In the background, war rages on...

While the whole world appears to be focussed on the impending war against Iraq, concerns about the Middle East crisis have taken a back seat. But that doesn't mean that the war unleashed by Israel in 1948 has abated. Not only has the Palestinian body count progressively increased, but peaceworkers are also being targetted. Consider these 2 incidents:

• Couple days ago it claimed the young life of an American. 23 year old Rachel Corrie, an ISM activist thought, and said as much in a mail to her parents, that she had less to worry about getting killed in the war's heartland than most others because she was an American citizen. She was proven very wrong. On Mar 16, an IDF bulldozer ran her down. It is not clear yet whether it was an accident or cold-blooded murder.


• Neither did the world hear much about UN worker Iain Hook who was shot in the back at Jenin sometime ago.

But we hear no voices of protest from the US Govt, except a feeble request to launch an immediate probe. And why would we? Right now, US cannot afford to distract the public or itself from its immediate task at hand - the invasion of Iraq.

Meanwhile, Israel ruthlessly pursues its war against the Palestinians, with US diligently supporting its massacres.

Related links:

• Rachel Corrie


• Gruesome pictures from the scene of Rachel's death - not for the faint hearted


• More on the incident and some more pictures


• Report in the news: New York Times and CNN


• Rachel's email to her parents


• Rachel's eye witness account of the ongoings




• Iain Hook


• Account from the scene


• Report in the news: CNN


• Perspective on the shooting - The invisible death of Iain Hook