My question to them is this: If you have intelligent executives with a solid business strategy, then why not allow them to stand up and defend it rather than playing games?

My answer to your question is this: BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DEFEND ANYTHING TO ANYBODY, except the shareholders.  (Right now, shareholders seem happy.)  I believe head office did an up-sides, down-sides study to reach a decision on becoming involved in this investigative report and decided...naw.

And if the reaction is: What about the customers? What about the customers?

Well, what about them?  If your avowed objective is opening up many outlets around the world...maybe individual customer counts just don't matter as much any more.  If the profits decline below a predetermined level at a particular location, close it down and cut costs.