Starbucks at Guantanamo

inminds.co.uk
1 February 2008

Whilst Starbucks connection to zionism is well known, starting with its CEO Howard Shultz and his "Israel 50th Anniversary Friend of Zion Tribute Award" for his services to Israel, what is perhaps less known is Starbucks strong links to the US military. Starbucks has been a loyal cheerleader of the US military, following it to every corner of the globe - even to Afghanistan - to set up its "We Proudly Brew" outlets in support of the marching US war machine as it invades country after country in its war of terror.

Gun in one hand, Starbucks in the other - ready to dominate the world..
Soldiers posing in front of the first makeshift Starbucks store in Afghanistan,
made from a shipping container [Oct 2004]
Source:http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/starbucks4.htm

In March 2005 Starbucks arrived in Guantanamo Bay, the illegal US detention and torture centre, to open a chain of its "We Proudly Brew" outlets. One of the outlets is just a "stone's throw" from the barbed wire behind which prisoners are caged and tortured. Apparently torturing is thirsty work, Starbucks is selling 1400 cups a day at Guantanamo.

The United Nations has demanded the closure of the torture den, Starbucks are not bothered they say "We refrain from taking a position on the legality of the detention center" . For Starbucks its commitment to the military is more than just business, their Customer Relations say "Starbucks has the deepest respect and admiration for U.S. military.. who risk their lives to protect Americans and our values of freedom and democracy". Starbucks in return, according to Petty Officer Barry Tate, is doing its share by helping " lift the morale" of the guards and interrogator's at Guantanamo Bay.

It could be argued that with its blind support for the US military, Starbucks is itself implicated in the war crimes being committed at the illegal torture den of Guantanamo Bay. Its another reason for people of conscience to boycott Starbucks.

References

[1] References showing the presence of Starbucks at Guantanamo Bay military base:

Gitmo is a strange place, but soon after arriving, you find yourself adjusting to its clockwork military rhythm.. At precisely 8:20 a.m., we're dropped off on the windward side, where we're always greeted by one of three military escorts who hand out our habeas badges. Next stop is Starbucks and the food court to pick up food..

My Guantanamo Diary - Face to Face With the War on Terrorism
By Mahvish Khan, Washington Post, Sunday, April 30, 2006; B01

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/29/AR2006042900145_pf.html

The escort meets us at the dock and calls his code in to our un-seen monitor. We stop off at Starbucks and then drive down to McDonald's. A soldier smartly salutes his superior, "Honour Bound, sir!" The officer salutes his reply, "To Defend Freedom, soldier!" The first time I saw this I chuckled, thinking they were joking. It's mandatory. It's the motto.

Inside Guantanamo, by Clive Stafford Smith
New Statesman, 21 November 2005

Source: http://www.newstatesman.com/200511210007

[2] A exchange of letters between a Human Rights lawyer Gordon Quilty and Starbucks in Feb-March 2006 confirms Starbucks presence at Guantanamo Bay and other military bases (via their "We Proudly Brew" outlets).

6th March 2006
...
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us regarding the presence of a Starbucks food service account on the Guantanamo Bay military base. Starbucks currently has many "We Proudly Brew" foodservice locations in military installations across the United States as well as internationally.
...
Many U.S. military personnel have let us know that they miss their
Starbucks Experience while serving in remote locations and we are humbled that the troops frequently request Starbucks coffee. Many of our customers and partners (employees) also believe that it is important for Starbucks to support the men and women serving their country.
...
Starbuck Customer Care Specialist

Source: http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Exchange-between-Quilty-and- Starbucks-about-Guantanamo-and-human-rights-Feb-Mar-2006.doc

[3] In another letter to Gordon Quilty date 24 May 2006, Starbucks indicated that the illegality of Guantanamo Bay doesn't concern them - they are not bothered about minor irritations like torture and detention without trial getting in the way of their profits.

[We] refrain from taking a position on the legality of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay

Source: http://www.reports-and-materials.org/Further-exchange-between- Starbucks-Quilty-about-Guantanamo-May-2006.doc

[4] In a reply to quash rumours that Starbucks wasn't doing enough for the troops:

..
Starbucks has the deepest respect and admiration for U.S. military personnel. We are extremely grateful to the men and women who serve stateside or overseas. We sincerely appreciate that they are willing to risk their lives to protect Americans and our values of freedom and democracy...
..
Matthew
Customer Relations Representative
Starbucks Coffee Company

Source: http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/starbucks2.htm

[5] A revealing article from AP about the location of Starbucks kiosks at to the torture den and how its helps boost morale.

A stone's throw away from the barbed wire prison camp, soldiers crowd around one of the four kiosks offering mochas, creamices and iced lattes. Some 1,400 cups a day have been sold since Starbucks arrived earlier this month. "Oddly enough, it did lift my morale," said petty officer Barry Tate, arriving for his first cup of the day at another kiosk near the movie theater.

