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John Lennon 1940-1980: History Professor Jon Weiner Discusses
Lennon's Politics, FBI Files and Why Richard Nixon Sought
to Deport Him
As Rice Asserts U.S. Detainee Policy, a Look at "Torture
Flights" and Secret CIA Prisons
John Lennon 1940-1980: History Professor Jon Weiner
Discusses Lennon's Politics, FBI Files and Why Richard Nixon
Sought to Deport Him
25 years ago today John Lennon died after being shot dead
by a gunman named Mark Chapman. Millions mourned the death
of perhaps the most famous Beatle. Today memorials are being
held across the world.
On this anniversary, we pay tribute to Lennon’s life
with historian Jon Wiener, author of "Gimme Some Truth:
The John Lennon FBI Files" and "Come Together: John
Lennon in His Time."
We also hear Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono describe their
Bed-In For Peace. We play excerpts of Lennon singing “Imagine”
at the Apollo Theater in Harlem at a rally for the Attica
prisoners and Lennon singing at the 1971 Free John Sinclair
concert in Ann Arbor. In addition we air historic interviews
with Pete Seeger discussing the significance of Lennon’s
song “Give Peace A Chance” and Abbie Hoffman on
Lennon, the political radical. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Twenty-five years ago today, Howard Cosell broke into Monday
Night Football with an announcement that shocked the country.
- Howard Cosell, announcing John Lennon's death, December
8, 1980.
John Lennon had died at the age of 40. As soon as word of
his murder was announced, hundreds of fans began gathering
in Central Park near the Dakota apartment building where Lennon
lived and was shot.
A day after he died, his wife, Yoko Ono, said, "John
loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for
him." Millions mourned his death across world. As a leader
of the Beatles, John Lennon helped to transform popular music.
But to his fans he was far more than just a musician.
While the highlights of Lennon's career with the Beatles
is well known, Lennon is less remembered for his political
activism and dedication to peace. Lennon wrote some of the
most famous songs of the anti-war movement: "Give Peace
A Chance", "Imagine" and "Happy Christmas
(War Is Over)". He sang at political protests against
the Vietnam War, in support of the radical John Sinclair and
even for the prisoners of Attica. He and Yoko made international
headlines simply by lying in bed as part of their Bed-In For
Peace.
The U.S. government saw Lennon as such a serious threat that
President Nixon attempted to have him deported in 1972. In
addition the FBI closely monitored his actions and amassed
a file on Lennon of over 400 pages.
Today -- on the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death --
we speak with historian Jon Wiener about Lennon's politics
and his FBI files.
- Jon Wiener, history professor at the University of California
Irvine and the author of two books on Lennon: "Gimme
Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files" and "Come
Together: John Lennon In His Times."
More information: John
Lennon - FBI Files
As Rice Asserts U.S. Detainee Policy, a Look at "Torture
Flights" and Secret CIA Prisons
As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that U.S. interrogators
are forbidden to use torture both at home and abroad, we speak
with British journalist Stephen Grey on how he tracks so-called
"torture flights" - when the CIA kidnaps a suspect
of the street and transports them to secret prisons. Seeking
to defuse growing controversy over torture and the US treatment
of detainees, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on
Wednesday that U.S. interrogators are forbidden to use torture
both at home and abroad.
- Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State, December 7, 2005:
"As a matter of U.S. policy, the United States' obligations
under the CAT (Convention against Torture), which prohibits
cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment - those obligations
extend to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they
are in the United States or outside the United States."
Rice's comments came on a stop in the Ukrainian capital of
Kiev. She has faced repeated questions on her European trip
over the U.S. treatment of detainees and reports that the
CIA is running a network of secret prisons in Europe. Officials
in Washington and Europe praised Rice's comments, saying they
signaled a major White House policy shift. Previous public
statements by the Bush administration have asserted that the
torture ban did not apply abroad. But human rights groups
say any concession is cosmetic.
Rice's remarks did not clarify questions about what definitions
the United States applied to terms like torture and cruel,
inhumane and degrading treatment. Her comments also did not
directly address the practice of extraordinary rendition where
CIA agents essentially kidnap people and then transport them
to overseas prisons for interrogation by foreign governments.
- Stephen Grey, British journalist who written extensively
on these secret CIA programs for the Sunday Times of London,
New Statesman, New York Times and other publications. Over
18 months ago, he was one of the first to expose that the
CIA was flying detainees to secret prisons around the world.
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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