Activist death: US wants probe

2003-03-17 08:52

Washington - The United States on Sunday demanded a full and immediate investigation by Israel into the death of a US peace activist who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip as she tried to prevent the destruction of Palestinian homes.

The state department said it "deeply regrets" the death of Rachel Corrie, which it called "tragic" and offered its sincere condolences to her family.

And, although the department declined to condemn the incident, it said it had made clear to Israel that it expected a thorough probe into the matter.

"We have been in contact with the Israeli government and have called on the government of Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces to conduct an immediate and full investigation into the circumstances of this death," said Louis Fintor, a department spokesperson.

Corrie, 23, from Washington state, died after a military bulldozer ran her over in the town of Rafah, according to the Rafah hospital and a witness.

"She was sitting in the path of the bulldozer," said fellow activist Joseph Smith. "The bulldozer saw her and ran over her. She ended up completely underneath it. He absolutely knew she was there."

Corrie was part of a group from the International Solidarity Movement who were attempting to block the paths of two bulldozers and an Israeli tank tearing down Palestinian buildings in Rafah, on the Gaza Strip's Israeli-controlled border with Egypt.

Israeli forces make frequent incursions from their border positions into Rafah, a sprawling autonomous town with a large refugee population. Dozens of Palestinians and several Israeli soldiers have been killed in the sector.

Tanks and bulldozers are sent to destroy houses used by militants to fire on Israeli positions and that are also used as a cover for smugglers moving weapons through tunnels under the Egyptian border, the army says.

Since June 2002, the Israeli army has destroyed more than 150 houses belonging to Palestinians allegedly involved in anti-Israel attacks or smuggling.

The United States has frequently criticized Israel's destruction of homes, calling it counter-productive and expressed grave concerns about the deaths of civilians in such operations.

Fintor reiterated that position, which was last expressed by the White House and the state department earlier this month after eight people - including a nine-month pregnant woman and a 13-year-old boy - were killed in one such incursion.

"We again call on the Israeli defence forces to undertake all possible measures to avoid harm to civilians," he said.

On March 4, White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer said the United States continued to support for Israel's right to crack down on extremists in self-defense but urged to curtail actions that "bring harm to the innocent".

"It is important for Israel to act in a way that is reflective of the needs and the legitimate aspirations of the innocent," he said. "We have concerns about actions that go beyond and that bring harm to the innocent, including innocent Palestinians."

A day earlier, state department spokesperson Richard Boucher called on Israel "to take all appropriate precautions to prevent the death and injury of innocent civilians and damage to civilian and humanitarian infrastructure".

"The demolition of civilian structures deprives Palestinians of shelter and the ability to peacefully earn a livelihood, exacerbates the humanitarian situation inside the Palestinian areas and makes more difficult the critical challenge of bringing an end to violence and a restoration of calm," he said.

- AFX