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From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 4-15-03
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8:00-8:01 Billboard:
U.S. sets its eyes on Syria: Washington diplomatically and
economically threatens Iraq’s neighbor as the region’s
newest “rogue state”
Columbia University professor Edward Said and Syrian expert
Patrick Seale discuss the state of the Middle East after the
invasion of Iraq
8:01-8:06 Headlines
8:06-8:07 One Minute Music Break
8:10-8:30 U.S. SETS ITS EYES ON SYRIA: WASHINGTON DIPLOMATICALLY
AND ECONOMICALLY THREATENS IRAQ’S NEIGHBOR AS THE REGION’S
NEWEST “ROGUE STATE”
“So now Syria is in America's gunsights. First it's
Iraq, Israel's most powerful enemy, possessor of weapons of
mass destruction none of which has been found. Now it's
Syria, Israel's second most powerful enemy, possessor of weapons
of mass destruction, or so President George Bush Junior tells
us. No word of that possessor of real weapons of mass destruction,
Israel the number of its nuclear warheads in the Negev
are now accurately listed whose Prime Minister, Ariel
Sharon, has long been complaining that Damascus is the QUOTE
"centre of world terror".
That was Robert Fisk in today’s Independent.
The US yesterday threatened Syria with diplomatic and economic
pressure, as a series of top officials accused Damascus of
supporting terrorism.
War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld alleged Syria had carried
out chemical weapons tests over the past 12 to 15 months.
“Rogue State” is how White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer described Syria.
And Secretary of State Gen. Colin hinted economic sanctions
against Syria might be in order.
Meanwhile at the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi
Annan warned last night that recent U.S. warnings to Syria
could contribute to a wider destabilization in a region already
wracked by the war in Iraq.
Syria has denied Washington’s accusations. They have
called it an attempt to obscure the events in Iraq and yesterday
accused Israel of being behind the weapons and terrorism accusations.
Tape: Gen. Colin Powell, Secretary of State
- Patrick Seale, British journalist who has covered the
Middle East for over 30 years specializing in Syria. He
is the author of “Asad: The Struggle for the Middle
East”
- Scott C. Davis, publisher of CUNE Press and author of
The Road From Damascus: A Journey Through Syria. He recently
returned from Syria where he was during the first 10 days
of the U.S. invasion. Link: www.scottcdavis.com
8:20-8:21 One Minute Music Break
8:21-8:30 SYRIA Pt. I cont’d
8:30-8:58 SYRIAN EXPERT PATRICK SEALE AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR EDWARD SAID DISCUSS THE STATE OF THE MIDDLE EAST
AFTER THE INVASION OF IRAQ
Secretary Of State Gen. Colin Powell accused Syria of harboring
officials from Saddam Hussein’s government, and threatened
economic or diplomatic sanctions.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called Syria a “terrorist
state” and a “rogue nation.”
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claimed Syria had carried
out chemical weapons tests in the last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon jumped on the opportunity
and called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "dangerous."
He urged Washington to put “very heavy ... political
and economic pressure" on Syria. (Meanwhile, a Palestinian
gunman, an Israeli officer and two Israeli civilians were
killed today. The gunman hurled grenades and sprayed automatic
weapons fire at a customs area between between Israel and
the Gaza strip. Hamas said the attack was revenge for Israel’s
killing of one of its top commanders. Another Palestinian
was killed by Israeli tank fire in the Southern Gaza strip
city of Rafah.
Arab countries, Russia and the European Union criticized
the US rhetoric.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa said he is astounded
by the threats.
An advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned the
Americans against the temptation to "target one Arab
country after another".
Earlier, Russia and the European Union urged the US to show
restraint.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan warned that statements directed
at Syria could destabilize the whole Middle East.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to reassure his
parliament and pledged there are no plans to invade Syria.
And the Syrian foreign ministry spokeswoman Bouthana Shaaban
said: "the only country in the region which has chemical,
biological and nuclear weapons is Israel".
The Washington Post reports senior administration officials
claim there are no plans to invade Syria.
Tape: Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary
- Edward Said, University Professor of English and Comparative
Literature at Columbia University. He is the author of many
works, including Culture and Imperialism and Orientalism.
- Patrick Seale, British journalist who has covered the
Middle East for over 30 years specializing in Syria. He
is the author of “Asad: The Struggle for the Middle
East”
8:40-8:41 One Minute Music Break
8:41-8:58 SYRIA pt. 2 cont’d
8:58-8:59 Outro and Credits
9:00-9:01 Billboard:
Did U.S. antiques collectors have plans to loot Iraq’s
historical artifacts themselves? International outrage continues
at U.S. failure to protect the famous National Museum or Baghdad’s
National Library and Archives
Congressman Jerrold Nadler on the endless war: Is Iran &
Syria next?
