Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Tues., Jan. 10, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 1-10-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Abortion, Executive Power to Play Central Role in Senators'
Questioning of Alito at Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing
Top UN Envoy for Prevention of Genocide on Darfur: International
Community Must Do More to End Bloodshed, Insist Sudan Government
Cooperate With ICC
Doctors Without Borders Aid Worker Describes Dire Humanitarian
Situation in Southern Sudan
Abortion, Executive Power to Play Central Role in
Senators' Questioning of Alito at Supreme Court Confirmation
Hearing
We play excerpts of the confirmation hearings for Supreme
Court nominee Samuel Alito who President Bush has tapped to
replace Sandra Day O'Connor. During their opening statements,
the 18 Senators on the Judiciary Committee repeatedly said
Alito's views on abortion and executive power will play a
central role in their questioning which will begin today.
For his part Alito used his opening statement to paint himself
not as a judicial radical but as a judge with no agenda. [includes
rush
transcript]
We look at the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee
Samuel Alito who President Bush has tapped to replace Sandra
Day O'Connor.
During their opening statements, the 18 Senators on the Judiciary
Committee repeatedly said Alito's views on abortion and executive
power will play a central role in their questioning which
will begin today.
Alito has already come under intense criticism from some
quarters. In a new 155-page report, the People for the American
Way has warned "If [Alito] replaces Justice O'Connor,
he would be a consistent vote to turn back the clock on decades
of progress in civil rights, civil liberties, health and safety,
environmental protection and liberty." The watchdog group
goes on to warn "His extreme judicial philosophy threatens
fundamental rights and legal protections for all Americans
- for decades to come."
For his part Alito used his opening statement to paint himself
not as a judicial radical but as a judge with no agenda. In
his 12-minute address he spent more time discussing his family's
working class New Jersey background than on his own judicial
philosophy.
- Samuel Alito, Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme
Court, Day One.
Before Alito spoke each Senator on the committee spoke for
10 minutes on his nomination. This is Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D - MA), Senate confirmation hearing
for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, Day One.
Several Senators said Alito's view on abortion will be a
central focus of today's questioning. Democrats repeatedly
referred to a 1985 job application in which Alito admitted
that he personally believes "that the Constitution does
not protect a right to an abortion."
- Sen. Tom Coburn (R - OK), Senate confirmation hearing
for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, Day One.
Today, Senators will begin at least two days of questioning
of Alito. On Monday, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of
New York outlined several questions he expects Alito to answer.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D - NY), Senate confirmation hearing
for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, Day One.
Top UN Envoy for Prevention of Genocide on Darfur:
International Community Must Do More to End Bloodshed, Insist
Sudan Government Cooperate With ICC
We look at a region the United Nations has called "one
of the worst humanitarian crises in the world" - the
Western province of Darfur in Sudan. We speak with UN Envoy
for the Prevention of Genocide Juan Mendez, who visited Darfur
in September and issued a report on human rights violations.
The U.S., China, Russia and Algeria subsequently prevented
Mendez from conducting a briefing to the UN Security Council.
Mendez speaks about the ongoing violence in Darfur and his
recommendations for peace. [includes rush
transcript]
Over the past two years, at least 180,000 people have died
in the region and over 2 million people have been left homeless.
The conflict erupted in early 2003 when the Justice and Equality
Movement and the Sudanese Liberation Movement took up arms
against Khartoum to end what they call the neglect and oppression
of the mainly black inhabitants of Darfur. The Sudanese government
is accused of responding by backing Arab militias known as
the Janjaweed.
In December, Human Rights Watch published a report with a
list of senior Sudanese officials who it said should be investigated
for crimes against humanity. The report said the government
methodically organized the looting and destruction of villages,
with troops and militia members permitted to take land, livestock
and other civilian property after killing, raping and torturing
tens of thousands of people. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
recently warned, "the vast majority of armed militia
have not been disarmed, and no major steps have been taken
by the government to bring to justice or even identify any
of the militia leaders or the perpetrators of attacks."
The conflict has been labeled as genocide by many human rights
groups.
The UN Security Council has asked the International Criminal
Court (ICC) to probe the situation, but the Sudanese government
has indicated it would not cooperate. Peace negotiations began
in November between Khartoum and the two rebel movements.
African Union officials called off the talks in Abuja, Nigeria
this week to respect a Muslim holiday, the Eid el-Kabir festival.
The talks have been mired in disagreement as the security
situation in Darfur continues to worsen.
In this country, Congress recently rejected a bill that would
appropriate $50 million dollars in funds to the African Union,
the only peacekeeping force on the ground in Darfur. Last
Friday, one of the AU's peacekeepers was killed in the latest
breach of the ceasefire.
For more on Darfur we are joined by Juan Mendez, the top
United Nations envoy for the prevention of genocide. In October,
the US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, blocked
Mendez from addressing the Security Council on human rights
violations in the Darfur region. Bolton said, "We should
talk about next steps, not about how to arrange the furniture
in the Security Council." Juan Mendez is the president
of the International Center for Transitional Justice here
in New York City.
- Juan Mendez, the United Nation's Special Adviser of the
Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, president
of the International Center
for Transitional Justice. From Argentina, Mr. Méndez
has dedicated his legal career to the defense of human rights
and has a long and distinguished record of advocacy throughout
the Americas.
Read Juan Mendez's Report
of the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide: Visit
to Darfur, Sudan
Doctors Without Borders Aid Worker Describes Dire
Humanitarian Situation in Southern Sudan
In Sudan, a peace agreement that halted a 21-year civil
war between the Khartoum government and Southern rebels remains
on shaky ground. We speak with the Operational Director for
Sudan Medecins Sans Frontieres who recently returned from
the southern region of Sudan about the humanitarian situation.
As we continue looking at Sudan, we focus on the conflict
between the north and the south of the country. A year ago,
the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the southern
Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement in Kenya.
This was viewed by many as an end to the 21-year civil war
that has claimed over two million lives, according to UN estimates.
It was Africa's longest and costliest civil war. The SPLM
fought against the Islamic government in Khartoum, seeking
more autonomy for the people of southern Sudan, who are mostly
Christian or animist.
And now, a year after the peace deal, millions of Sudanese
still live in fear of violence. A humanitarian crisis stretches
on, as aid workers report that 25% of children in the south
die before they reach the age of five.
Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir signed a power-sharing constitution
last year that created the office of vice president for the
country. The peace agreement also promised religious freedom
and an equal share of oil wealth to the south.
Former SPLM leader John Garang was sworn in as Sudan's first
Vice president in July. His sudden death a few weeks later
in a helicopter crash brought the peace deal to a halt. Riots
broke out among Christians and Arabs in the country killing
130 and injuring more than 100. Since then, the SPLM has been
less active at the national level.
The peace agreement is still in place, but only tentatively.
Gunbattles continue between rival clans and southerners have
accused the Khartoum government of arming militias and rival
clans to terrorize southerners. Some 500,000 southern Sudanese
are expected to return home this year, but communities reportedly
still lack food and water.
- Pete Buth, the Operational Director for Sudan Medecins
Sans Frontieres. He recently returned from the southern
region of Sudan.
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
