Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Wed., June 28, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 6-28-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Fmr. Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami: "It Was
Wrong" For Israel to Invade Gaza
Rice Praises "Democratic Future of Afghanistan"
As Fierce Fighting Continues in one of Bloodiest Months Since
2001 U.S. Invasion
Fmr. Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami: "It
Was Wrong" For Israel to Invade Gaza
Israeli forces have invaded the Gaza Strip for the first
since withdrawing ten months ago. Israel says it launched
the raid to recover a soldier captured by Palestinian militants.
The strikes came just hours after Fatah and Hamas agreed on
a document to implicitly recognize Israel within its 1967
borders. We go to Gaza to speak with Palestinian physician
Dr. Mona El-Farra and we get comment from former Israeli foreign
minister Shlomo Ben Ami and Palestinian activist Ali Abunimah.
Israeli forces have invaded the Gaza Strip for the first
time since withdrawing ten months ago. Israel says it's launched
the raid to recover captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Shalit
was captured in a Palestinian operation on Sunday. The raid
began after Israel rejected Shalit's captors demand for the
release of all Palestinian females and Palestinians below
the age of eighteen in Israeli prisons. Israel opened the
attack with a series of air strikes on three bridges and Gaza's
main power station. The attack left the power station in flames
and knocked out electricity in most of Gaza City. Palestinian
militants have reportedly taken up defensive positions around
Gaza - setting the stage for a potential firefight with the
invading soldiers.
The strikes came just hours after officials close to Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas had agreed on a document
to implicitly recognize Israel within its June 1967 borders.
Hamas leaders later denied this is the case. Hamas lawmaker
Salah al-Bardaweel explained: "We said we accept a state
[in territory occupied] in 1967 - but we did not say we accept
two states." The deal follows weeks of negotiations between
Fatah and Hamas leaders over the terms of a unity government.
Palestinians hope the agreement will bring an end to the crippling
international aid freeze imposed since Hamas swept to power
in elections earlier this year.
- Ali Abunimah, a writer, speaker and founder of the website
Electronic Intifada.
He is author of the book "One Country: A Bold proposal
to end the Israeli-Palestinian impasse" which will
be published by Metropolitan Books this Fall. He joins on
the line from Amman, Jordan.
- Shlomo Ben Ami, has held a number of positions within
the Israeli government, including Foreign Minister, Minister
of Public Security and Member of Parliament. His latest
book is "Scars of Wars, Wounds of Peace: The Israeli-Arab
Tragedy." He speaks to us from Madrid, Spain, where
he is currently Vice-President of the Toledo
Peace Center.
- Dr. Mona El-Farra, a physician and community activist
in northern Gaza. She was at the hospital that received
many of the victims of Friday's bombing. She runs a blog
titled "From
Gaza, With Love"
Rice Praises "Democratic Future of Afghanistan"
As Fierce Fighting Continues in one of Bloodiest Months Since
2001 U.S. Invasion
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Afghanistan
today for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Her visit
comes during one of the bloodiest months in Afghanistan since
the US-led invasion in 2001 - over the past few weeks more
than five hundred people have been killed. We speak with The
Nation correspondent Christian Parenti interviewed Taliban
fighters in Afghanistan and we go to Islamabad to speak Pakistani
journalist and analyst Ahmed Rashid.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Afghanistan
today for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other
top officials.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Rice expressed strong
U.S.-support for Karzai saying "I don't know anyone who
is more admired and respected in the international community."
Rice also said the "democratic institutions and democratic
future of Afghanistan are getting stronger and stronger every
day."
Her comments come during one of the bloodiest months in Afghanistan
since the US-led invasion in 2001. US and coalition forces
recently launched the largest military offensive in the country
since the fall of the Taliban. Fighting across southern Afghanistan
killed at least thirty-three people on Tuesday alone. Over
the past month, more than five hundred people have died.
Last week, President Karzai criticized the US-led offensive.
He said it was unacceptable that many Afghans had been killed
in the fighting. He also said that the current focus on hunting
Taliban militants did not address the root causes of the violence.
Karzai said he wanted more emphasis on helping to rebuild
the country's economy, and strengthen its institutions.
Condoleezza Rice travelled to Afghanistan from Pakistan where
she held talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in
Islamabad on Tuesday. She urged Musharraf to cooperate more
closely with Afghanistan against the Taliban.
- Ahmed Rashid, Pakistani journalist based in Lahore. He
is author of three books including "Taliban" and
most recently "Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in
Central Asia." He has covered Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Central Asia for the past 25 years and writes for the
"Far Eastern Economic Review," the "Daily
Telegraph," and "The Wall Street Journal."
- Website: AhmedRashid.com
- Christian Parenti, a correspondent for the Nation
Magazine. He has reported extensively from Afghanistan.
He recently spent six weeks in Afghanistan in February and
March where he met with Taliban fighters.
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
