U.S.: Israeli probe into activist Corrie’s death wasn’t ‘credible’

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Israel’s investigation into the death of American activist Rachel Corrie by an Israeli bulldozer nine years ago was not satisfactory, and wasn’t as thorough, credible or transparent as it should have been, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told the Corrie family this week.The bereaved family − parents Craig and Cindy, and sister Sarah − are in Israel awaiting the verdict in the civil suit they had filed two years ago against the State of Israel over their daughter’s death. The ruling by the Haifa District Court is expected on Tuesday.The U.S. government’s position is not new to the Corries, but their attorneys said that hearing it only a few days before the verdict was “important and encouraging,” because it signals to the Corrie family that the U.S. government will continue to demand a full accounting from Israel about their daughter’s killing, regardless of how Judge Oded Gershon rules.Rachel Corrie joined in 2002 a group of International Solidarity Movement activists who had been living among Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, in areas that were subject to Israel occupation forces incursions and attacks.The activists had demonstrated in Rafah against the systematic destruction of Palestinian homes for what the IDF called operational purposes.Corrie was crushed to death on the afternoon of March 16, 2003, by an IOF Caterpillar bulldozer, when she and her friends were standing in front of it to prevent the demolition of two Palestinian homes.The IOF claimed that Corrie’s death was an accident, and closed the file after three weeks.In 2005, after the military prosecutor closed the file, the family filed a civil suit against the Israeli government, accusing it of being responsible for Corrie’s death and for not conducting a full and credible investigation.The state responded that the IOF bulldozer driver had never seen Corrie, that she should not have been in a battle zone, and that the Military Police investigation had not found any violations of the law!/129