In memory of Rachel Corrie, Crushed to death by Israeli Defence Forces

[Alceste]

Oh, this is classy, Israel. Nice.

The day after Corrie died, about thirty American and European ISM activists with 300 Palestinians[78] began protests during the public memorial service over the spot where she was fatally injured in Rafah... Murray asserts that the same bulldozer that killed Corrie, identified by its army serial number 949623, suddenly appeared at the memorial. According to Jordan, "A bizarre game of cat-and-mouse began as the peace activists chased the tank around", with protesters covering the tank with posters of Corrie and throwing flowers on it. In response, it is alleged that "Israeli soldiers inside threatened, in return, to run them down", a tank sprayed the mourners with tear gas and later armoured personnel carriers [APC] fired guns along with percussion bombs. Murray further stated that IDF fired "concussion grenades, tear gas, warning shots" over the protesters while they were choking on diesel smoke. The escalating danger caused the memorial service to be halted.[9][23]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie

 

[Starsoul]

I just don't see how the driver is at fault here, at least with the information that we have.

The drivers own words

Actual cockpit transmission from the D-9 bulldozer driver to the watch tower, saying he "hit an object" and "I think the object got hit by the dobby (D-9) and he is in a severe condition." He is asked "Did you see him?" and responds "Yes I saw him, I think he is dead."

The driver saw an object and he continued bulldozing , killing the 'object' and saying 'oops i ididn't see it? '
I

f you're driving a bulldozer, you should be sure that you are driving it safely. Crazy people jumping out in front of you is not something that you'd usually expect, and there's probably a point of no return when it's just too late for the driver to avoid someone who is that stupid.

perhaps If it was your own daughter or wife I'd ask you how you buy the bulldozer guy's story and would love to see how you thank him for bulldozing crazy human activists trying to shield a palestinian house from being bulldozed.

As for the lady, she knows that jumping in frount of a bulldozer can get her killed. Doing it anyway is not reckless, it is gross negligence of one's life.
It reminds me of someone jumping in front of a car on the freeway.

Needless to say how cruel and barbaric your statement is, case in point is not a highway in case you didnt notice, it was a residential area. Offcorse ,its another thing if am imbecile enough to expect some common human sympathy from an Israeli debt fed Nation.(dont take my comment seriously though , I have seen more compassion from the same nation as well, it just sounds wierd when the reason you take sides with is not based on justice )

Before the hearing began, Craig Corrie, Rachel's father, said the family had been on a "7-year search for justice in Rachel's name".Purssell described how the bulldozer approached at a fast walking pace, its blade down and gathering a pile of soil in its path. When the bulldozer was 20 metres from the house Corrie, who like the others was wearing an orange fluorescent jacket, climbed on to the soil in front of it and stood "looking into the cab of the bulldozer".

She was standing there with other Activists ALL day. Its no way possible the approaching bulldozer never saw her.

Here's the trial update of the case, 7 years from the incident, Oct 23rd ,2010.

In testimony to military police investigators only three days after the incident, Y.P. said the blind spot in front of the bulldozer was 3 meters. In contradicting court testimony, he claimed the blind spot was 30 meters – ten times the distance first stated.

His testimony calls into question that of the commander inside this same bulldozer, whose written affidavit states that Rachel’s body was located in a different location, on the far side of the mound of earth created by the bulldozer.

• Y.P. knew about regulations that the bulldozer was not to work within 10 meters of people. He was aware civilians were present, but said he was given orders to continue working. He said I’ m just a soldier. It was not my decision.
• He claimed he did not see Rachel before the event. Nor did he recall seeing her specifically at all that day, despite the fact that she had protested the bulldozer’s activity for several hours and was the only female activist wearing a bright orange fluorescent jacket.

Bulldozer driver testimony underscores lack of transparency in Corrie trial | The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

Also testifying on Thursday was the head of the Military Police Special Investigative Unit, Shalom Michaeli, who oversaw the investigation into Rachel’s killing. He told the court that he stood by his 2003 investigation and saw no reason that anyone should have been prosecuted.

Michaeli was also in charge of the investigation into the killing of Iman al Hams, a 13-year-old Gaza school girl who was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in Rafah as she lay injured on the ground in October 2004.

A military police internal investigation subsequently found major failures in Michaeli’s investigation, saying it was conducted unprofessionally and with negligence. The solider who killed al Hams was court-martialed but subsequently acquitted – in part because of this flawed investigation.

Here is the Investigators 'Scrupulous' Reports,

> Michaeli said that he ordered only a partial transcript of radio transmissions because he did not think it important to transcribe the full audio.

> He said he did not go to the site of Rachel’s killing because it was dangerous, the terrain had already been altered, and the vehicles removed by the Israeli military. He acknowledged that he could have gone to the scene in an armored vehicle, but chose not to.

>Michaeli said he knew, prior to opening the investigation, there was a video camera recording the area around the clock. But he failed to obtain the tape until March 23, a week after the incident, because it had been previously taken by senior commanders.

Israeli soldiers to testify behind screen in Corrie Case | The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice

I get from what you say that she probably was dumb enough trying to register a non-violent protest, as attempting that kind of an activity guarantees any ' unforseen violent 'friendly' gestures from the ISD forces anyway.

If this was such a 'dumb for kids to solve case', why hasn't it still been resolved?Are you implying that the Jury is dumb, or the Investigators and Isreali Justice system altogether daft?

Today I was struck by the lead investigator’s failures – his failure to look for evidence, to secure evidence, to resolve conflicting evidence, and to turn evidence over to this court,” said Craig Corrie, Rachel’s father. “This is not what we and the U.S. government were promised by the government of Israel when Rachel was killed and it is not what we will accept now.”

 

[Alceste]

Your'e wasting your breath Starsoul. It seems clear Angellous does not feel the need to familiarize himself with any facts before reaching his conclusion. Israel did it, so it must be right.

 

[Starsoul]

That said, I once had the opportunity to speak to someone from the same organization, and apparently the protesters had instructions not to attempt to physically interfere with any of the destruction, only to observe and record the atrocities perpetrated by the IDF and the settlers against the Palestinian population. His feeling is that Corrie got carried away by attempting to actually stop the evil from happening, rather than simply watching it happen and trying to get a Western paper to report it accurately.

It is a crucial essence of Human Nature to get up and do something to stop the injustices happening infront of their eyes, agreeing to remain a silent, impotent shocked spectator is not a position I can ever accept to show my compassion, certain actions require certain reactions.

If anyone of our family members or children were there, at risk of being bulldozed or our houses being run down, i had full rights to do whatever i wished to in retaliation, all Ms Corrie did was stand infront of the bulldozer, that still was very courageous of her and as the trial proceedings show, with the recorded voice clip from inside the bulldozer, The Driver saw her, crushed her and acknowledged that she's dead.

It was, from the very beginning a Non-violent protest, the most she could do was stand infront of the bulldozer to evoke any remnant sense of shame or human rights into him, and that too failed. It takes a lot to be from ISD, its definitely not for the faint hearted.

 

[Starsoul]

Your'e wasting your breath Starsoul. It seems clear Angellous does not feel the need to familiarize himself with any facts before reaching his conclusion. Israel did it, so it must be right.

Thats alright, No breath is lost for any amount of truth said. Truth indeed is for those who have the fortitude to swallow it.