 1.4 billion infrastructure cost. These are perilous economic times and infrastructure costs that big might be big enough to sink a five to six billion market cap company like Cliffs.
Cliffs probably has a big enough stake in NOT to get in the door for marketing the chromium in NA.
I have a feeling that when NOT said this was their final offer, it was a warning to Cliffs not to push things too far because they (Cliffs) might just win. (Hence the stingy face-saving offer by Cliffs.) JMHO.