U.S. ACTIVIST IN DOZER TRAGEDY
-- JERUSALEM - A 23-year-old American acting as a
"human shield" was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer as it demolished a
Palestinian home in Gaza yesterday.
Rachel Corrie, a pro-Palestinian activist from the tiny, liberal-arts college
of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash., was part of a small group of
protesters gathered outside a Palestinian doctor's house to try to protect it
when the bulldozer covered her with sand and ran her over, witnesses said.
"Rachel was alone in front of the house as we were trying to get them to
stop," said protester Greg Schnabel, 28, of Chicago.
"She waved for the bulldozer to stop. 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,"
Schnabel said.
An Israeli army official called Corrie's death "a regrettable accident."
But "we are dealing with a group of protesters who were acting very
irresponsibly, putting everyone in danger," said army spokesman Capt. Jacob
Dallal.
Israeli officials said the protesters were repeatedly warned with
loudspeakers to move from the demolition areas, but they followed the bulldozers
from site to site to try to block them.
The bulldozers are outfitted to withstand explosive booby-traps as they root
out underground tunnels used by terrorists.
Their drivers have limited sight distance because of the armor, which
contributed to Corrie's death, the officials said.
Corrie was wearing a brightly colored jacket when she died.
State Department spokesman Lou Fintor said the United States is demanding an
"immediate and full investigation" into the incident.
Meanwhile, Corrie's dad, Craig, tearfully recalled his beloved daughter as
"dedicated to everybody."
"We've tried to bring up our children to have a sense of community, a sense
of community that everybody in the world belonged to," Craig Corrie said from
his home in Charlotte, N.C.
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers killed one Palestinian yesterday in the West Bank
after several people tried to infiltrate a Jewish settlement.
More fighting was reported early this morning when 30 Israeli tanks entered
the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, residents said.
At least five Palestinians - including a 4-year-old girl - were killed,
witnesses said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.