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8:00-8:01 Billboard:
In-Depth: The Full Story of Aristide's Kidnapping
Was Martha Stewart Targeted Because She is a Major Democratic
Contributor and a Woman? Where is Ken Lay?
NYC Residents Sue EPA For Lying After 9/11
8:01:00-8:10:30 Headlines
8:10:30-8:11:30 One Minute Music Break
8:11:30-8:20:50 In-Depth: The Full Story of Aristide's
Kidnapping
INTRO: Just back from the Central African Republic, Kim
Ives, an editor of the Haitian newspaper Haiti-Progres, discusses
the events surrounding President Aristide's overthrow. Ives
spoke with Aristide his native Creole and was able to piece
together what is probably the most comprehensive picture of
what Aristide says happened to him and his wife the morning
they were forced out of Haiti.
A delegation of activists, journalists and lawyers from the
US has just returned from the Central African Republic where
they held a series of meetings with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide. In fact, it was their presence in the CAR that ultimately
forced the authorities there to allow Aristide to appear publicly
and hold a press conference. Earlier this week, Democracy
Now! did an extensive interview with Aristide, the most extensive
English language interview since his removal from Haiti.
The delegation that returned to the US last night is holding
a press conference today at the National Press Club. The group
includes one of Aristide's lawyers, Brian Concannon, as well
as representatives of the Haiti Support Network and the International
Action Center, who went to the CAR representing former US
Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Kim Ives was also on the delegation.
He is the Editor of the newspaper, Haiti-Progres. He had a
chance to speak with Aristide in the Central African Republic
in Aristide's native Creole and was able to piece together
what is probably the most comprehensive picture of what Aristide
says happened to him and his wife the morning they were forced
out of Haiti.
- Kim Ives, editor of the Haitian newspaper, Haiti Progres.
8:20:50-8:21:50 One Minute Music Break
8:21:50-8:39:15 Aristide’s Kidnapping CONT’D
8:39:15-8:40:15 One Minute Music Break
8:40:15-8:52:55 Was Martha Stewart Targeted Because
She is a Major Democratic Contributor and a Woman? Where is
Ken Lay?
INTRO: No charges have yet been brought against former Enron
chairman Ken Lay who was a close friend of President Bush
and a major Republican campaign contributor, while Martha
Stewart, who is a major Democratic contributor, faces up to
20 years in prison for lying to a federal investigato
The Bush presidency has been marked by war. The invasion
and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and now the apparent
overthrow of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti. But these three
years have also been marked by rampant corporate crime. Enron,
Tyco, Adelphia, WorldCom have all become household names.
The Bush administration has said that it is a priority of
the president to crack down on corporate crime. But most of
the CEOs and corporate officials responsible for the collapse
of huge companies and the loss of thousands of jobs walk the
streets with no criminal charges and no jail sentences hanging
over their heads.
No charges, for instance, have been brought against Ken Lay,
who was chairman of Enron when its $9 billion collapse in
2001 ended the jobs of more than 5,000 workers and decimated
the retirement savings of millions of investors. Lay is a
close friend of Bush and a major Republican campaign contributor.
In fact, Lay was one of his closest advisers, one of his "pioneers,"
raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bush's campaign.
After Enron collapsed, Kenny Boy--as Bush referred to his
friend--became Mr. Lay.
Instead, the poster-child for this new crack-down on corporate
crime is Martha Stewart. She is facing up to 20 years in prison
after a jury found her guilty on all charges last week for
covering up her sale of ImClone stock just before the price
plummeted. Quite the opposite of Lay, who is deeply tied to
the Republicans, especially the Bushes, Martha Stewart is
a major contributor to the Democrats. She has given more than
$150,000 in political contributions--all of it to the Democrats.
This according to United Press International.
The Stewart decision was frontpage news across the country.
Headlines screamed "Martha Stewart convicted on all counts
in stock-trading trial." But what many people don't know
is that the government did not charge Stewart with insider
trading. In addition, the judge threw out the most serious
charge in the case - securities fraud. So what was Martha
Stewart guilty of? - Basically, of lying to a federal investigator.
The law, which lawyers usually call 1001, for the section
of the federal code that contains it, prohibits lying to any
federal agent, even by a person who is not under oath and
even by a person who has committed no other crime.
- Harvey Silverglate, a criminal defense and civil liberties
attorney based in Cambridge, Mass.
Link: www.harveysilverglate.com
- Bethany McLean, co-author of "Smartest Guys in the
Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron."
She is also a staff writer for Fortune magazine.
8:52:55-8:58:00 NYC Residents Sue EPA For Lying
After 9/11
INTRO: New York City workers and residents are suing the
Environmental Protection Agency for failing to protect people
from the poor air quality in the days and weeks following
the World Trade Center attacks, accusing then-EPA head Christine
Todd Whitman of "a shockingly deliberate indifference
to human health."
New York City workers and residents in Lower Manhattan and
Brooklyn are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for
failing to protect people from the poor air quality in the
days and weeks following the World Trade Center attacks.
The class-action suit accuses then-EPA head Christine Todd
Whitman of "a shockingly deliberate indifference to human
health."
The suit seeks unspecified damages, including reimbursement
for cleanup costs and the creation of a fund to finance health
monitoring for people exposed to trade center dust.
The EPA said in a statement that it had not been able to
review the lawsuit and could not comment on it. But the statement
added "It is important to note that EPA staff performed
remarkable feats in the aftermath of the World Trade Center
collapse under the most trying of circumstances," including
air monitoring and cleaning of homes.
Last August, an investigation by the EPA's inspector general
revealed that the White House pressured EPA officials to downplay
the health hazards caused by the World Trade Center collapse
which included the extensive presence of asbestos from the
two buildings, toxic dioxins floating in the downtown air,
and increased amounts of lead found in the atmosphere.
If the case goes to trial, attorneys for the plaintiffs
could force Whitman and other EPA officials to testify under
oath.
Meanwhile researchers from Stony Brook University in New
York announced on Monday that they have found a significant
increase in the number of asthma clinic visits for children
living in Chinatown near ground zero.
One of the researchers, Dr. Anthony Szema, said "The
question that remains to be answered is: Are these kids going
to need more visits to doctors and more medications for the
rest of their life?"
And tonight the Sierra Club of New York and the group 9/11
Environmental Action are planning to stage protests today
over the Bush Administration and EPA's handling of the 9/11
cleanup.
The groups are demonstrating in East Meadow, Long Island
today where Bush will be attending the groundbreaking of Nassau
County's Sept. 11 memorial.
- Joel Kupferman, attorney with the New York Environmental
Law & Justice Project. He is one of the co-counsels
on the lawsuit that was filed yesterday.
Link: www.nyenvirolaw.org
8:58-8:59 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 Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu
(RAY MA MU), Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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