US soldiers and families make do at Guantanamo,
Associated Press, Mar 29 2005.

Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/03/29/ 2003248235

Starbucks Action in Brighton

Indymedia
3 June 2006

More than 25 people together staged two simultaneous demonstrations today inside Brighton Starbucks coffeeshops.

"Stop Selling Coffee Guantanamo Bay"
At North Road Starbucks 2:25 pm

North Road Starbucks 2:10 pm

Western Road Starbucks 2:10 pm

Starbucks has an outlet in Guantanamo Bay which is where our brother Omar Deghayes, from Brighton, has been held illegally without trial for over four years.

Starbucks proudly supports the US military and follows on its wake setting up shop as both attempt to conquer the world.

We read the following statement:

Guantanamo Bay is a camp outside the reach of international law run by the US military. It has been holding hundreds of people without trial for 4 years and many are being tortured. Omar Deghayes, a Brighton resident, is one of those detained.

Starbucks has an outlet at Guantanamo Bay and thus supports torture and detention without trial.

Please consider whether you want to support these crimes against humanity when you drink your coffee.

We also handed out leaflets with the following text:

Omar Deghayes is a Brighton Resident who has been locked up without trial for over four years along with hundreds of others in Guantanamo Bay.

There is little information about what really goes on at this torture camp but it has been widely reported that there is a Starbucks outlet in Guantanamo. A spokesman for the company has denied this and will only admit that they provide coffee for the US service personnel at the camp.

A company spokesman has said: â€œWe refrain from taking a position on the legality of the detention centre at Guantanamo Bayâ€. The company also states: â€œStarbucks has the deepest respect and admiration for U.S. military personnel. We are extremely grateful to the men and women who serve stateside and overseas. We sincerely appreciate that they are willing to risk their lives to protect Americans and our values of freedom and democracy.â€

This puts into question the ethics of a company that also fully supports US troops in their occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Although Starbucks will not take a position on the legality of detention without trial the Chief Executive Howard Schultz has taken strong pro-Israeli positions on the issue of Palestine. Some might call that double standards or hypocrisy.

Everywhere you look in Brighton Starbucks seems to have set up shop and we ask the people of Brighton not to â€œrefrain from taking a positionâ€ on issues such as detention without trial, supporting illegal occupation and the many war crimes perpetrated by the United States.

Source: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/06/341924.html

Councillor slams Guantanamo coffee shop

Cllr. Eric Byrne
6 June 2006

I was delighted to have an issue which I feel very passionate about highlighted in The Star last week. To explain the background I initially welcomed Starbucks in Dublin because of itâ€™s attempts to use Fairtrade Coffee, (a campaign I have worked on in Dublin City Council and chair the council's Fair Trade Steering Committee) sadly I had a rude awakening when I discovered they are operating in Guantanamo Bay.

One can only imagine the worst scenario being that these potential torturers after a hard dayâ€™s work in securing the imprisonment of about 520 illegally detained prisoners that they might sit down to enjoy a cup of Starbucks Fairtrade Coffee.

It is a major disappointment that Starbucks which markets itself as a company with corporate social responsibility and on their webpage show they are happy to work with Oxfam America, an organization dedicated to creating solutions to social injustice around the world, yet the Guantanamo Bay outlet is a contradiction for Starbucks management.

Source: http://ericbyrne.blogspot.com/2006/06/boycotting-starbucks.html

Guantanamo Protest Outside Starbucks in Birmingham city

National Guantanamo Coalition
21 October 2006

Birmingham Guantanamo Campaign called for a protest outside Starbuck's in Birmingham city centre for saturday the 21st October 2006. Several other organisations and individuals in the city joined the protest and stood outside the Starbucks cafe for two hours distributing leaflets with information linking Starbucks with Guantanamo by supplying coffee to the American army to the prison at Guantanamo.

Protesters also collected signatures for a petition asking Birmingham Council to demand that the British government does everything possible to secure the release of all the British residents still detained at Guantanamo and get the prison closed.

Quite a few of the shoppers, on hearing the case for boycotting Starbuck because of their policy of supplying coffee at Guantanamo, walked away from the cafe and signed our petition calling for the closure of Guantanamo.

The management of the cafe called the Police, who on arrival tried to intimidate the protesters into abondoning their protest. Threats of arrest were made. However, the protesters stood firm. The police decided to allow the protest to continue and left leaving a couple of community police persons watching the protesters from a distance. The protest was successful in convincing quite a few of the consumers from going into Starbucks cafe. The campaign will be following the protest with a letter to the executive of Starbucks and if their response is not satisfactory we aim to continue our protest outside starbucks establishments until they change their policy of supplying coffee to the American army at Guantanamo.

Source: http://www.guantanamo.org.uk/content/view/76/37/