RACHEL CORRIE - AN AMERICAN HERO:
Dr. Dahlia Wasfi
In her Winter Soldier II testimony Dr. Wasfi
paid tribute to Rachel Corrie. "Rachel at the time -- 2003 --
was a 23-year-old college student who, after September 11th, wanted
to learn about other cultures...wanted to try to understand what was
going on. Tragically on March 16, 2003 Rachel was crushed by a D-9
Bulldozer (commanded by the Israeli Defence Forces) while blocking a
home demolition in Rafah with the International Solidarity Movement.
Dahlia Wasfi begins her remarks by showing a picture of Rachel Corrie:
"It was September 2002 and there were a few things falling apart in
my life at that time. And it wasn't helping that my government was
preparing to invade the country of my Dad's origin. At that time, I
took leave from my residency in anesthesiology. I've yet to go back.
But I was very frustrated, very hopeless, very depressed. And was
seeking for a reason to continue...After the invasion happened, the
anti-Arab racism in my work environment escalated significantly --
at Georgetown University Hospital. There were a number of different
responses that could have taken place after that. On the one
extreme, you would have our government's response which would be to
invade Afghanistan and build an oil pipeline to the Caspian Sea. And
on the other end, I would say would be what Rachel did.
"Rachel at the time -- 2003 -- was a 23-year-old college student
who, after September 11th, wanted to learn about other cultures,
wanted to explore the world, wanted to try to understand what was
going on. She trained with the International Solidarity Movement
[ISM] and went to Rafah, in Gaza -- which is one of the most
dangerous places for people living there because of the brutal
occupation there.
"Five years ago on March 16, 2003, Rachel was, with her friends in
the ISM, doing one of the things they do which is to basically act
as human shields to defend international law. And on that day, as
you see in this picture, she was trying to prevent a house
demolition. Over 60,000 homes in the last few years in occupied
Palestine, which is illegal.
"This [photo insert] was the home of a [Palestinian] pharmacist and
his family. The Israeli soldiers came driving an American D-9
Caterpillar bulldozer, tax-free gift [to Israel] from you and me.
The first bulldozer came and Rachel as you see in her orange flak
jacket and megaphone was quite visible and she was able to deter the
first bulldozer. But a second one came and after a three-and-half
hour stand-off -- I don't think Rachel ever expected what happened
next. The Israeli soldier, who was probably younger than she was,
mowed her down and kept the bulldozer blade down and backed up over
her.
"Rachel had not expected that.... She had seen what the Israelis
were doing to the Palestinians living in Gaza but she didn't think
that they would change and do something to a Westerner, to an
American -- to someone who had like features. But unfortunately
Rachel was crushed to death that day. The worst part of it is that
she was awake the whole time because when her friends got to her,
she said, "My back is broken," and those were her last words.
"So in March 16, 2003 -- five years ago tomorrow -- I was looking
for a reason to stick around; I was so angry with whatever power
might be.... And [I thought to myself], 'I'm still here and you [the
powers that be] took away this beautiful spirit who had all these
things going for her, and who could have turned a blind eye to the
horrors of the world. She could have lived the 'American Dream' and
she chose to go 10,000 miles away to learn about people she didn't
even know. And I know she didn't plan to die that day, but she gave
her life literally standing up for what she believed in. And she's
one of the reasons I'm still here today. And I thought, 'Fine. If
you took Rachel, I can stick around; and if she went to go see
people she didn't even know, then maybe I should go see my family
[in Basra] who I hadn't seen in 27 years. So that was the start of
my activism. And Rachel is the example that I've tried to live up
to. And it's the example I see today and yesterday in all the
panelists. "'This [pointing to the photo of Rachel Corrie] is what
an American hero looks like, and these are what American heroes look
like [referring to fellow panelists], not because they put on a
uniform and picked up a weapon, but because they put it down and
stood up for the truth." (filmed by ranxer, Snowshoe Documentary
Films; transcribed by yoryevrah).
9 mins -
youtube link |
 |
|
‘WE’RE POISONING THE WORLD’:
WINTER SOLDIER II
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW),
Silver Spring Maryland, March 13-16, 2008. Matt Howard (USMC 1st
Tank Battalion) reveals the military policy toward its troops: lie
and cover-up, then discard and/or discredit. Howard focuses on the
deployment and effects of ‘depleted uranium’ (DU) on the targets,
defenseless Afghanis, Iraqis - and U.S. soldiers. Howard calls DU
‘the agent orange of this |
 |
occupation.” The 3-day IVAW event,
attended by over 200 veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq
occupations, in effect constituted a part of a war crimes tribunal,
with eyewitness testimony. The event also commemorated the 1971
‘Winter Soldier’ where Vietnam vets protested and exposed the war
crimes committed on Vietnam. Music thanks to Jason Moon and ‘Erin
from Trendy.’
see also www.ivaw.org
long version 23 mins
-
google video link
short
version 10 mins -
youtube link |
"I JOINED THE NATIONAL GUARD..
DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE THE INTERNATIONAL GUARD."
- IVAW member Ryan
IVAW Winter Soldier Fundraiser - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Feb 23 2008.
Winter Soldier,
Washington D.C. March 13-16th, 2008
For simulcast info visit:
www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier/howtowatch
Once again, veterans are fighting for the soul of our country.
They will demonstrate their patriotism by speaking out with honor
and integrity instead of blindly following failed policy.
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan will feature testimony from
U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate
account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the
ground.
see also:
http://www.myspace.com/ivawchicago
www.ivaw.org
10 mins -
youtube link |
 |
|
|
|
