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Military Murderers of True American Hero Testify in Secret
Israeli soldiers to testify behind screen in Corrie Case
Extraordinary state secrecy motion is granted
Haifa, Israel – The Haifa District Court on Thursday granted a government request to allow soldiers to testify behind a screen in the lawsuit filed by Rachel Corrie’s family against the State of Israel for her unlawful killing in Rafah, Gaza.
Witness in Rachel Corrie trial testifies behind a screen
The order includes the driver of the bulldozer that killed Rachel, who is slated to testify later this month. However, Judge Oded Gershon ruled that both the commander of the unit and the second soldier in the bulldozer that hit Rachel would testify in plain view, because their faces were already publicly known.
Rachel Corrie, an American human rights defender from Olympia, Washington, was crushed to death on March 16, 2003, by a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer while nonviolently protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes.
In asking for the highly unusual protective measures, state attorneys argued that they were necessary to protect the soldiers’ safety and prevent their images from being circulated. They based the request on an overbroad security certificate issued by Defense Minister Ehud Barak in 2008, but did not provide concrete evidence to substantiate their concerns for the soldiers’ safety or security.
Corrie attorneys opposed the motion, arguing that allowing the soldiers to testify behind a screen infringes upon the right to an open, fair and transparent trial. They asked to dismiss the request, filed just 48 hours before the first soldier’s testimony. Alternatively, the lawyers asked the court to allow the family to see the witnesses even if the public could not, but their request was denied. Lawyers for the Corrie family plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Israel.
“While Rachel stood in front of a wall to protect the two families huddled behind it, the state is now making the soldiers hide behind a wall that denies us the opportunity to see them,” said Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother. “The State of Israel has been hiding for over seven years. Where is the justice?”
The first soldier to testify under the extraordinary new measures was the commander of the second bulldozer. Known to the court only as A.S., with voice muffled behind the screen, he told the court he did not see the other bulldozer strike Rachel and did not remember much about that day.
Contrary to the detailed affidavit he signed less than eight weeks ago, A.S. said he did not know how Rachel had been hurt; did not know the distance from which the bulldozer had approached Rachel; and did not know the height and width of the mound of earth the bulldozer was pushing.
Also testifying on Thursday was the head of the Military Police Special Investigative Unit, Shalom Michaeli, who oversaw the investigation into Rachel’s killing. He told the court that he stood by his 2003 investigation and saw no reason that anyone should have been prosecuted.
Rachel Corrie Draped in US Flag after her Murder in the Holy Land by Israeli Army Bulldozer
Michaeli was also in charge of the investigation into the killing of Iman al Hams, a 13-year-old Gaza school girl who was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in Rafah as she lay injured on the ground in October 2004. A military police internal investigation subsequently found major failures in Michaeli’s investigation, saying it was conducted unprofessionally and with negligence. The solider who killed al Hams was court-martialed but subsequently acquitted – in part because of this flawed investigation.
Michaeli’s cross-examination revealed similar flaws in the Corrie investigation. These flaws support the family’s claim of government negligence, for allowing soldiers and their commanders to act recklessly using armored military bulldozers without due regard for the presence of civilians.
Michaeli said that he ordered only a partial transcript of radio transmissions because he did not think it important to transcribe the full audio.
He said he did not go to the site of Rachel’s killing because it was dangerous, the terrain had already been altered, and the vehicles removed by the Israeli military. He acknowledged that he could have gone to the scene in an armored vehicle, but chose not to.
Michaeli testified in his written affidavit that when he inspected the bulldozer he did not find any signs of blood or other evidence that the vehicle had injured anyone. However, in court testimony he said the bulldozer could have been washed “or even painted” before he inspected it.
Michaeli said he knew, prior to opening the investigation, there was a video camera recording the area around the clock. But he failed to obtain the tape until March 23, a week after the incident, because it had been previously taken by senior commanders. When questioned about his failure to interrogate the camera operator, who panned away from the scene only minutes before Rachel was killed, he said he did not think it was relevant.
When asked whether he questioned the bulldozer crews about an Israeli military manual for low intensity conflict that states bulldozers should not be operated near people, Michaeli said the manuals were not relevant. He added that bulldozer operators could not be expected to follow such procedures in this zone. He went on to say that he believed the Israeli army was “at war” with everyone in the area, including the ISM peace activists.
Michaeli still heads the Military Police Special Investigative Unit, but has since been promoted from Sergeant Major to Warrant Officer.
“Today I was struck by the lead investigator’s failures – his failure to look for evidence, to secure evidence, to resolve conflicting evidence, and to turn evidence over to this court,” said Craig Corrie, Rachel’s father. “This is not what we and the U.S. government were promised by the government of Israel when Rachel was killed and it is not what we will accept now.”
The proceedings on Thursday were attended by representatives of the US Embassy, who have closely followed the hearings throughout the trial.
