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IRS Audited Greenpeace At Request of ExxonMobil-Funded Group
The PsyOps War: A Look at the Lincoln Group and the U.S.
Military's Planting of Stories in the Iraqi Press
Mass Protests Continue in France to Oppose Controversial
Labor Law
IRS Audited Greenpeace At Request of ExxonMobil-Funded
Group
The Wall Street Journal revealed this week that a little-known
watchdog group, largely subsidized by ExxonMobil, was responsible
for getting the IRS to audit the environmental organization
Greenpeace. We speak with the reporter who broke the story
and the head of Greenpeace USA. [includes rush
transcript]
The Wall Street Journal revealed this week a little-known
watchdog group was responsible for getting the IRS to audit
the environmental organization Greenpeace. Two years ago,
Public Interest Watch challenged Greenpeace's tax-exempt status
and accused the group of money laundering and other crimes.
According to the Journal, tax records show more than 95 percent
of the funding of Public Interest Watch was provided by the
oil giant ExxonMobil.
On its website, Public Interest Watch says it was founded
"in response to the growing misuse of charitable funds
by nonprofit organizations and the lack of effort by government
agencies to deal with the problem." The group describes
its mission as: "Keeping an Eye on the Self-Appointed
Guardians of the Public Interest."
Greenpeace, meanwhile, has been one of ExxonMobil's fiercest
critics. The group has protested ExxonMobil's meetings and
company gatherings as well as its oil tankers and filling
stations. Greenpeace has labeled ExxonMobil the "No.
1 Climate Criminal" over its environmental practices.
- Steve Stecklow, senior special writer at the Wall Street
Journal, he wrote the article about Exxon's funding of Public
Interest Watch. He speaks to us from Boston.
- Read
article by Steve Stecklow
- Representatives from ExxonMobil declined to appear on
Democracy Now. A spokesperson said the company had nothing
further to say on the topic. Public Interest Watch did not
respond to our interview request.
The PsyOps War: A Look at the Lincoln Group and the
U.S. Military's Planting of Stories in the Iraqi Press
The Pentagon defends its policy of paying Iraqi news organizations
to publish pro-American articles secretly written by the U.S.
military. Its contractor, the Lincoln Group is being paid
over a hundred million dollars to write and plant stories.
We speak with reporter Andrew Buncombe of the London Independent
and retired Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner. [includes rush
transcript]
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday the Pentagon
will review whether it is proper for the military to pay Iraqi
news organizations to publish pro-American articles secretly
written by U.S. forces.
Earlier in the day, Marine Corps General Peter Pace - chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - called for a formal review
of the policy and said that the military should disclose when
it pays for a story. He said, "The worst thing you can
have is people feeling like somehow they've been snookered."
Last November, the Los Angeles Times first revealed that
the US military was secretly planting stories in the Iraqi
press. Articles written by U.S. military "information
operations" are translated into Arabic and then placed
in Iraqi newspapers with the help of Washington-based defense
contractor the Lincoln Group. The articles are presented to
an Iraqi audience as unbiased news accounts written by independent
journalists. The Lincoln Group's contract is worth up to $100
million dollars over five years.
When the secret propaganda program was first revealed even
the White House admitted it was "very concerned"
about the practice. But earlier this month, the top Pentagon
brass insisted it will go on. General George Casey said an
internal review of the program had "found that we were
operating within our authorities and responsibilities."
Pentagon officials told the New York Times this week that
the Lincoln Group remains under contract, and would continue
its activities unless the military revises its policies.
In February, Rumsfeld gave a major address on information
warfare at the Council on Foreign Relations. In it, he criticized
the media's coverage of the Iraq war and defended the military
practice of planting stories.
For more on the story we are joined by two guests:
- Andrew Buncombe, Washington correspondent for the London
Independent.
- Col. Sam Gardiner, retired Air Force Colonel. He has
taught strategy and military operations at the National
War College, AirWar College and Naval War College.
Mass Protests Continue in France to Oppose Controversial
Labor Law
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the
streets in France to oppose a controversial new law that makes
its easier for employers to fire young workers. We go to Paris
to speak with a student protester at the Sorbonne and a journalist
who covers politics and social movements in France. [includes
rush
transcript]
Students and union groups across the country have taken to
the streets to oppose a law that makes its easier for employers
to fire young workers. Nationwide demonstrations continued
for another day Thursday, drawing between 220,000 and 450,000
people. In the latest unrest, police clashed with protesters
in a central Paris neighborhood. Police said they made 420
arrests. The clashes left burnt cars, smashed store windows
and injuries on both sides of the barricades.
Meanwhile, a demonstrator remains in a coma after sustaining
critical injuries at a demonstration last Saturday. Witnesses
said the man - Cyril Ferez - was beaten viciously by police.
A photo taken of the incident shows Ferez lying on the ground
before he is swarmed by police. The police were also accused
of refusing to call the paramedics as Ferez lay bleeding and
unconscious.
The law in question is called is the First Job Contract law.
It allows employers to fire workers under the age of 26 years
old for any reason during a two-year trial period without
having to offer an explanation or give prior warning. France's
parliament approved it two weeks ago without any debate. The
law awaits final approval from France's Constitutional Council
before coming into effect.
Students have joined forces with teachers, workers, retirees,
opposition politicians and labor union leaders to oppose the
law. Recent polls show at least 68% of the French public are
against it. In an apparent concession to the protesters, the
government will open talks with union representatives today.
But there is no indication the government will back down from
its staunch defense of the worker law. The unions refuse to
negotiate unless the law is withdrawn and say they will only
use the talks to press demands. They called for a nationwide
strike next week. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin addressed
the issue in front of parliament on Wednesday.
- Dominique de Villepin, speaking March 22, 2006.
Joining us are two people who have been in the midst of the
unrest:
- Jade Lindgaard, a journalist who covers politics and
social movements in France for Les Inrockuptibles
- Jennifer Hamm, a student of philosophy and sociology
at The Sorbonne. She has taken part in several of the protests.
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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