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Derry Anti War Coalition

PSNI asked to investigate Raytheon for war crimes

Thursday 15 January 2009

Members of the Derry Anti War Coalition have today presented Chief Inspector Chris Yates of the PSNI in Derry with a dossier of evidence demanding that Raytheon be investigated and charged with being complicit in war crimes committed by Israel in Lebanon and Gaza.

The formal meeting this morning at Strand Road PSNI station was the result of negotiations during the occupation of Raytheon's Springtown offices on Monday 12 January by 9 women members of the DAWC.

Inspector Yates agreed to allow the women to walk free from the building, after they had chained themselves inside for three hours, and to hold a formal meeting at which a statement of complaint would be received and considered for referral to the Public Prosecution Service.

The DAWC statement alleges that Raytheon Systems Limited, and its executives and employees, including those employed in the Raytheon facility in Springtown in Derry, are guilty of complicity in the commission of war crimes, in particular those committed by the Israeli Defence Forces in Lebanon in 2006 and in Gaza in 2008/9.

The DAWC are demanding that there is an urgent investigation by the Public Prosecution Service, with a view to bringing charges against Raytheon Systems Limited and its executives.

A spokesperson for the DAWC said: "Supplying the weapons that are used in a war crime is a crime in itself. We hold Raytheon responsible for supplying the weapons used by Israel in the murder of civilians in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as by the US and UK governments in the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We believe that a prima facie case that Raytheon are complicit in the commission of war crimes, was established in the Raytheon 9 trial in Belfast last year. Their defence and ultimate acquittal by the jury, rested on the contention that they had not committed the crime of criminal damage as they were acting in the course of preventing a greater crime, namely the supply by Raytheon of weapons and supporting technology used in the commission of war crimes by Israel in Lebanon. The same is true today in Gaza and Raytheon should be put on trial for its crimes. "

For more information contact Goretti Horgan 07973528772 or Colm Bryce 07771781958


Further information for editors:

The DAWC case against Raytheon is based on the following facts:

(1) That the Israeli Defence Forces in 2006 in Lebanon and in 2008/9 in Gaza, committed war crimes, including, but not limited to, the failure to discriminate between military and civilians targets and the reckless bombing of civilians areas, knowing that it was likely to result in the death and injury of civilians, and the bombing of civilian infrastructure. The killing of civilians was and is a foreseeable result of the massive bombardment of urban areas and other population centres, and hence a violation of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Article 51, Sections 4 (b) and (c) and 5 (a) and (b). The IDF's use of bombs and missiles to deliberately destroy the civilian infrastructure of Lebanon during the 2006 war, was a violation of Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, Articles 51, 52, 54, and 55. The current military assault by the IDF on Gaza includes war crimes on the same basis.

(2) That the IDF used missiles and other weapons manufactured and supplied by Raytheon in the commission of these war crimes.

(3) That Raytheon has supplied, and continues to supply, missiles and supporting technology for the targeting of missiles to the IDF, knowing that they were likely to be used in the commission of war crimes.

(4) That Raytheon Systems Limited, the UK subsidiary, which includes its Derry operation, is a component and integral part of Raytheon and operates according to Raytheon's publicly stated 'One Company Philosophy'.

The 'One Company Philosophy' means, in practice, that employees are available to work in any part of the Raytheon company and that the product of their work can be used in any part of the international Raytheon company.

During the Raytheon 9 trial in Belfast, for example, Raytheon employees who were called as witnesses testified to working directly at military installations in both Britain and the United States, on military applications, while being employed by the Springtown facility.

Raytheon Systems Limited have admitted publicly, in a letter to Derry City Council in September 2004, that they were working on military technology and software at their Springtown plant.

Raytheon Systems Limited at Glenrothes, Scotland, are known to manufacture the GPS-aided navigation system and control systems for the Paveway guided GBU-28 "bunker busting" bombs produced in the US and sold to Israel who used them in their war on Lebanon July/August 2006. At least 100 of these bombs were delivered to Israel by the US at the height of the Lebanon war. The massacre of 28 civilians in the village of Qana in southern Lebanon on 30 July 2006, to take just one example of many, was caused by a Raytheon-made 'bunker buster' bomb.

The DAWC provide a dossier including reports by Human Rights Watch on Israeli war crimes and reports detailing Raytheon's supply of weapons to Israel





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