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Baghdad Blast Leaves 35 Dead, 130 Wounded
9/11 Commission Debunks White House Justification For Iraq
War: No Link between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
Ex-U.S. Ambassador: Regime Change is Needed in Washington
Thousands of Hip Hop Activists Gather in New Jersey For National
Hip Hop Convention
Hip Hop Artist Michael Franti Reports From Rafah
The Fluoride Deception: How a Nuclear Waste Byproduct Made
Its Way Into the Nation's Drinking Water
Baghdad Blast Leaves 35 Dead, 130 Wounded
At least 35 people have been killed, and over 130 wounded
in a car bomb attack at an Iraqi army recruitment centre in
western Baghdad. We go to Iraq to speak with Jonathan Steele,
senior foreign correspondent for the London Guardian reporting
from the bomb site.
At least 35 people have been killed, and over 130 wounded
in a car bomb attack at an Iraqi army recruitment centre in
western Baghdad. The car, packed with artillery shells, blew
up at the gates of the recruitment centre, housed in an old
airport. The blast was heard throughout the city.
The health ministry says that 138 people have been injured,
many of them seriously. This according to the BBC. Officials
say the death toll is likely to rise.
The heavily-fortified Muthenna airport in the west of the
city is also used as a military base for US troops. The same
recruitment centre was hit by a car bomb five months ago when
up to 47 people died.
With the so-called June 30 transfer of sovereignty less than
two weeks away, the bombing marks the latest in a series of
deadly attacks in Iraq. At least 80 people have killed in
June alone.
- Jonathan Steele, the London Guardian's Senior Foreign
correspondent reporting from the scene of the blast.
9/11 Commission Debunks White House Justification
For Iraq War: No Link between Iraq and Al-Qaeda
The Sept. 11 commission reported yesterday there was "no
credible evidence" that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaida
target the United States, contradicting one of the Bush administration
main reasons for war. We look at how the White House repeated
the false claims to justify the invasion of Iraq.
In a blunt contradiction to the Bush administration, the
Sept. 11 commission reported yesterday there was "no
credible evidence" that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaida
target the United States.
Top Bush adminisration officials have repeatedly claimed
links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, and cited them
as one reason for last year's invasion of Iraq.
Although no established links between Iraq and 9/11 have
ever been proven, the findings of the bipartisan commission
come as a direct challenge to one of the Bush administration's
main justifications for war.
Over the past two years, Vice President Dick Cheney in particular
has aggressively pushed the notion of an Iraq-Al-Qaeda alliance,
describing it in dire terms.
Cheney on October 10, 2003: "He also has an established
relationship with al-Qaeda, providing training to al-Qaeda
members in the areas of poisons, gases, making conventional
bombs."
That was Cheney in October 2003. In January of this year,
Cheney said, "there's overwhelming evidence" of
an Iraq-al Qaeda connection and that he was "very confident
there was an established relationship." As recently as
this past Monday, Cheney once again claimed links between
Iraq and al-Qaida.
Cheney on June 14, 2004: "He was a patron of terrorism.
He had long-established ties with a-Qaeda."
The day after Cheney's comments, Bush was questioned at a
press conference outside the White House.
White House Press Conference June 15, 2004:
Q: The Vice President, who I see standing over there, said
yesterday that Saddam Hussein has long-established ties to
al Qaeda. As you know, this is disputed within the U.S. intelligence
community. Mr. President, would you add any qualifiers to
that flat statement? And what do you think is the best evidence
of it?
President Bush: Zarqawi. Zarqawi is the best evidence of
connection to al Qaeda affiliates and al Qaeda. He's the person
who's still killing. He's the person -- and remember the email
exchange between al Qaeda leadership and he, himself, about
how to disrupt the progress toward freedom? Saddam Hussein
also had ties to terrorist organizations, as well.
President Bush speaking outside the White House Tuesday.
He refers to Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian who has taken
credit for a wave of attacks in Iraq.
In January 2003, Bush suggested cooperation between Iraq
and al-Qaeda in his landmark 2003 State of the Union address,
just two months before the invasion.
State of the Union Address January 28, 2003:
"Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications
and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam
Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of
Al Qaeda."
President Bush making his State of the Union Address in January
2003. Critics have long dismissed the notion of any Iraq connection
to the Sept. 11 attacks, but repeated government official
claims have had an undeniable effect.
According to a recent poll, conducted by the Program on International
Policy Attitudes at the Univesrity of Maryland, 57 percent
of Americans believe that Saddam gave substantial support
to al-Qaeda.
This was the key finding in yesterday's report entitled "Overview
of the Enemy." It was read by 9/11 Commission staff member
Douglas Maceachin.
