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London Bombing Fatalities at 49, Investigation Continues
Anti-Poverty Campaigners and Environmental Groups Criticize
G8 for Falling Short on Promises
Methods Developed by U.S. Military for Withstanding Torture
Being Used Against Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
Eyewitnesses Describe Massacre by UN Troops in Haitian Slum
London Bombing Fatalities at 49, Investigation Continues
The death toll from Thursday's bombing in London now stands
at 49 and the total is expected to get higher. Seven hundred
people were injured in the quadruple explosions that hit three
subway cars and a double-decker bus during morning rush hour.
A massive investigation is underway to identify who was behind
the attack. [includes rush
transcript]
The death toll from Thursday's bombing in London now stands
at 49 and the total is expected to get higher. Seven hundred
people were injured in the quadruple explosions that hit three
subway cars and a double-decker bus during morning rush hour.
British police said all visible bodies had been removed from
the blast sites although rescue workers are continuing to
search.
Officials have only just begun identifying victims of the
attacks - the deadliest in London since the Second World War.
Many of the victims were so badly injured that formal identification
may take some time. A two-minute silence will be held at noon
on Thursday to remember the victims.
Meanwhile, a massive investigation is underway to identify
who was behind the attack. Police have urged the public to
e-mail photographs and video footage taken with digital cameras
or mobile phones at the bomb sites. The Guardian newspaper
is reporting that British Home Secretary Charles Clarke will
make a fresh push to compel internet and phone companies to
retain their records of traffic on millions of private emails,
text messages and mobile phone calls for up to three years.
Clarke is expected to propose further anti-terrorism measures
at a meeting with his European counterparts this week. The
new legislation would include the creation of a conspiracy
offence of "acts preparatory to terrorism."
On Saturday, investigators revealed that the three subway
bombing were virtually simultaneous, going off within 50 seconds
of each other. Specialists from 30 countries are assisting
the London police in their investigation. Meanwhile, Britain's
security alert has reportedly been raised to its highest level
-- "severe specific" alert.
- Omar Waraich, independent journalist and student, speaking
from London
Anti-Poverty Campaigners and Environmental Groups
Criticize G8 for Falling Short on Promises
The Group of 8 Summit in Scotland concluded on Friday. G8
leaders lauded the meetings for making progress on African
poverty and climate change, but there was widespread disappointment
amongst anti-poverty campaigners and environmental groups.
We go to Scotland for a report from David Miller, co-editor
of "Arguments Against G8." [includes rush
transcript]
The G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland came to a conclusion
on Friday- a day after the terror attacks in London. Prime
Minister Tony Blair returned to Geneagles from London and
presided over the final sessions of the summit. He stated
to the participants at the meeting that the acts of terror
"would not obscure what we came here to achieve."
There was also much optimism from Live 8 organizer Bob Geldof
and rock star Bono who hailed the results of the summit as
historic and said the meetings were "the beginning of
the end of poverty."
But while the G8 leaders and rock luminaries insisted that
great strides had been made in addressing African poverty
and global warming, there was widespread disappointment amongst
anti-poverty campaigners and environmental groups. Specifically,
they pointed out that though all eight nations promised $50
billion a year in aid by 2010, the U.S had pledged no new
money. And many activists said that the amount itself was
inadequate - $25 billion was needed now with another $50 billion
in 2010 if poverty targets are really going to be met. Groups
also pointed out that no agreement had been reached on a deadline
for eliminating agricultural export subsidies, which greatly
hurt poor countries.
In terms of the environment, little progress was made in
addressing global warming. President Bush in fact blocked
efforts to agree on specific targets for reduction of greenhouse
gases. Though Bush left the summit without making any public
comment, the White House point person on the summit, Faryar
Shirzad declared to reporters heading back from the meeting
on Air Force One, that the meeting "was a huge success."
- David Miller, professor of Sociology at the University
of Strathclyde in Glasgow and co-editor of the recently
released book "Arguments Against G8," speaking
from Scotland.
Methods Developed by U.S. Military for Withstanding
Torture Being Used Against Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
We play the second part of our interview with journalist
Jane Mayer. Her article in last week's New Yorker reveals
how methods developed by the U.S. military for withstanding
torture are being used against detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Over the weekend, the commanding officer of Guantanamo Bay
in Cuba was relieved of his duties. The officer, Captain Leslie
McCoy, was accused of inappropriate management practices,
officials said. A spokesman for the Navy said, "His release
and reassignment are in no way related to the detainee operations
taking place in Guantanamo." But the Navy did not elaborate
on the allegations against McCoy.
Last week, we spoke with reporter Jane Mayer about her article
in the July 11th issue of The New Yorker titled, "The
Gitmo Experiment."
In it, Mayer reveals how methods developed by the US military
for withstanding torture are being used against detainees
at Guantanamo Bay.
The story revolves around a Pentagon-funded program called
"Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape" - or
SERE. SERE was created to teach US forces considered at high
risk of being captured by enemy forces how to withstand and
resist extreme forms of abuse.
Mayer writes that after September 11th several psychologists
versed in SERE techniques began advising interrogators at
Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.
Today we bring the second part of our interview with Jane
Mayer.
- Jane Mayer, writes for The New Yorker. Her latest piece
is called "The Gitmo Experiment."
Eyewitnesses Describe Massacre by UN Troops in Haitian
Slum
In Haiti, UN troops launched a pre-dawn raid on Cite Soleil,
one of the most economically-depressed neighborhoods of Port
au Prince. Local residents say it might have been the deadliest
attack carried out by UN troops since they were stationed
in the country last year. On Saturday hundreds of Haitians
gatherer for the funeral of Emmanuel "Dread" Wilme
-- a popular community leader who lives in Cite Soleil, one
of the most economically-depressed neighborhoods of Port au
Prince. Wilme was killed last Wednesday when UN troops attacked
the neighborhood in a pre-dawn raid.
Although the raid has received little attention, local residents
say it might have been the deadliest attack carried out by
UN troops since they were stationed in the country last year.
According to residents the UN troops entered the area at
about three in the morning and opened fire. Eyewitnesses reported
the UN troops used helicopters, tanks, machine guns and tear
gas in the operation. The UN has admitted that its troops
killed at least five people. UN military spokesman Colonel
Elouafi Boulbars told Agence France Presse, "The bandits
tried to fight our men. They suffered serious losses and we
found five bodies in what was left of a house." Local
residents put the figure at no less than 20. Some estimates
are even higher. Witnesses said innocent civilians were among
the victims.
- Witnesses in Cite Soleil describe the UN raid.
Another local resident lost her husband in the raid. She
described what happened on Wednesday.
- Cite Soleil resident describes her husband's death.
The United Nations has defended the operation by describing
it as a necessary move to wipe out violent gang activity.
Both the United Nations and the interim Haitian government
have described the slain Dread Wilme as one of the country's
top gang leaders. Cite Soleil is comprised largely of supporters
of the Lavalas Party and ousted Haitian president Jean Bertrand
Aristide who was overthrown in a U.S.-backed coup 18 months
ago. To local residents Dread Wilme was a community leader
and the attacks were seen as politically motivated.
- Cite Soleil residents talk about Emmanuel "Dread"
Wilme.
We are joined in our studio by Seth Donnelly. He visited
Cite Soleil hours after the killings and interviewed survivors.
On Saturday he attended Dread Wilme's funeral. Seth Donnelly
was in Haiti as part of a human rights delegation sponsored
by the San Francisco Labor Council.
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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