Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown
Date: 01-27-03
PRSS Channel: A67.7
9:00-9:01 Billboard:
Israel considers full reoccupation of Gaza Strip; Weekend
raid kills 14 Palestinians and injures dozens
UN weapons inspectors set to ask for more time Iraq: U.S.
threatens to go to war alone and unleash massive attack (possibly
nuclear) on Iraq
From Porto Allegre to Davos to New York: We hear from activists
at the World Social Forum, World Economic Forum and at anti-war
protests outside the United Nations
9:01-9:08 Headlines
ISRAEL CONSIDERS FULL REOCCUPATION OF GAZA STRIP; WEEKEND
RAID KILLS 14 PALESTIANS AND INJURES DOZENS
Israel is considering fully reoccupying the Gaza Strip.
This comes after a massive Sunday invasion of Gaza City that
left 14 dead and over 50 injured. In addition Israel locked
down the West Bank and Gaza Strip last night and closed all
border crossings.
The moves came just days before Israel’s general election
on Tuesday. Prime Minister Gen. Ariel Sharon is predicted
to defeat the new leader of the Labour Party, Amram Mitzna,
who has pledged to withdraw from the Gaza Strip within a year.
Sunday’s invasion of Gaza City marked the deepest
raid into Gaza City in the two years of the second intifada.
We go Gaza City for a report.
Guest: Kristen Schurr, journalist living in Gaza. She is
currently in Gaza City.
9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break
9:07-9:50: UN WEAPONS INSPECTORS SET TO ASK FOR MORE TIME
IN IRAQ: MEANWHILE U.S. THREATENS TO GO TO WAR ALONE AND UNLEASH
MASSIVE ATTACK (POSSIBLY NUCLEAR) ON BAGHDAD
At the United Nations today, chief UN weapons inspector
Hans Blix is expected to say their work is just getting started
and that more time is needed.
Meanwhile Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell indicated
yesterday that it would be useless to give the inspectors
more time. Powell made these comments at the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Powell went on to say the U.S.
would be willing to wage war against Iraq alone if European
nations would not fight. Powell said Washington had a "sovereign
right to take military action on Iraq alone or in a coalition
of the willing.” He also claimed Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein had ties to Al Qaeda but offered no evidence.
Both the United States and key ally Britain could use Monday's
report to press for military action against Iraq on the grounds
of Baghdad failing to cooperate with the inspectors in line
with UN disarmament Resolution 1441.
In other Iraq news, CBS News is reporting that the U.S.
is considering to wage an unprecedented bombing campaign against
Iraq in the opening days of war if the Bush Administration
chooses military action against Iraq.
The military plans to drop between 300 and 400 cruises missiles
in the first 24 hours of attack, easily exceeding the total
fired over six weeks in the 1991 Gulf war.
The aim is to cause such "shock and awe" that
Iraqi troops will lose their will to fight at the outset.
Just in case they do not get the message immediately, the
US plans do the same again on day two.
And the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Pentagon is
quietly preparing for the possible use of nuclear weapons
in a war against Iraq.
The military planners have been studying lists of potential
targets and considering options, including the possible use
of so-called bunker-buster nuclear weapons against deeply
buried military targets.
Guest: Phyllis Bennis, fellow at the Institute for Policy
Studies in Washington DC, specializing in Middle East and
United Nations issues She is the author of the book Before
and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis,
Lower Third: Institute for Policy Studies
Guest: Andreas Zumach, Geneva-based UN correspondent with
the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung. Last month Zumach obtained
an unedited copy of Iraq's 12,000-page report to the United
Nations, including portions on how Iraq acquired its weapon
capability from Germany, the U.S. and others.
Lower Third: journalist, Die Tageszeitung
Links: Institute for Policy Studies: http://www.ips-dc.org/
9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break
9:50-9:58 FROM PORTO ALLEGRE TO DAVOS TO NEW YORK: WE HEAR
FROM ACTIVISTS AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
AND AT ANTI-WAR PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS
Yesterday Brazil Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lashed
out at Venezuelan opposition leaders, predicting they would
fail in their bid to oust him from power.
Chavez said, "Our struggle against the terrorists and
fascists has further strengthened the will of the Venezuelan
people. It is one thing to try to get rid of me, and another
thing to succeed. I have the popularity to remain in power."
Chavez’s comments came at the third annual World Social
Forum in Porto Allegre, Brazil where up to 100,000 activists
and academics from around the world are meeting in Brazil
this week.
During Thursday's opening march for the forum, an estimated
30,000 to 40,000 people demonstrated in Porto Alegre.
The World Social Forum is being held as a counterpoint to
the World Economic Forum the annual gathering of the world's
biggest capitalists and heads of state, taking place simultaneously
at the luxury Swiss ski resort of Davos.
One of the few individuals who attended both forums was
Brazilian’s new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
He addressed the World social forum last Friday among criticisms
that his attendance at the World Economic Forum this week
would be like as one said“going to a banquet with people
responsible for the misery in the world”
Three years ago, Lula had called the WEF the “grand
strategic event for neoliberalism”. Over the weekend
in Davos he called for rich countries to join his fight to
eliminate hunger affecting up to 44 million of Brazil's 175
million citizens.
Meanwhile in New York, hundreds of anti-war protests gathered
outside the United Nations to protest war.
Guest: America Bera-Savala, organizer with ATTAC in Sweden.
She is in Brazil at the World Social Forum
Guest: Serena Tinari, Indymedia journalist in Davos
Guest: Miles Solay, organizer with Not in Our Name
Link: www.notinourname.net
9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Kris Abrams, Mike Burke, Angie
Karran, Ana Nogiera and Alex Wolfe. Mike Di Filippo is our
engineer and webmaster.
|
