Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Fri., Feb. 3, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 2-3-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Democracy Now! in Doha...The Story Behind the Other Downing
Street Memo Where Bush Told Blair He Wanted to Bomb Al Jazeera
Democracy Now! in Doha…"Why Did You Want to Bomb
Me Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair?": Al Jazeera Director Demands
More Information on Secret Memo
Democracy Now! in Doha...The Story Behind the Other
Downing Street Memo Where Bush Told Blair He Wanted to Bomb
Al Jazeera
We broadcast from the headquarters of Arabic TV network
Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar - the place President Bush allegedly
told Tony Blair he wanted to bomb. The report came out last
November in Britain’s Daily Mirror, citing a secret
British memo revealing that Bush told Blair in April 2004
of his desire to bomb the news outlet. Bloggers have pledged
to publish the memo if it is leaked. We speak with British
blogger Daniel Mason, who has been tracking the story of the
Downing Street Memo. [includes rush
transcript]
After the story broke, British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith
activated the Official Secrets Act, threatening any publication
that publishes any portion of the memo. Though never actually
denying it, the Bush administration described the Daily
Mirror’s report as "outlandish."
Days later, Al Jazeera’s managing director, Wadah Khanfar,
arrived in London to petition for a meeting with Blair to
discuss the leaked memo. He then published an article in the
Guardian newspaper called "Why
Did You Want to Bomb Me Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair?"
- Daniel Mason, Co-founder of Blair
Watch, a British weblog tracking the story of the Downing
Street Memo.
Democracy Now! in Doha…"Why Did You Want
to Bomb Me Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair?": Al Jazeera Director
Demands More Information on Secret Memo
Days after the Daily Mirror cited the memo that allegedly
reveals President Bush told Tony Blair in April 2004 of his
desire to bomb Al Jazeera, Wadah Khanfar, Managing Director
of Al Jazeera, arrived in London to petition for a meeting
with Blair to discuss the leaked memo. We speak with Khanfar
about his demands for more information about the secret memo.
[includes rush
transcript]
He then published an article in the Guardian newspaper called
"Why did you want to Bomb me Mr. Bush and Mr. Blair?"
In it he writes, "If it is true that Bush had indeed
thought of bombing the Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha, this
will undoubtedly constitute a watershed in the relationship
between government authorities and the free media."
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
