Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Wed., June 14, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 6-14-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Another Cover-Up? U.S. Troops Kill Two Iraqi Women, One of
Them Pregnant, in Samarra
The Front Lines of the Class War from 1927 to Today
Police Forcibly Shut Down South Central L.A. Urban Farm,
40+ Protesters Arrested
British Muslim Shot and Arrested With Brother by London Police
Released After One Week Without Charge
Another Cover-Up? U.S. Troops Kill Two Iraqi Women,
One of Them Pregnant, in Samarra
On May 30th, US troops shot and killed two Iraqi women --
one of whom was pregnant. Nabiha Nisaif Jassim and her cousin
Saliha Mohammed Hassan were in a car going to Samarra General
hospital where Nabiha was about to give birth. We speak with
independent journalist Dahr Jamail about the incident and
how the US military may have tried to cover it up. [includes
rush
transcript]
We begin by taking a look at another atrocity in Iraq that
the U.S military may have tried to cover-up. On May 30sth,
US troops shot and killed two Iraqi women one of whom was
pregnant. Nabiha Nisaif Jassim and her cousin Saliha Mohammed
Hassan were in a car going to Samarra General hospital where
Nabiha was about to give birth. US troops said their car failed
to stop in a prohibited zone despite warnings. But new information
from an Iraqi human rights investigator contradicts the military's
version of events. And the brother of the pregnant woman,
Redam Nisaif Jassim, who was driving the car has also said
that he did not see or hear any warnings by the military.
- Redam Nisaif Jassim, brother of Nabiha Nisaif Jassim.
"There was a road for vehicles to drive through. When
I got there, I found it was safe. But it was closed at the
end. I tried to change direction when the U.S. forces opened
fire at us. They killed both my mother and my sister. My sister
was pregnant."
This comes as the investigations into the Haditha massacre
and subsequent cover-up continue. In that incident, 24 unarmed
Iraqis were allegedly massacred by U.S. Marines in the town
of Haditha. The initial report given by the military stated
that only 15 civilians died by a roadside bomb and the rest
were killed by insurgent fire. The U.S military claims that
the events in Samarra are also being investigated. To talk
further about this, we are joined on the phone by Dar Jamail.
We invited the Defense Department to on the program but they
declined to our request.
The Front Lines of the Class War from 1927 to Today
Investigative journalist Greg Palast discusses the disenfranchising
of black voters from the voters rolls and what he calls "other
dispatches front lines of the class war." Palast is author
of the book, "Armed Madhouse." [includes rush
transcript]
"Years from now, in Guantanamo or in a refugee relocation
"Enterprise Zone", your kids will ask you, "what
did you do in the class war, daddy?" We may have to admit
that conquest and occupation happened before we could fire
off a shot. The trick of class war is not to let the victims
know they're under attack. That's how, little by little, the
owners of the planet take away what little we have."
That's an excerpt from the book "Armed Madhouse"
by investigative reporter Greg Palast. He joins us today to
talk about what he calls the "front lines of the class
war."
- Greg Palast, investigative reporter with the BBC. His
latest book is titled "Armed Madhouse: Who's Afraid
of Osama Wolf?, China Floats, Bush Sinks, The Scheme to
Steal '08, No Child's Behind Left, and Other Dispatches
from the Front Lines of the Class War."
- Website: GregPalast.com
Police Forcibly Shut Down South Central L.A. Urban
Farm, 40+ Protesters Arrested
Hundreds of police officers in riot gear shut down a fourteen-acre
urban farm in South Central Los Angeles on Tuesday. More than
40 protesters, including actor Darryl Hannah were arrested
as they staged an encampment to resist removal from what is
considered the largest urban farm in the United States. [includes
rush
transcript]
Hundreds of police officers in riot gear shut down a fourteen-acre
urban farm in South Central Los Angeles on Tuesday. More than
40 protesters were arrested as they staged an encampment to
resist removal from what is considered the largest urban farm
in the United States.
It took authorities nearly eight hours to forcibly clear
the farm. Police bulldozed vegetable gardens and used bolt
cutters to remove the protesters who had chained themselves
to trees and picnic tables on the property.
Since an eviction order last month, occupants have staged
an encampment to resist removal from the land. Some three
hundred and fifty families in South Central LA have used the
fourteen-acre farm to grow a multitude of crops for over the
past ten years. It was leased to the Los Angeles Regional
Food Bank following the 1992 Rodney King riots. In 2003, the
land was sold back to a real estate developer who now wants
to turn it into commercial property. The owner - Ralph Horowitz
- recently turned down a sixteen million dollar offer for
the site.
The encampment has attracted celebrity supporters including
singers Joan Baez, Ben Harper and Willie Nelson and actors
Danny Glover, Alicia Silverstone and Martin Sheen. Actor Darryl
Hannah was among those protesting the eviction. She camped
out in a tree on the farm. We reached her by phone yesterday
as police were raiding the site.
- Darryl Hannah, speaking from a tree at the South Central
farm, June 13, 2006.
Hannah was later arrested along with dozens of other protesters.
For more we go to Los Angeles to speak with the elected representative
of the South Central Farmers.
- Tezozomoc, elected representative of the South Central
Farmers.
British Muslim Shot and Arrested With Brother by
London Police Released After One Week Without Charge
Twelve days ago, two hundred fifty British police officers
raided an East London home at 4am. Two brothers of Bangladeshi
origin were arrested. Police shot one of them in chest. The
men were jailed for over a week, accused of being involved
in a biological terror plot. Then they were released without
charge. We speak with British human rights attorney, Gareth
Peirce. [includes rush
transcript]
Twelve days ago, two hundred fifty British police officers
- some dressed in biochemical suits -- raided an East London
home at four in the morning. Two brothers of Bangladeshi origin
were arrested. Police shot one of them in chest. The men were
jailed for over a week, accused of being involved in a biological
terror plot. Then they were released without charge. And now
Scotland Yard and the London police are apologizing for what
happened.
On Tuesday, the brothers -- twenty-three-year-old Mohammed
Abdul Kahar and twenty-year-old Abul Koyair -- spoke about
the raid for the first time.
Mohammed said that on the morning of the raid he was awoken
by the screams of his brother. At first he thought it was
a robbery. Moments later he was shot in the chest. Mohammed
Abdul Kahar and Abul Koyair spoke at a press conference on
Tuesday.
- Excerpts of press conference by Mohammed Abdul Kahar
and Abul Koyair.
Hours later a London Metropolitan police official said, "I
apologize for the hurt that we may have caused."
To talk about this ordeal, we speak with Gareth Peirce, one
of Britain's best-known human rights attorneys. She is representing
the family.
- Gareth Peirce, one of Britain's best-known human rights
attorneys.
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
