Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Fri., July. 8, 2005
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 7-8-05
PRSS Channel: A67.7
British Antiwar MP George Galloway: "London Has Reaped
Blair's Involvement in Iraq"
America's Rail Security: Is the Government Doing Enough to
Protect U.S. Transit Systems?
Longtime Peace Activist Damu Smith Launches Campaign to Battle
Colon Cancer
British Antiwar MP George Galloway: "London
Has Reaped Blair's Involvement in Iraq"
We spend the hour looking at the terror attacks in London.
At least 50 people are dead and hundreds wounded in the worst
attack in that city since World War II. We go to London to
get reaction from British antiwar MP George Galloway, author
and Guardian columnist George Monbiot and journalist Stephen
Grey of the Sunday Times of London. [includes rush
transcript]
Today we spend the hour looking at the terror attacks that
rocked London yesterday. The death toll from the coordinated
bomb attacks has risen to at least 50 - making it the deadliest
attack in London since the Second World War. The final death
toll is not yet known due to the dangers of reaching some
of the underground blast sites. 700 people were injured in
the attacks - 22 of them are in critical condition.
A massive intelligence investigation is under way to find
those responsible. British Home Secretary Charles Clarke said
looking for potential bombers was like searching for "needles
in haystacks". He also said the number of dead is expected
to rise.
A series of four bomb explosions struck London's transport
system during the morning rush hour yesterday. Three London
Underground trains were hit within half an hour, and a London
Bus was hit 30 minutes later. The four explosions came between
8:51am and 9:47am.
The blasts occurred one day after London was awarded the
2012 Olympics and coincided with the first full day of the
G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Prime Minister Tony Blair
flew back from the summit immediately after the attacks and
gave an address from 10 Downing Street.
- British Prime Minister Tony Blair, July 7, 2005.
President George Bush expressed his condolences and said,
"We will not yield to the terrorists, and will find them
and bring them to justice."
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday's coordinated
attacks bore all the hallmarks of the al-Qaeda network. The
attack, which was a coordinated strike against transportation
systems during rush hour, closely resembled the Madrid bombings
last year that took 91 lives.
A previously unknown group calling itself the Secret Organization
Group of al-Qaeda of Jihad Organization in Europe claimed
to be behind the attacks. In a statement posted on an Islamist
website, the group said the attacks were "in revenge
of the massacres that Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan".
The group also threatened Italy and Denmark unless they removed
troops from Iraq. Police said they couldn't confirm the authenticity
of the statement.
Cabinet ministers said forensic teams were hunting for clues
on who carried out the bombings and whether suicide attackers
were involved. The New York Times is reporting that timing
devices rather than suicide bombers set off the explosions.
While British officials contend the security level in London
had been high, the domestic intelligence agency MI5, had advised
businesses in the past two months that the threat from international
terrorism in Britain was lower than at any time since September
11.
The attacks led to the complete shutdown of the London Underground
network and many roads near the affected stations were closed,
severely congesting road traffic. Police urged London commuters
to consider whether to come to work on Friday to avoid burdening
the transport system. London is the world's oldest subway
system, transporting 3 million people each day.
- Stephen Grey, journalist with the Sunday Times of London.
- George Galloway, Respect Member of Parliament for Bethnal
Green and Bow in East London, England. He was previously
Labour Party member but he was expelled in October 2003
because of statements he made opposing the 2003 invasion
of Iraq. In January 2004 he formed a new political party,
RESPECT The Unity Coalition, and was returned to Parliament
as its candidate in the 2005 general election.
- George Monbiot, an author and columnist for the London
Guardian. He is author of the book "Manifesto for a
New World Order."
America's Rail Security: Is the Government Doing
Enough to Protect U.S. Transit Systems?
A group of critics inside and outside of government are
accusing the Bush administration of not focusing enough on
protecting the country's public transit systems. We speak
with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) who introduced the
Safe TRAINS Act, the president of the American Public Transportation
Association William Millar and Stephen Flynn, a retired U.S.
Coast Guard commander and an expert on homeland security and
border control. [includes rush
transcript]
The bombings in London marked the second time in two years
a train system in a major European city had been targeted.
On March 11, 2004 in the Spanish of Madrid, in a series of
bombings left 191 people and more than 1800 people injured.
On Thursday Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced
that the government had placed public transportation systems
in the country's cities on higher alert.
- Michael Chertoff, Director of Homeland Security, July
7, 2005
In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg vowed that the city's
trains were safe to ride.
- Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City
Thursday's blasts in London raised new questions about security
on the nation's public transit systems. During the average
work day, in this country, 14 million people ride public buses,
trains and subways. In a single month the nation's public
transportation system carry more passengers than U.S. airlines
carry in a year.
However a group of critics inside and outside of government
are accusing the Bush administration of not focusing enough
on protecting the country's public transit systems.
Since the Sept. 11th attacks, the federal government has
provided public transit systems 250 million dollars under
the Transit Security Grant Program. The American Public Transportation
Association has complained that this has been an inadequate
amount. The trade group points out that over the same period
the federal government has given the aviation industry over
15 billion dollars -- more than 60 times as much money.
- Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton, Democrat who represents
the District of Columbia. She serves on the House Homeland
Security Committee. Last year she introduced the Safe TRAINS
Act.
- William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation
Association. The Association represents more than 1,500
public transit organizations around the world, including
the London Underground.
- Stephen Flynn, senior fellow for national security studies
at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of "America
the Vulnerable: How Our Government Is Failing to Protect
Us from Terrorism." He served in the White House Military
Office in the George W. Bush administration and as a director
for global issues on the National Security Council staff
during the Clinton administration.
Longtime Peace Activist Damu Smith Launches Campaign
to Battle Colon Cancer
We speak with Damu Smith founder of Black Voices for Peace
and executive director of the National Black Environmental
Justice Network. For more than three decades, Damu has worked
tirelessly on the frontlines of the anti-war and environmental
justice movements. Last month, he was diagnosed with colon
cancer in its advanced stages. He is now seeking treatment.
[includes rush
transcript]
We end today's program with Damu Smith, a living legend.
He founded Black Voices for Peace and the National Black Environmental
Justice Network. He hosts the program Spirit in Action on
Pacifica station WPFW and he has been a leading peace activist
for decades. Damu is now fighting for his life. Earlier this
year he was diagnosed with advanced stages of colon cancer.
Supporters are organizing fund-raising events around the country
to help with his medical and personal expenses. The goal is
to raise at least $150,000.
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.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