9/11 Commission report "Overview of the Enemy"
Bin ladin also explored possible cooperation with Iraq during
his time in Sudan, despite his opposition to Hussein's secular
regime. Bin Laden had in fact at one time sponsored anti-Saddam
Islamists in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Sudanese, to protect their
own ties with Iraq, reportedly persuaded Bin Laden to cease
this support and arranged for contacts between Iraq and al
Qaeda. A senior Iraqi intelligence officer made three visits
to Sudan, finally meeting with Bin Laden in 1994. Bin Laden
is said to have requested space to establish training camps,
as well as assistance in procuring weapons, but Iraq apparently
never responded. There's been reports of contacts between
Iraq and al Qaeda also occurred after Bin Laden had returned
to Afghanistan, but they do not appear to have resulted in
a collaborative relationship. The two senior Bin Laden associates
have adamantly denied that any ties existed between al Qaeda
and Iraq. We have no credible evidence that Iraq and al Qaeda
cooperated on attacks against the United States.
That was an excerpt of the 911 report yesterday. The release
of the staff reports came as the commission opened its final
public hearing on the attacks. The two days of hearings which
end today cover the Sept. 11 plot and the emergency response
by the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. air defenses.
The panel intends to issue a final report in July.
Ex-U.S. Ambassador: Regime Change is Needed in Washington
26 former diplomats and retired military officials have
co-written a statement saying the re-election of President
Bush in November will jeopardize national security. We talk
to the former ambassador to Greece and Zimbabwe.
A group of 26 former senior diplomats and military officials
have signed a joint statement saying Bush should be voted
out of office in November for damaging U.S. national security
interests and America's standing in the international community.
The group, which calls itself Diplomats and Military Commanders
for Change, includes 20 ambassadors, many appointed by the
Reagan and first Bush administrations, as well as ex-military
leaders and other former State Department officials and whose
careers span three decades.
- Ambassador Robert Keeley, former ambassador to Greece,
Zimbabwe and Mauritius. He most recently served as ambassador
to Greece during the Reagan administration. He is a founding
member of the newly formed Dipomats and Military Commanders
For Change. He is speaking to us from Washington D.C.
Thousands of Hip Hop Activists Gather in New Jersey
For National Hip Hop Convention
Over 2,000 delegates from around the country are converging
in Newark for a landmark convention seen by many as a modern-day
version of the 1972 National Black Political Convention held
in Gary, Indiana. We talk to hip hop organizers Rosa Clemente
and Davey D.
The National Hip-Hop Convention kicked off yesterday in Newark,
New Jersey. A record 2,000 people are expected to attend the
four-day conference, which is the brainchild of activists,
organizations, elected officials, political pundits and hip-hop
artists from all over the country.
Delegates earn their convention seats by registering at least
50 people to vote. They'll attend dozens of workshops, film
screenings, panel discussions and also vote on a platform,
which organizers hope will be incorporated into the platforms
of political parties across the spectrum.
The convention runs through Saturday and speakers will include
Princeton professor Cornel West, rap artists Doug E Fresh,
Boots Riley of the Coup and M-1 of Dead Prez, Democratic presidential
candidate Congressman Dennis Kuchinich and many more.
- Davey
D, hip hop historian, journalist, deejay and community
activist. He is the webmaster for what is considered one
of the oldest and largest Hip Hop sites on the web: Davey
D's Hip Hop Corner. He hosts the show Hard Knocks Radio
on Pacifica station KPFA.
- Rosa Clemente, co-founder of the National
Hip Hop Convention. She is a New York based grassroots
organizer, hip-hop activist, journalist. She co-hosts a
weekly show on Pacifica station WBAI
called "Where We Live."
Hip Hop Artist Michael Franti Reports From Rafah
Franti continues his fact-finding trip through the Middle
East. We last spoke with him in Baghdad, he is now in Rafah
where Israel recently demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes.
- Michael Franti, hip hop artist speaking from Rafah in
the Gaza Strip.
The Fluoride Deception: How a Nuclear Waste Byproduct
Made Its Way Into the Nation's Drinking Water
Journalist Christopher Bryson claims in his new book "The
Fluoride Deception" that the post-war campaign to fluoridate
drinking water was less a public health innovation than a
public relations ploy sponsored by industrial users of fluoride
- including the government's nuclear weapons program.
Hailed as a harmless chemical that would prevent tooth decay,
new evidence shows how fluoride could be linked to serious
health problems.
Fluoridation was first advanced in the US at the end of the
second World War. Proponents argued that fluoride in water
and toothpaste would help to protect teeth and prevent decay.
Over the following decades, fluoride was added to public water
supplies across the country.
While the benefits of fluoridation have been held to be unquestionable,
accumulating evidence points to a frightening prospect: that
fluoride may have serious adverse health effects, including
infant mortality, congenital defects and IQ.
Now a new book, titled "The Fluoride Deception"
by Christopher Bryson examines the background of the fluoridation
debate. According to Bryson, research challenging fluoride's
safety was either suppressed or not conducted in the first
place. He says fluoridation is a triumph not of medical science
but of US government spin.
- Christopher Bryson, has reported science news stories
for many media outlets including the BBC, Christian Science
Monitor and the Discovery Channel. He was part of an investigative
team at Public Television that won a George Polk Award for
"The Kwitny Report."
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,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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