The family of a 23-year-old activist killed two years ago in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli bulldozer accused its maker Caterpillar Inc. of "war crimes" in a federal lawsuit, according to court papers. The suit was filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle by Cynthia and Craig Corrie, the parents of Rachel Corrie, a college student who died on March 16, 2003, while trying to block the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Rafah refugee camp. A spokesman for Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar declined comment except to say it was reviewing the suit and referenced an earlier statement that said the company has "neither the legal right nor the means to police individual use" of its equipment after it was sold. Filed with the aid of the Center for Constitutional Rights, the lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in compensatory damages plus unspecified punitive damages from Caterpillar. "The family has been trying to get some accountability for a while," said the center's spokeswoman, Jen Nessel. "They cannot bring a criminal complaint so the only way is to file a civil suit seeking damages." --More 2356 Local Time 2056 GMT
