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Gonzales Grilled at Senate Hearing, Defends NSA Spy Program
A Look at Gonzales' Testimony on NSA Spying, the Role of
Attorney General and the Power of the Executive
Freedom of Speech or Incitement to Violence? A Debate Over
the Publication of Cartoons of Prophet Muhammed and the Global
Muslim Protests
Gonzales Grilled at Senate Hearing, Defends NSA
Spy Program
Republican and Democratic Senators questioned Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales on Monday over the Bush administration's
right to spy on Americans citizens without court order. We
play excerpts of the hearings. [includes rush
transcript]
Yesterday's hearings got off to a testy start when some Democrats
on the Committee asked that Gonazales be sworn in before his
testimony. The Republican Chairman of the committee, Arlen
Specter, declared it wasn't necessary and allowed the hearings
to proceed without a swearing in.
We turn now to excerpts of the hearings. Senator Arlen Specter
started the questioning by asking why the administration insists
on bypassing the FISA court, which has the power to legally
authorize government wiretaps.
- Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Judiciary Committee Chairman
Arlen Specter questioning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold also asked pointed questions
of Gonzales and accused him of lying under oath during his
nomination hearings to become attorney general.
- Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), questioning Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales.
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy posed some of the toughest
questions to Gonzales.
- Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), questioning Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales.
A Look at Gonzales' Testimony on NSA Spying, the
Role of Attorney General and the Power of the Executive
As Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales testifies on the National
Security Agency's domestic spying program before the Senate
Judiciary Committee. We speak with Aziz Huq of NYU Law School
about the hearing, the role of Congress and the Executive
and the close relationship between Gonzales and the White
House. [includes rush
transcript]
On Monday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appeared before
the Senate Judiciary Committee and defended the National Security
Agency's domestic spying program. He repeatedly declined to
answer specific questions or to give examples of how the program
had protected the country. Gonzales claimed this was classified
information and disclosure would put individuals at risk.
- Aziz Huq, the associate counsel at the Brennan
Center for Justice at NYU
School of Law. Aziz is co-writing a book titled "Unchecked
and Unbalanced" with Fritz Schwarz on national security
and the separation of powers, to be published by the New
Press.
Freedom of Speech or Incitement to Violence? A Debate
Over the Publication of Cartoons of Prophet Muhammed and the
Global Muslim Protests
Muslim protests continue to rage around the world against
newspapers depicting the Prophet Muhammed. We host a debate
with Irshad Manji, author of "The Trouble with Islam
Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith" and As'ad
AbuKhalil, professor of political science at California State
University, Stanislaus. [includes rush
transcript]
Muslims are continuing to demonstrate around the world over
the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
At least six people have been killed in the worldwide protests
-- in Somalia, Lebanon and four in Afghanistan - and violence
has broken out in cities across Europe, the Middle East and
parts of Asia.
The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten originally published
the 12 cartoons last September - including one that shows
the Prophet Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with
a burning fuse. The cartoons were republished in European
and other news media in the last week. Muslims say the images
are blasphemous and contrary to Islamic tradition prohibiting
depictions of the prophet. The reaction to their publication
has stretched across the globe.
In Iran, Lebanon and Syria, the Danish embassies have been
set ablaze and several Middle Eastern countries have recalled
their ambassadors from Denmark. The Iranian government said
it is reviewing trade ties with all the countries where the
cartoons have been published. Denmark issued a list of 14
Muslim countries which Danish travelers should avoid and urged
its citizens on Tuesday to leave Indonesia.
Some Muslim leaders have condemned the violence.
- Ahmed Abou-Llaban, Imam of the Danish Muslim Society.
Meanwhile, fresh protests erupted in Pakistan and neighboring
Afghanistan, where a NATO base used by Norwegian troops was
attacked. On Monday, protesters turned out in Iraq, the West
Bank, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Thailand and even New Zealand.
Newspapers have defended the publication of the cartoons arguing
their right to free speech. One protester in Auckland, argued
otherwise.
- Naveed Hamid, of the Pakistan Association speaking in
New Zealand.
The Philadelphia Inquirer became the first U.S. newspaper
to publish the disputed cartoons on Saturday. The paper's
editor Amanda Bennett said, "My view is that we need
to publish it for a good news reason, we need to publish in
context and we need to explain to readers why we did it."
In Washington, the Bush administration took a diplomatic
approach to the issue.
- Sean McCormack, State Department spokesperson.
We host a debate on the cartoon controversy and the worldwide
protests.
- As'ad AbuKhalil, professor of political science at California
State University, Stanislaus. He is the author of several
books, his latest is "The Battle for Saudi Arabia:
Royalty, Fundamentalism, and Global Power." He runs
a popular blog called "The
Angry Arab News Service."
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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