Remember Rachel!
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Ask CAT why William Lane, their Washington Director for Government Affairs, is speaking on “Foreign Aid: The Vital Role of U.S. Assistance” March 4th at AIPAC’s Policy Conference 2013.
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Tell CAT we don’t buy their explanations for how and why they sell to Israel!
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Tell CAT to stop supporting and profiting from human rights abuses and violations of international law in Israel/Palestine.
CAT knows and CAT has a choice!
Contacts:
Call & email Caterpillar Corporate Headquarters in Peoria, Illinois: 1-309-675-1000
Send an email message to CAT here: http://www.cat.com/contact
Call & email Jim Dugan at Caterpillar, Inc.
Global Government & Corporate Affairs: 309-494-4100
Mobile: (309) 360-7311 Email to [email protected]
Call & email Rachel Potts at Caterpillar, Inc.
Global Government & Corporate Affairs: 309-675-6892
Email to [email protected]
Write to Caterpillar Corporate Headquarters
100 North East Adams Street, Peoria, Illinois 61629, USA
BACKGROUND – CAT KNOWS AND CAT HAS A CHOICE!
In 2012, MSCI, a leading provider of socially responsible investing indices, dropped Caterpillar, Inc. from three of its indexes that track socially responsible investments. At the time, Caterpillar spokesman, Jim Dugan feebly tried to distance the company from its equipment used by the Israeli military to demolish Palestinian homes, to support construction of the apartheid wall and settlements, in military incursions, and as weapons. In an article by Blake Sobczak in the Huffington Post and Bloomberg BusinessWeek News, Dugan tried to conceal his company’s complicity saying CAT sells to the U.S. Government which then re-sells the equipment to Israel through Foreign Military Sales. <Article: 2012.6.27 Huffington Post>
Dugan failed to note an amicus brief filed by the U.S Government in the case Corrie vs Caterpillar in which the government states, “The United States made a foreign policy decision to extend FMF aid to Israel and to encourage equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar to sell its goods to foreign states receiving such FMF funds…the threat of suits against those suppliers based upon the purchasing country’s use of that equipment would pose a significant disincentive to suppliers’ participation in FMF sales. This would undoubtedly deter future suppliers from making sales to foreign governments that the political branches have determined our nation should support in that fashion.” <http://ccrjustice.org/files/us_amicus_brief-AS-FILED.pdf>
Clearly, the U.S. Government does not coerce or require CAT to sell equipment through Foreign Military Sales to Israel. CAT has a choice! The company knows this equipment is used to commit human rights violations – and with disregard for stated U.S. foreign policy objectives. CAT knows! And CAT chooses to profit from crimes against the Palestinian people.
Caterpillar’s Jim Dugan stated, “We hope and wish for a peaceful resolution to the unrest in the Middle East, but that solution is a political matter to be worked out by the appropriate parties. Caterpillar does not and should not have a role in that political process.” If CAT and Mr. Dugan believe this, then why is Caterpillar’s long-time Washington Director for Government Affairs, William C. Lane, speaking on “Foreign Aid: The Vital Role of U.S. Assistance,” March 4th at the American Israel Public Affair Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference 2013? <Article 2013.2.26 Mondoweiss>
Mr. Dugan implied that CAT has no role in the altering of its equipment for Israel’s military purposes, yet at their website, CAT boasts that it…
“…has the expertise to modify CAT equipment to meet the needs of military customers.”
“…has the experience to help you with all of your military power needs.”
“…supports our military customers for parts and service support worldwide through our extensive dealer network.” <CAT Military Sales>
Who Profits, a research project of the Israeli group Coalition of Women for Peace, reports that CAT’s representative in Israel, Zoko Enterprises, retrofits CAT equipment and provides ongoing maintenance, including during military operations.
See info here about Caterpillar, Inc.’s history in Palestine.
