Family of Pali protestor run over by bulldozer sues Catepillar

**NotSoSilentBob** · July 10th, 2007, 01:08 PM

http://www.seattletimes.nwsource.com...corrie07m.html

Court of Appeals takes up Corrie lawsuit

By Roxana Popescu
Seattle Times staff reporter

Rachel Corrie, 23, died trying to block an Israeli bulldozer in 2003.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear arguments Monday whether there is merit to a lawsuit by the family of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old activist from Olympia killed by a bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003.

The defendant in the case is Caterpillar, which made the D9 bulldozer involved in her death.

The case, Corrie et al. v. Caterpillar, was filed in Seattle in 2005, but a district court dismissed it. After this hearing, the appeals court will rule whether the suit should be dismissed or sent back to the lower court.

Cindy and Craig Corrie, the woman's parents, allege Caterpillar violated human rights and committed war crimes by knowingly selling its equipment to the Israeli army, which used the bulldozers to raze Palestinian homes and endanger people. Rachel Corrie was run over by a bulldozer driven by an Israeli soldier as she tried to block a home from demolition.

"We are essentially arguing that you cannot knowingly provide substantial assistance "? the means to commit war crimes, which is essentially what Caterpillar has done here," said Maria LaHood, with the Center for Constitutional Rights, on the Corries' legal team.

Israel said the death was an accident, according to The Associated Press. Caterpillar has said in the past that it can't be held responsible for how its bulldozers are used.

On Friday, a Caterpillar spokeswoman declined to comment on the development.

The Corries seek monetary damages in the civil suit, and they want to stop Caterpillar from selling its products to groups they say violate human rights. Four Palestinian families whose homes were bulldozed are also plaintiffs.

"We hope that this decision would mean eventually that Caterpillar shouldn't sell D9 bulldozers to Israel while they are using them to commit human-rights violations," LaHood said.

The death of The Evergreen State College student polarized political camps about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is not the first time corporations have been tried or held liable for their involvement in alleged human-rights violations or war crimes, LaHood said.

Three judges will hear arguments, and a ruling could take a few months, LaHood said.

Roxana Popescu: 206-464-2112 or [email protected]

**sup-rbeast** · July 10th, 2007, 09:59 PM

No tryin to sound callous...but she shoulda got her a$$ out of the way...when women face off with bulldozers, my bet is on the bulldozer every time.

**TheBeast** · July 11th, 2007, 08:45 AM

That is just plum [censored] ridiculous. The crazy tree hugging hippy [censored] shouldn't have thought she could go to a foreing country and impose her will on them and they would do what she said because the US is [censored] up enough to play to these idiots.

After Cat is found innocent of the charges they should counter for defimation or slander.

**imported_elp6n** · July 11th, 2007, 08:52 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We are essentially arguing that you cannot knowingly provide substantial assistance "? the means to commit war crimes, which is essentially what Caterpillar has done here," said Maria LaHood, with the Center for Constitutional Rights, on the Corries' legal team</div></div>

And Caterpillar was knew that they were going to run over a human how? I kind of doubt that would be in a sales contract.

This young woman was sadly mistaken when she thought an army wouldn't take the life of a single person while completing a mission.

**MikMo** · July 11th, 2007, 09:39 AM

Did she just lay down in front of the bulldozer? If so, the family shouldn't be allowed to sue on count of the victims' stupidity.

**imported_elp6n** · July 11th, 2007, 09:51 AM

Here are some websites:

http://www.rachelcorrie.org/ (Memorial)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">According to the ISM activist, Corrie was wearing a bright jacket and climbed onto the bulldozer shovel-plow and began shouting at the driver... The bulldozer kept moving, and she slipped and fell off the plow. But the bulldozer kept moving, the shovel above her. I guess it was about 10 or 15 meters that it dragged her and for some reason didn't stop.</div></div>

Here's a pic of her burning a drawing of an American flag

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"[Between 16:45 and 17:00], [o]ne bulldozer, serial number 949623, began to work near the house of a physician who is a friend of ours ... Rachel sat down in the pathway of the bulldozer ... [It] continued driving forward headed straight for Rachel. When it got so close that it was moving the earth beneath her, she climbed onto the pile of rubble being pushed by the bulldozer. She got so high onto it that she was at eye-level with the cab of the bulldozer .</div></div>

The Army maintains she was killed by debris/concrete and that the particular dozer in question wasn't demolishing houses but clearing the brush/debris/etc. (this is backed up by the activists statements)

From all the pics I've seen from immediately after the accident (and she was still breathing) the activists were more interested in documenting it than helping her. Her family should sue her "friends" for not providing help.