Israelis run over American student with bulldozer
Posted: 2003-03-17 01:22am
While I don't want this to turn into an Israel/Palestine thread, it's interesting that this happens on the heels of the IDF killing two Israelis. Do these people even try to maintain any semblance of exercising judgement before dropping the hammer?
The Globe and Mail wrote:Gaza City, Gaza Strip - An American college student in Gaza to protest Israeli operations was killed Sunday when she was run over by a bulldozer while trying to block troops from demolishing a Palestinian home.
At least one Palestinian also was killed.
The killing of the student by the Israelis - the first of a foreign activist in 29 months of fighting - came as Israelis and Palestinians wrangled over the terms of a U.S.-backed plan to end the violence and establish a Palestinian state.
Rachel Corrie, 23, of Olympia, Wash., had been with U.S. and British demonstrators in the Rafah refugee camp trying to stop demolitions. She died in the hospital, said Dr. Ali Moussa, a hospital administrator.
"This is a regrettable accident," said Capt. Jacob Dallal, an army spokesman. "We are dealing with a group of protesters who were acting very irresponsibly, putting everyone in danger."
There was no immediate reaction from Washington.
Greg Schnabel, 28, of Chicago, said four Americans and four Britons were trying to stop Israeli troops from destroying a building belonging to Dr. Samir Masri.
Israel for months has been tearing down houses of Palestinians it suspects in Islamic militant activity, saying such operations deter attacks on Israel such as suicide bombings.
"Rachel was alone in front of the house as we were trying to get them to stop," Mr. Schnabel said. "She waved for the bulldozer to stop. She fell down and the bulldozer kept going. It had completely run over her and then it reversed and ran back over her."
She was wearing a brightly colored jacket when the bulldozer hit her.
Several Palestinians gathered at the site, and troops opened fire, killing one Palestinian, witnesses said. The army had no comment on that report.
Ms. Corrie was the first member of the Palestinian-backed "International Solidarity Movement" to be killed in a conflict that has claimed more than 2,200 Palestinian lives - about three times the toll on the Israeli side.
A student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Ms. Corrie would have graduated this year, Mr. Schnabel said.
