IDF not responsible Rachel Corrie’s death court rules.

Well it looks like the court in Israel has ruled that the IDF’s D-9 Dover Driver is not criminally responsible for her death in 2003. I have talked a lot about this because the unit I was deployed with had D-9s. So I had some first hand experience about how dangerous the lumbering cumbersome beasts can be. But some people still think that driving a D-9 is just like driving a car.

“We believe that Rachel was seen,” Cindy Corrie said. The heavily armored Caterpillar bulldozer may have had limited sight lines, the Corries acknowledge, but in addition to a driver, a second soldier was also in the cab, and conflicts in their assorted statements have never been reconciled.

May have? Try completely and with all the noise you are really driving blind. Also just because there is a second person in a vehicle with limited does not stop making it a vehicle with limited vision. That is why there are ground guides to help the driver see/hear things that he would normally not be aware of, to include people. Even with a ground guide it can be dangerous.

A Marine convoy departed its base of origin in the late evening, enroute to another base in Iraq. Upon reaching its destination,the driver of a 7-ton dismounted to serve as the vehicle ground guide. The A-driver of the 7-ton (a licensed driver) would be the driver while it was offloading supplies at the convoy’s destination. The A-driver was providing the driver an opportunity tostretch his legs after being on the road for several hours.

After moving several feet forward, the A-driver attempted to apply the brake. However, the driver had left his helmet on the floor of the vehicle, and it now interfered with the ability to stop the vehicle. As the A-driver bent down toward the accelerator and brake to remove the helmet, the 7-ton moved forward and crashed into the rear of another parked 7-ton. At this moment, the A-driver realized that he could not see his ground guide. He opened the door and yelled for the Marine, then backed the 7-ton several feet to find the Marine slumping between the two vehicles. The driver acting as ground guide had been fatally crushed.

Several critical errors led to this unfortunate incident. The driver acting as a ground guide placed himself between the vehicle and an immovable object, the other 7-ton. The Marine also left his helmet in the vehicle on the floor, near the accelerator and brake. Before applying the brake, the A-driver operating the 7-ton allowed the ground guide to leave his field of vision.

But that does not seem to phase Corries’ supporters showing a photo of her looking at a D-9. I guess that they assume that if you can see the D-9 that they can see you. Oh and to preempt any questions about my views that this is flaws logic I ask this. Would you apply this logic (of if I can see them, they can see me) towards eighteen wheelers? But I digress.

An Israeli military bulldozer, manufactured by Caterpillar, crushed the 23-year-old Corrie to death as she and her fellow members of the International Solidarity Movement lived among Palestinian civilians in Rafah, in an area whose houses were slated for demolition for Israeli military needs. They tried to remind the Israeli army that it was operating among what was, first and foremost, an occupied civilian population.

It continues with the flawed logic how the driver could have seen her.

Witnesses told the court she clambered up to the top of a pile of earth as the bulldozer advanced towards her, wearing a bright orange, hi-visibility jacket, and carrying a megaphone.

OK the front of the D-9 is a major blind spot. So regardless of what you are wearing the drive will still have a very hard time seeing you. Two the engine is VERY loud and radio communications is next to imposable. Communications with the Dozer is done with hand signals in the clear position which is about the 9 and 3 o clock position. So that being said do you really think that a bull horn would do anything? And from what I understand that there was not a ground guide due to the risk of snipers and recent enemy contact.

He also noted how high tensions were running in the area at the time, with IDF forces attacked by Palestinian fighters just hours before.

But according to a witness this is what happened.

Fellow activist Tom Dale told the court: “The bulldozer went towards her very slowly, she was fully in clear view, straight in front of them.

“Unfortunately she couldn’t keep her grip there and she started to slip down. You could see she was in serious trouble, there was panic in her face as she was turning around.

“All the activists there were screaming, running towards the bulldozer, trying to get them to stop. But they just kept on going.”

Again according to who? Also if you have trouble hearing the person next to you, how can you hope to hear anyone outside the Dozer?

But the court said what Corries’ supporters will never acknowledge.

But Judge Oded Gershon ruled the driver had not seen her, and that any reasonable person would have moved herself out of the way of the bulldozer. He said the original investigation had “no mistakes”.

“This was a very unfortunate accident and not an action undertaken with intent.

“She put herself into a dangerous situation and stood in front of a large bulldozer in a place where the operator could not see her.

“Her death is the result of an accident she brought upon herself,”

Oh and noticed the photo of her burning a American flag has the flag cut out? And no mention of it on her Wiki page.

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