Caterpillar: the alternative report

This is the first in a new series of War on Want alternative company reports. This report looks at the international construction company Caterpillar, and in particular its operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Observations by the report include:

• Caterpillar agrees that it has to act responsibly and ethically, but argues that it cannot be held responsible for the end use of its machines
• yet, Caterpillar is fully aware of how its products are being used in Palestine
• Caterpillar openly advertises the use of its bulldozers and excavators in military conflicts such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia
• concerns have been raised by a UN Special Rapporteur that delivery of Caterpillar bulldozers to the Israeli army through the Government of the US in the certain knowledge that they are being used for such actions, might involve complicity or acceptance on the part of your company to actual and potential violations of human rights, including the right to food.