Subsequent hearings are scheduled for October 17,18 and 21 between the hours of 9:00-16:00 before Judge Oded Gershon at the Haifa, District Court, 12 Palyam St., Haifa, Israel.
See any changes to the schedule and register to receive further press releases at www.rachelcorriefoundation.org
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=53460
Posted by Johnny Punish on Oct 8 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Israel, Palestine, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Morality and ethics disappear the minute a nation sinks to the same level of inhumanity and atrocity as its enemies.
Israel is a rogue government and should be treated as such.
COL (R)jack, our U.S Military and our taxpayers have been asked to fight 2 wars in the last 10 years for the sake of “homeland security”. Most experts agree that occupation of Palestine is at the root cause of this. So what happens as Israel continues it’s violation of U.N. Security Council 242 has a direct affect on our safety and foreign policy.
My question to you is how come you’re NOT outraged that an AMERICAN CITIZEN was murdered in defense of the indefenseable.
Nancy Grace of CNN spent 3 years on Natalie Hollaway’s murder by a drunk teen but when a true American Hero, just as young, just as white, just as blonde, was bulldozed by Israel, you can’t make a connection to the rights of our fellow American citizen and how it affects us. THIS SUCKS!
Col Jack an observation.
For many of us who served in combat during Vietnam we left the, and tried to get on with our lives. Because in most cases we former combat veterans were surrounded by those in civilian life who questioned the Vietnam war, many combat veterans ended up questioning the war, ourselves. And our ideas about war in general.
No one around me in school, or on the job supported the war. Almost all of my non veteran peers went on to be bosses of those of us who served in combat. Many of us did not have the energy to rant on and on about Vietnam, and whether the war was a good war.
With us war was very personal. We were quiet because we were forced by the media, and in many cases our college career formation demanded we kept a low profile, and in the end we too questioned the war with the same vigor. This in my opinion is why many Vietnam combat veterans question war, all wars and work for peace.
An observation of mine a career civilian combat vet is many of those that stayed in the military never were challenged like those of us who returned to civilian life. Sometimes in all due respect many retired military are living in a time warp.
I went through a few flashbacks in reading Col Jacks article. One thing I have found out. Our young people, at least some of them, when explained the ‘Vietnam War’ story and what was going on both in the war and back home, ask very good questions. I teach military history part time and have some excellent students with a cross background of Gulf vets and the current war veterans, both male and female. I have been especially impressed with two young ladies in my class, one a former warrant officer and the other a combat medic who worked her way into combat in a Marine unit. Incidentally, does anyone know the real story on how Rachel was killed. Are you saying, Mr. Punish, that the news media and all its stations are controlled by the Israel’s government? I say this because very little has been put out about this.
Virtually no one in the USA knows about murdered American Hero Rachel Corrie? Why? Mainstream media does NOT cover the story. That’s a fact! Do we really want to answer the question as to why?
There should be a stature of Rachel Corrie in Washington DC that stands for peace, justice, and humanity. Instead, there’s just a big nothing! What a disgrace!
Johnny how about naming Interstate 5 (I-5) which runs from Canada through Olympia Washington her home to Mexico at San Diego a memorial highway?
When the m/v Rachel Corrie was preparing to sail for Gaza, Sean Hannity mentioned the vessel was named for Rachel, and then implied she got what was coming to her. It was a carefully prepared smear, with a blurry photo collage of her activities, with one supposedly showing her burning an 8×11 piece of paper colored like the American flag. I was watching but don’t recall it that well, other than my impression of his shocking viciousness toward her.
In case anyone’s missed it, we’ve gone to a nation of rights based on contract (the Constitution) to one based on status. Here, because Hannity and his puppet masters disagree with Rachel, she is denied even the right to life. And we can see how regime apparatchiks like Cass Sunstein have tried to make the case that those who question the official 9/11 narrative should be denied their right to free speech. To the extent our Constitutional rights exist at all, they will be apportioned according to status, or, with regard to foreign policy, one’s allegiance to the Zionist agenda.
The holohoax museum in DC should be demolished with Nano Thermite and a statue of Rachel Corrie erected over the ruins.
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Israel’s influence on Americas Government is tremendous. Billions of Dollars goes through the hands of politicians in office. the government of this country is a master at covering up what is going on here in america and around the world. SO EVERY ONE SAY’S WE HAVE A DEMOCRACY HERE IN AMERICA?????????????? all of you better think again. what was thought was a democracy has always been a DICTATORSHIP. it dont make any difference who is in power, Republican or Democrat. MONEY TALKS AND BULL SHIT WALKS. All will never know what exactly what happened to Rachel Corrie. or will america ever find out what happened to Robert F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King. the ba——st——ard ( MAIN STEEM MEDIA will never tell anyone. THEY ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. JUST LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. All controled by the zionist government of Israel and its CORRUPT BANKERS.