International attorneys announce plans to investigate war
crimes in Iraq: Alleged crimes by both U.S. and Iraq would
be examined
Thousands rally in Los Angeles to protest war: We hear from
the Rev. James Lawson
9:01-9:10 Headlines
9:10-9:11 One Minute Music Break
9:11-9:25 DID U.S. ANTIQUES COLLECTORS HAVE PLANS TO LOOT
IRAQ THEMSELVES? INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE CONTINUES AT U.S. FAILURE
TO PROTECT THE FAMOUS NATIONAL MUSEUM OR BAGHDAD’S NATIONAL
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
After international outrage at the failure of US troops
to protect hospitals and the looting of the famous National
Museum, Baghdad’s National Library and Archives went
up in flames yesterday. Almost all of the contents of the
library are destroyed.
British war correspondent Robert Fisk reports the library
was a priceless treasure of Ottoman historical documents,
including the old royal archives of Iraq. He saw pages blowing
in the wind of handwritten letters between the court of Sharif
Hussein of Mecca, who started the Arab revolt against the
Turks for Lawrence of Arabia, and the Ottoman rulers of Baghdad.
Fisk also saw the Koranic library burning nearby, which includes
one of the oldest surviving copies of the Koran.
He rushed to the offices of the Marines' Civil Affairs Bureau.
He gave the map location and said it would take only five
minutes to drive there. Half an hour later, there wasn't an
American at the scene.
Meanwhile, nine British archaeologists published a letter
in the London Guardian yesterday, charging that private collectors
are persuading the Pentagon to relax legislation that protects
Iraq's heritage by prevention of sales abroad.
The Guardian reports Pentagon officials are denying accusations
that the US government is succumbing to pressure from private
collectors to allow plundered Iraqi treasures to be traded
on the open market.
Months before the US-led invasion of Iraq, a coalition of
wealthy American antiquities collectors met with defense and
state department officials to discuss the fate of the country’s
ancient artifacts.
Among other things they urged the Bush Administration to
weaken Iraq’s strict antiquities laws make it easier
for U.S. dealers to export Iraqi artifacts out of Iraq.
The main group behind this move was the recently formed,
The American Council for Cultural Policy.
The group’s treasurer William Pealstein described
Iraq’s laws as “retentionist.”
But well established archaeological groups have strongly
criticized these efforts.
The director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological
said, “Iraqi antiquities legislation protects Iraq.
The last thing one needs is some group of dealer-connected
Americans interfering. Any change to those laws would be absolutely
monstrous.”
- Andrew Lawler, the archaeology correspondent for Science
Magazine
9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break
9:25-9:40 CONGRESSMAN JERROLD NADLER ON THE ENDLESS WAR:
IS IRAN & SYRIA NEXT?
Secretary Of State Gen. Colin Powell accused Syria of harboring
officials from Saddam Hussein’s government, and threatened
economic or diplomatic sanctions.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer called Syria a “terrorist
state” and a “rogue nation.”
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claimed Syria had carried
out chemical weapons tests in the last year.
At a recent speech in New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
warned of endless war. Let’s take a listen.
- Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
9:40-9:41 One-minute music break
9:41-9:50 INTERNATIONAL ATTORNEYS ANNOUNCE PLANS TO INVESTIGATE
WAR CRIMES IN IRAQ: ALLEGED CRIMES BYBOTH U.S. AND IRAQ WOULD
BE EXAMINED
A multinational coalition of attorney and legal groups has
announced plans to investigate alleged war crimes in Iraq
for potential prosecution by the young International Criminal
Court or other legal bodies. This according to an article
from the Inter Press Service.
The move is motivated in part by Washington's recent declaration
that it plans to set up its own tribunal to try alleged war
crimes and crimes against humanity in the nation that it invaded
last month, despite widespread calls for an international
body that would also examine U.S. conduct in Iraq.
The U.S. military has been condemned for using weapons such
as cluster bombs and depleted uranium in its invasion that
have a devastating impact on civilians. It is also accused
by human rights groups of targeting known civilian sites and
journalists' offices.
The first phase of the coalition's initiative will take
place May 24-25 when five international law experts meet in
London to establish the criteria for determining what constitutes
''war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression.”
Three months later, the tribunal will sit again in Rome
to decide if significant evidence exists that war crimes were
committed in Iraq.
- Phil Shiner, Public Interest Lawyers (UK)
Link: www.publicinterestlawyers.co.uk
Contact: internationalmonitoring@yahoo.com
9:50-9:58 THOUSANDS RALLY IN LOS ANGELES TO PROTEST WAR:
WE HEAR FROM THE REV. JAMES LAWSON
On Sunday thousands gathered at an anti-war rally organized
by the the Los Angles chapter of A.N.S.W.E.R. Among the speakers
where the Rev. James Lawson.
Rev. James Lawson, Hollman United Methodist Church Pastor
Emeritus
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, Sharif
Abdel Kouddous, Angie Karran, Ana Nogueira and Elizabeth Press
with help from Noah Reibel. Mike Di Filippo is our music maestro
and engineer.
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