American woman peace activist killed by IDFbulldozer in Gaza

Ha'aretz ^ | Sunday, March 16, 2003 Adar2 12, 5763 | By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies

[Cinnamon Girl]

An American woman peace protester was killed Sunday by an IDF bulldozer, which ran her over during the demolition of a house at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip.

Another activist was wounded in the incident.

Rachel Corey, 23, from Olympia, Washington, was killed when she ran in front of the bulldozer to try to prevent it from destroying a house, doctors in Gaza said.

"Corey was killed in the al-Salam neighbourhood when an Israeli bulldozer covered her with sand as she stood in front of a bulldozer," said Dr Ali Musa, a doctor from the al-Najar hospital in the southern Gaza Strip.

He said she died from skull and chest fractures.

The IDF said it was checking the report.

Greg Schnabel, 28, from Chicago, said the protesters were in the house of Dr. Samir Masri.

"Rachel was alone in front of the house as we were trying to get them to stop," he said. "She waved for 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."

Since the start of the Intifada, groups of international protesters have gathered in several locations in territories, setting themselves up as "human shields" to try to stop IDF operations.

Corey was the first member of the groups, called "International Solidarity Movement," to be killed in the conflict. Schnabel said Corey was a student at Evergreen College and was to graduate this year.

He said there were eight protesters at the site, four from the United States and four from Great Britain. "We stay with families whose house is to be demolished," he told the Associated Press by telephone from Rafah after the incident.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Let no one speak ill of her.

I won't.

I'll take issue with the surviving "adults" who enticed her into this hell hole.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I'm amazed at the lack of humanity that some people display on FR.

What did these "human shields" expect? They all claimed they were putting their lives on the line for these terrorists.

[Godebert]

A John Deere tractor will beat a skinny leftist terrorist chick every time.

[Ciexyz]

This is war, kids. That 23 year old made a stupid decision, and unfortunately for her, it was her last.

[jonascord]

Darwin is not nice! Don't expect everyone to feel sorry for stupidity in action! She had a choice, a series of choices, and as a senior in college, she should have known enough to realize that in a contest between flesh and steel, steel ALWAYS wins.

[BenLurkin]

Check Phil V.'s membership number. Whatever he means, I suggest we pay close attention to what he has to say. My only caveat would be that now, after the 200 election and post 9-11, we newbie FReepers have an edge to us which marks the potential spearpoint of pro=American activism. And that should be a good thing.

[Fitzcarraldo]

The International Solidarity Movement

[txradioguy]

"I'm amazed at the lack of humanity that some people display on FR."


If someone is dumb enough to place themselves willingly in front of a bulldozer, knowing full well what the IDF was there to do, and actually thinking the dozer would stop, they deserve to be laughed at. It's not like it hasn't been well publicized that the IDF routinely demolishes the houses of terrorists. So the "human shields" KNEW what was gonna happen. And if you protect or attempt to protect terrorists, doesn't that make you no better than the terrorist? The loss of human life is neer funny, but the means of which they choose their own demise, routinely is.

[hope]

exactly! Ever notice how much these lefties and the terrorist have in common.

[BenLurkin]

With a FReeper number of 119? Not likely.

[Astronaut]

Guess they don't teach the little commies at Evergreen State College to move out of the way of a bulldozer! Evergreen is a breeding ground for the most radical anti-American, anti-capitalist vermin in WA, supported by tax dollars, no less. Its too bad someone doesn't take a bulldozer to Evergreen.

I'm sorry she's dead, but she put herself in harm's way and got what she deserved. If someone is stupid enough to interfere with a military operation, then they are going to get hurt or killed. If the IDF wants to bulldoze all of Gaza, they have the right to do it to prevent the destruction if Israel.

[Cinnamon Girl]

This girl wasn't even guarding human beings, she was guarding an empty building.

I feel bad for the soldiers, who feel very upset right now and will have to go through an investigation and be accused by leftist nuts of deliberately killing this girl.

[dennisw]

Moral of the story is don't step in front of a bulldozer that's knocking down the family home of a scumbag suicide bomber and/or terrorist. This stupid gril paid for her ego trip but will be used for propaganda by the delusional Islamics and their fellow travelers. Who will call her a martyr.

[Kevin Curry]

The woman committed suicide by bulldozer. I won't joke about it, but pity doesn't seem quite appropriate either. It was an unfortuante, stupid way for her to waste her life.

[dennisw]

I wonder how many Jews the terrorist killed who got his house demolished and this girl killed.

[Ciexyz]

I invite these Pallie sympathizers to plant themselves on Israeli buses to protect the Arab bus drivers and Arab passengers that share the danger along with their fellow Jewish riders.

It would cause the suicide bombers to think twice (/sarcasm).

[gg188]

She died protecting terrorists

Exactly. As President Bush noted: you are either against the terrorists, or you are with them. This woman made a clear choice that she was with them.