Jerusalem: An American peace activist working as a volunteer "human shield"
in the West Bank was seriously wounded today when Israeli troops allegedly
opened fire on him.
Brian Avery, 24, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, heard shots fired and came
out of his apartment building in Jenin to investigate just as an armoured
personnel carrier rounded a corner, said Tobias Karlsson, a fellow activist
from Sweden.
Both Avery and Karlsson are members of the Palestinian-backed group
International Solidarity Movement.
Members often insert themselves between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers
to try to stop Israeli military operations.
"We had our hands up and we were wearing vests that clearly identified us
as international workers when they began firing," Karlsson said.
"Brian was shot in the face, and it looks like he was hit by a heavy
calibre bullet because of the extent of the wound."
Avery was taken to a Jenin hospital but will be transferred to an Israeli
hospital.
The army said there were reports of homemade firebombs being thrown at
troops and that it returned fire at gunmen in the area.
The army, however, said it was not aware of hitting anyone.
An officer said that Palestinians were also shooting, and it was unclear
whose bullet hit Avery.
Karlsson, who said he didn't see any gunmen in the area, said he, Avery and
a Palestinian medical worker not with the group were approached slowly by
the troops and stood with their hands up for about 10 minutes.
There was no communication with the soldiers, who Karlsson says fired
unprovoked.
Avery was semiconscious when taken in the ambulance, Karlsson said.
There were few Palestinians on the streets today because of a curfew
Israeli troops were enforcing.
Another American member of the group was killed on March 16 while trying to
stop an Israeli military bulldozer in the Gaza Strip. She fell in front of
the machine, which ran over her and then backed up, witnesses said.
Israeli officials say the bulldozer incident that killed 23-year-old Rachel
Corrie, a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington,
was an accident and that the driver didn't see her because of the limited
visibility in the armoured machine.
The driver of the bulldozer - a reservist - was back on the job, the army
said today.
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/06/1049567556287.html
