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Exclusive: Conscientious Objector Witnessed Abuse, Killing
of Iraqi Detainees at Abu Ghraib
Manning Marable vs. Donna Brazile on the Future of the Democratic
Party
Exclusive: Conscientious Objector Witnessed Abuse,
Killing of Iraqi Detainees at Abu Ghraib
In a Democracy Now! national broadcast exclusive, we speak
with former Army Reserve Specialist Aidan Delgado. He served
in Iraq from April 2003 to April 2004 where he was deployed
in Nasiriyah and Abu Ghraib. Soon after his arrival in Iraq,
he sought conscientious objector status and turned in his
weapon. At Abu Ghraib, he witnessed U.S. soldiers abuse and
kill Iraqi detainees. After serving his full tour of duty,
Aidan Delgado was finally granted conscientious objector status
and was honorably discharged.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, New College student
Aidan Delgado was at the Army recruiting station in Tampa,
Florida finalizing his paperwork to enlist in the Army Reserves.
Later that morning, still at the station, Delgado watched
the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. A year
and a half later, as the US invasion of Iraq was in full swing,
Delgado was shipped off to fight. Soon after his arrival in
the southern city of Nasiriyah, Delgado decided he did not
want to participate in the war and applied for conscientious
objector status and handed in his weapon.
After six months, he was transferred to the notorious Abu
Ghraib prison, where he served as a vehicle mechanic for his
remaining tour of duty. During his time there, Delgado says
he witnessed numerous cases of abuse, violence and killing
of Iraqi detainees. On April 1, 2004, exactly, one year after
his arrival in Iraq, Aidan Delgado returned home. He was finally
granted conscientious objector status in June and was honorably
discharged. Aidan Delgado joins us in our firehouse studio
today.
- Aidan Delgado, soldier in the Army Reserves. He served
in Iraq from April 2003 to April 2004 where he was deployed
in Nasiriyah and Abu Ghraib. He sought conscientious objector
status soon after his arrival in Iraq. He was granted CO
status after he served his full tour of duty in Iraq.
Manning Marable vs. Donna Brazile on the Future of
the Democratic Party
As controversy continues to rage over the 2004 presidential
elections and challenges to the legitimacy of the vote in
the crucial state of Ohio continue to move forward, another
battle is heating up, this one over the future of the Democratic
Party. We host a debate with Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign
manager in the 2000 election and a longtime Democratic Party
activist and Manning Marable, a professor at Columbia University
and one of America's most influential and widely read scholars.
As controversy continues to rage over the 2004 presidential
elections and challenges to the legitimacy of the vote in
the crucial state of Ohio continue to move forward, another
battle is heating up. This one over the future of the Democratic
Party.
Last week, Moveon.org sparked a controversy when it sent
an email out to its massive list-serve saying it had a message
for what it called the "professional election losers"
who run the Democratic Party. Pointing to the $300 million
raised by MoveOn and other individual contributors, the group's
founder Eli Pariser said of the Democratic party, "We
bought it, we own it, we're going to take it back." The
email targeted outgoing Democratic National Committee chairman
Terry McAuliffe as a tool of corporate donors who alienated
both traditional and progressive Democrats. The email charged
that, for years, the party has been led by elite Washington
insiders who are closer to corporate lobbyists than they are
to the Democratic base
Meanwhile, Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has sparked
an impassioned debate by announcing his intention to run for
chair of the powerful Democratic National Committee. This
weekend Dean and other prospective candidates vying for the
position will speak at a Democratic Party event in Orlando,
Florida.
Among the names being tossed around are: US Representative
Martin Frost of Texas; former Michigan governor James Blanchard;
former Denver mayor Wellington Webb;former Dallas mayor Ron
Kirk; former White House deputy chief of staff Harold Ickes;
businessman Leo Hindery Jr.and Donnie Fowler, a Democratic
strategist and Silicon Valley veteran. Democrats will vote
at their February meeting in Washington on a successor to
Terry McAuliffe. Many see that election as one of the strongest
indicators of the direction the Democratic party will take
over the next 4 years.
- Manning Marable, one of America's most influential and
widely read scholars. He is Professor of History and Political
Science and Public Affairs at Columbia University, and founding
Director of the Institute for Research in African-American
Studies. His latest books include "The Great Wells
of Democracy: The Meaning of Race in American Life and "Freedom
on My Mind: The Columbia Documentary History of the African
American Experience."
- Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager in the 2000
election and a longtime Democratic Party activist. She is
author of the book "Cooking With Grease: Stirring the
Pots in American Politics."
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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