Rachel Corrie, 23, of Olympia, Washington State, an American college student in Gaza to protest against Israeli operations, was killed this week when she was run over by a bulldozer while trying to block Israeli troops from demolishing a Palestinian home.

　　She had been with US and British demonstrators, and another three Americans and four Britons in the Rafah refugee camp trying to stop demolitions. She died in hospital shortly after the incident.

　　As explained by Captain Jacob Dallal, an army spokesman, her death was "a terrible accident."

　　The United States "deeply regrets this tragic death of an American citizen," said State Department spokesman Lou Fintor who expressed condolences to Corrie's family and said the United States wants an "immediate and full investigationsintosher death."

　　Fintor's statement called on the Israeli defence forces to undertake all possible measures to avoid harm to civilians.

　　Here I want to pose the question: what are the US and its allies doing to Iraq? Are they taking all possible measures to avoid harm to innocent Iraqi civilians?

　　It is known to all that life is the engine and result of thousands of years of evolution and life is so precious that each life should be granted the highest respect and protection.

　　But life is not the most important thing. Otherwise, thousands of lives including that of the American student would not be sacrificed to defend borders, repel intruders, fight against evil or even just save animals.

　　As people cannot ever stepsintosthe same river twice, so everyone can only live once. To some people, the motto means that one should just live, no matter how hard life is or whatever the cost in terms of loss of dignity.

　　Iraqi teenagers helping soldiers building barricades against the US army's intrusion might be too young to know what "hard" means, but one thing they might be clear about is how to protect their homeland.

　　Once several of my colleagues talking about going to Iraq to function as human shields against American bullets because of a firm belief that in this highly modernized society, there will always be a peaceful way out for whatever disputes.

　　I know nobody was serious because we are loaded with heavy work, have families to support and not enough time or money to go to the deserts in the strange Middle East.

　　If we go to Iraq, we will turnsintosbomb ashes, disappearingsintosnothingness, together with other innocent lives and maybe those of terrorists too if the bombs are intelligent enough in locating them.

　　In all, I am not brave enough to go there after so long addicted to the peaceful rhythms here in this beautiful one-time Paris of the Orient. That is why I express my deepest condolence to this American college student.

　　We are little things with little voices. But even those of the millions of people around the world who have been conducting protests against the coming war have been futile.

　　The voice of Paris, in the words of French President Jacques Chirac, was quoted by the AP White House correspondent as follows: "I think that the relationship between the French and the Americans, the human relationship, is a relationship of friendship, of love even, I would say. But if I see my friend or somebody I dearly love going down the wrong path, then I owe it to him to warn him be careful."

　　Despite the United Nations insisting that inspections should be continued, George W. Bush, together with Tony Blair and other followers, have determined to abandon a diplomatic solution to the Iraq issue.