Response to Naomi Klein: I appreciate your contrasting the stories of Jessica Lynch and Rachel Corrie. I agree, way too much was made of Lynch's supposed bravery.

But I must disagree with some of your assertions in this article. I do appreciate that you wrote this article very close to when Rachel Corrie was killed, and have not had the benefit of reading the complete testimonies of the five ISM eyewitnesses. I have not read any accounts by the driver of the bulldozer, so even now I do not have all the information I would want, before truly knowing what the specifics are regarding this case.

YOU WROTE: "For months, the Israeli military had been looking for an excuse to get rid of the ISM "troublemakers".

BECKY: In addition to NOTHING but bad publicity for Israel, the ISM were actively interferring in IDF security operations. The first was free speech protected, but the 2nd was illegal.

NAOMI: "It found it in Asif Mohammed Hanif and Omar Khan Sharif, the two British suicide bombers.

BECKY: Both Muslims but British citizens, one man exploded at a pub that catored to Israeli/Palestinian camraderie, killing 3 and wounding 55 others. The two terrorists entered Israel from Gaza, police said.

NAOMI: It turns out that they had attended a memorial service for Corrie in Rafah, a fact the Israeli military has seized on to link the ISM to terrorism. Members of ISM point out that the event was open to the public, and that they knew nothing of the British visitors' intentions."

BECKY: As a previous poster recently pointed out "PEOPLE LIE. Especially when they are trying to protect themselves from criminal proceedings." Maybe the ISM didn't know what their plans were. AND MAYBE THEY DID! Those two British citizens spent all day in the ISM office in Gaza just before crossing into Israel using their British citizenship to help avoid detection. They became only the 2nd successful suicide bombing mission originating from Gaza in the intifada.

NAOMI: Re: Rachel Corrie: "The Israeli army got away with murder - and now all activists are at risk"

BECKY: I do not believe the evidence supports a murder charge. More evidence exists that her death was caused by the bulldozer driver not seeing her on that fatal last pass.

NAOMI: "Before Corrie left for Gaza, she organised a pen-pal programme between kids in her hometown of Olympia, Washington, and children in Rafah."

BECKY: Corrie had an anti-American agenda with those kindergarteners too. She taught them how to draw an American flag and then burn it.

NAOMI: "As a US citizen, she believed she had a special responsibility to defend Palestinians against US-built weapons, purchased with US aid to Israel."

BECKY: Actually, those US-made weapons are used against Palestinian TERRORISTS. I saw no entry in Corrie's journal complaining about US funds given to the PA being used for Palestinian weapons used for terrorism against Israel. She didn't even acknowledge that the bulldozer that killed her was ostensibly there to destroy arms-smuggling tunnels.

NAOMI: "Israel doesn't want the diplomatic or media scandals that would come if it killed a US student."

BECKY: This is, of course true. But it its opposite is ALSO true. Palestinian terror groups would BENEFIT from media about a US college girl being "murdered" by Israel.

NAOMI: "despite the fact that eyewitnesses claim it was a deliberate act. "

BECKY: All eyewitnesses were members of the ISM. But even if we assume they ALL told the truth, none of them knows what was in the mind of that bulldozer driver that day. They all ASSUMED he killed her purposely.

NAOMI: "When that Israeli bulldozer driver looked at Corrie's orange jacket and pressed the accelerator, her strategy failed."

BECKY: And neither do you!! This statement of yours is inflamatory, contradicts what the driver actually claimed he did, is at contrast with what he had done EVERY OTHER TIME earlier that day when he saw a person with an orange vest in his sight, and tests our common sense when we are expected to believe Corrie's head was NINE FEET TEN INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND just prior to being bulldozed under. Your statement is inflammatory to the point of being incendiary.

NAOMI: "leaving the Israeli military's investigation - which cleared itself of any wrongdoing - as the only official investigation."

BECKY: If a bulldozer crushed a person to death in Santa Cruz County, do you think anyone OTHER than the USA would investigate the incident? Why do you have unreasonable standards for Israel that you don't have for other countries?

Also, the IDF did not destroy ANY houses the day Corrie died. She died defending an empty field.