ZGram - 3/17/2003 - "Courtesy of Israel: Innocence bulldozed!"

[irimland@zundelsite.org]

ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny:  Now more than ever!

March 17, 2003

I read about Rachel Corrie yesterday but did not have the heart to 
write about her death.   Somebody did it for me:

The Truth about the murder of Rachel Corrie

In Rafah, Gaza Strip today Rachel Corrie, a 23-year old American 
woman from Olympia, Washington, who was a volunteer with the 
International Solidarity Movement, was killed by the Israeli Army. 

Rachel was standing in the path of the bulldozer as it advanced 
towards her.  When the bulldozer refused to stop or turn aside she 
climbed up onto the mound of dirt and rubble being gathered in front 
of it wearing a fluorescent jacket to look directly at the driver who 
kept on advancing. 

The bulldozer continued to advance so that she was pulled under the 
pile of dirt and rubble.  After she had disappeared from view the 
driver kept advancing until the bulldozer was completely on top of 
her.  The driver did not lift the bulldozer blade and so she was 
crushed beneath it. 

Then the driver backed up - effectively running over her again. 

The seven other ISM activists taking part in the action rushed to dig 
out her body.  An ambulance rushed her to Al-Najar Hospital  where 
she died.

 From Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where Rachel was 
a student, came this:

[START]

Rachel Corrie 1979-2003

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I inform you that Rachel 
Corrie was killed on Sunday, March 16, while trying to stop a 
bulldozer from tearing down a building in a refugee camp in Gaza. 
Rachel, a senior at Evergreen, was most recently a student in "Labor 
and the Environment," "Common Ground," "Local Knowledge" and a 
contract entitled "Public Art and the Middle East Conflict." She was 
not enrolled this quarter.

Rachel was known to many in the Olympia community. She grew up here 
and graduated from Capital High School. She was actively involved in 
many area activities. Rachel is described by faculty and staff as a 
shining star, a wonderful student and a brave person of deep 
convictions.

Rachel will be remembered at a gathering sponsored by the 
International Solidarity Movement at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, at 
Olympia's downtown Percival Landing.

We have been in contact with and extend deepest condolences to the 
Corrie family. We are in the process of contacting the many faculty 
members with whom Rachel worked. As more information about memorial 
services becomes available, we will share it with you.

Vice President of Student Affairs Art Costantino

[END]

Ibriham Barzak of the Associated Press described what happened 
yesterday for the wire:

[START]

An American woman in Gaza to protest Israeli operations was killed Sunday
when she was run over by an Israeli bulldozer, witnesses and hospital
officials said.

Rachel Corrie, 23, a college student from Olympia, Wash., had been trying
to stop the bulldozer from tearing down a building in the Rafah refugee
camp, witnesses said. She was taken to Najar hospital in Rafah, where she
died, said Dr. Ali Moussa, a hospital administrator.

Greg Schnabel, 28, of Chicago, said the protesters were in the house of Dr.
Samir Masri. Israeli almost daily has been tearing down houses of
Palestinians it suspects in connection with Islamic militant groups, 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," Schnabel said. "She waved for the bulldozer to stop and waved. She
fell down and the bulldozer kept going. We yelled, 'Stop, stop,' and the
bulldozer didn't stop at all. It had completely run over her and then it
reversed and ran back over her."

Witnesses said Corrie was wearing a brightly colored jacket when the
bulldozer hit her. She had been a student at The Evergreen State College in
Olympia and would have graduated this year, Schnabel said.

The Israeli military and the U.S. State Department had no immediate comment.

	[END]

Combined News Services, also yesterday, had this to say:

[START]

The killing of the student by the Israelis - the first of a foreign activist
in 29 months of fighting - came as President Bush announced his
"road map" for peace in the Middle East.

An Israeli official tried to put his government's spin on the killing.

"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."

Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesman Lou Fintor issued a
perfunctory statement that the United States "deeply regrets this tragic
death of an American citizen" and sent official condolences to Corrie's
family.

"We again call on the Israeli defense forces to undertake all possible
measures to avoid harm to civilians," Fintor's statement said.   In the
past the Israelis have routinely ignored similar U.S. complaints.

Corrie was with a group of four Americans and four Britons who were
trying to stop Israeli troops from destroying a building belonging to  
Palestinian Dr. Samir Masri.

For months Israel has been tearing down houses of Palestinians with
the pretext that they are suspected of militant Islamic activity. (...)

Her killing should be a message to President Bush, who is "providing
Israel with tanks and bulldozers, and now they have killed one of his
own people," said Mansour Abed Allah, 29, a Palestinian human rights
worker who witnessed Corrie's death.

[END]          

A Seattle ZGram reader wrote:

Dear Seattle Media people:

Here is the story of a local kid, a senior from Evergreen State College,
who has been killed in a very horrible manner in Israel. Please remember
the sacrifice of this precious young person who had the courage of her
conviction, and for it, was slaughtered by monsters.

Please honor her memory in your news reports.

=====

Rachel was an American kid - idealistic, innocent, unaware of the 
evil she was facing.  If you  want to see "before" and after 
pictures, go to www.whatreallyhappened.com

You  have to scroll down quite a bit.