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EXCLUSIVE: Nixon White House Counsel John Dean and Pentagon
Papers Leaker Daniel Ellsberg on Watergate and the Abuse of
Presidential Power from Nixon to Bush
The Assassination of Digna Ochoa: A Look at the Life and
Death of the Renowned Mexican Human Rights Lawyer
EXCLUSIVE: Nixon White House Counsel John Dean and
Pentagon Papers Leaker Daniel Ellsberg on Watergate and the
Abuse of Presidential Power from Nixon to Bush
In a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive we are joined by
two figures who played central roles in the fall of President
Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal of a generation ago,
John Dean and Daniel Ellsberg. Dean served as President Nixon's
chief counsel. He exposed the government-sanctioned break-in
of the psychiatrist of Daniel Ellsberg, the government analyst
who leaked the Pentagon Papers and earned himself a spot on
Nixon's enemy list. Dean and Ellsberg join us in our firehouse
studio to discuss Watergate and the abuse of presidential
power from Nixon to Bush.
Today in a broadcast exclusive we are joined by two figures
who played central roles in the fall of President Richard
Nixon and the Watergate scandal of a generation ago. One of
our guests, John Dean, served as President Nixon's chief counsel.
The other, Daniel Ellsberg, was a government analyst who earned
himself a spot on Nixon's enemy list.
It was Daniel Ellsberg who leaked to the press what became
known as the Pentagon Papers -- a 7,000 page classified history
outlining the true extent of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
35 years ago this June the New York Times began publishing
excerpts of the leaked documents.
The Nixon administration immediately moved to block the Times
from publishing the papers but the Supreme Court eventually
sided with the Times in a landmark case.
On June 28, 1971, Ellsberg surrendered to face charges of
espionage. Henry Kissinger would go on to describe him as
"the world's most dangerous man" and the Nixon administration
made attempts to ruin his life going so far as breaking into
his psychiatrist's office with the hope of uncovering incriminating
information.
Meanwhile John Dean was on the inside of the Nixon administration.
He served as White House counsel for 1,000 days of the Nixon
presidency.
He was among the White House staffers implicated in covering
up the break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters inside
the Watergate Hotel in 1972.
Dean agreed to testify to Congress that Nixon was guilty
of covering up Watergate, even though he was certain to condemn
himself. Dean was eventually charged with obstruction of justice
and would eventually be sentenced to 127 days in detention
for taking part in the cover-up.
Today Dean has become a vocal critic of the Bush administration.
His most recent book is called "Worse Than Watergate:
The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush." Daniel Ellsberg
remains an advocate for greater openness in government and
has supported other government whistleblowers. They both join
us today in our Firehouse studio.
- John Dean, served as counsel to President Nixon. He is
the author of several books including "Worse Than Watergate:
The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush."
- Daniel Ellsberg, in October of 1969 he began smuggling
out of his office and xeroxing the 7,000 page top-secret
study of U.S. decision making in Vietnam, known as the Pentagon
Papers. He did so with the intent of revealing these secrets
to Congress and the American public and in so doing, he
set in motion actions that would eventually topple the Nixon
presidency and end the Vietnam War. Author of "Secrets:
A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers." He was
once described by Henry Kissinger as "the world's most
dangerous man."
The Assassination of Digna Ochoa: A Look at the Life
and Death of the Renowned Mexican Human Rights Lawyer
In October 2001, renowned Mexican human rights lawyer Digna
Ochoa was found shot dead in her Mexico City office. Despite
previous attempts on her life and other evidence pointing
to foul-play, Ochoa's death was declared a suicide by Mexico
City prosecutors. We discuss her life and death with award-winning
journalist Linda Diebel, author of "Betrayed: The Assassination
of Digna Ochoa" and Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Robert
F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights.
We take a look at the life and death of the Mexican human
rights lawyer Digna Ochoa. Ochoa was a former nun who went
on to represent some of Mexico"s poorest constituents
against powerful government interests. She also uncovered
torture and other abuses by the Mexican military and police.
Ochoa worked on behalf of peasant ecologists in the state
of Guerrerro, Zapatistas guerrillas in Chiapas and indigenous
Indians in her home state of Verazcruz. At the time of her
death, she was defending three men charged with bombing banks
in Mexico City to protest against globalization.
In October 2001, Digna Ochoa was found shot dead in her Mexico
City office. She was thirty-seven years old and had received
many death threats. In fact, when Ochoa was twenty-four she
was kidnapped and raped only days after discovering a blacklist
of union organizers and political activists in the office
of the state attorney general.
Later in her life, she was forced to flee to the United States
for her safety. Despite these previous attempts on her life
and other evidence pointing to foul-play, Ochoa's death was
declared a suicide by Mexico City prosecutors. Ochoa's family
and fellow human rights activists never accepted the finding
and fought for years to have the case re-opened. In February
of 2005, prosecutors re-opened the investigation into Ochoa's
death.
A new book by award-winning journalist Linda Diebel provides
an in-depth account of Ochoa's murder and the cover-up that
followed. It's called "Betrayed: The Assassination of
Digna Ochoa." Linda Diebel is the former Washington bureau
chief for the Toronto Star. For many years she was a Latin-America
correspondent based in Mexico City. She is a three-time recipient
of the Amnesty International Media Award.
Kerry Kennedy is the founder and former Executive Director
of the Robert F Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights.
She is also author of the book "Speak Truth to Power:
Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our World" She
devoted a chapter in her book to Digna Ochoa.
They both join us in our firehouse studio.
- Linda Diebel, author of "Betrayed: The Assassination
of Digna Ochoa." Diebel is the former Washington bureau
chief for the Toronto Star. For many years she was a Latin-America
correspondent based in Mexico City.
- Kerry Kennedy founder and former Executive Director of
the Robert F. Kennedy
Memorial Center for Human Rights. She is also author
of the book "Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders
Who Are Changing Our World" She devoted a chapter in
her book to Digna Ochoa.
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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