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Haitian Death Squad Leader Arrested in US - For Mortgage
Fraud
'Meet Me in Fort Lewis' - Protests Planned for Army Specialist
Who Went AWOL After Charging Sexual Harassment
Spy or Risk Green Card: How the Bush Administration 'Recruits'
Muslim Informants
Israel Launches Heaviest Bombing of Lebanon in 24 Years;
Airport Attacked, Over 40 Civilians Killed
Haitian Death Squad Leader Arrested in US - For Mortgage
Fraud
Former Haitian death squad leader, Emmanuel "Toto"
Constant, who now lives in New York, was arrested last week
for taking part in mortgage fraud. During the early 1990s,
Constant led the Front for the Advancement and Progress of
Haiti, or FRAPH. Human rights groups estimate FRAPH killed
thousands of supporters of Haitian president Jean-Bertrand
Aristide. [includes rush
transcript]
A former leader of a Haitian death squad who now lives in
New York was arrested last week for taking part in mortgage
fraud. During the early 1990s, Emmanuel "Toto" Constant
led the Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti, or
FRAPH. Human rights groups estimate FRAPH killed thousands
of supporters of Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Constant has since admitted he was on the payroll of the CIA
and has lived in New York for the last decade.
In November 2000, Constant was convicted in absentia by a
Haitian high court for his involvement in the 1994 Raboteau
Massacre. Two years ago he was sued in federal court on behalf
of three women who said his soldiers beat and gang-raped women
in Haiti.
Despite a deportation order, Constant has been allowed to
stay in the US since he threatened to reveal the extent of
his ties with the CIA.
On Friday, a judge set bail at $50,000 dollars over the protests
of prosecutors and human rights groups. Attorney General Eliot
Spitzer's office said that Constant and five others defrauded
banks out of more than $1 million dollars in loans.
- Kim Ives, independent journalist and former editor of
the Haitian newspaper, Haiti Progres. He attended Constant's
arraignment in Riverhead
- Ray Laforest, longtime Haitian community organizer and
activist living in Brooklyn.
'Meet Me in Fort Lewis' - Protests Planned for Army
Specialist Who Went AWOL After Charging Sexual Harassment
Army Specialist Suzanne Swift remains confined to base.
She went AWOL when the military did not address her charges
of sexual harassment and abuse. We take a look at sexual harassment
in the military. [includes rush
transcript]
We take a look at the case of Suzanne Swift. She is the
Army Specialist who has been arrested and confined to base
for going AWOL after her charges of sexual harassment and
assault went un-addressed by the military.
Swift served in Iraq for a year but decided she could not
return and went AWOL. She said her superiors repeatedly sexually
harassed her while serving in Iraq. On June 11th, the Eugene
police knocked on her mother's front door and Suzanne was
arrested and taken to the county jail. She has since been
transferred to Fort Lewis Washington where she is confined
to her base. So far, no charges have been filed against her
and Fort Lewis officials have said they will assign an independent
investigator to look into her charges of sexual harassment.
Suzanne Swift turns twenty-two on Saturday. Her family and
supporters are urging a national day of action on her behalf.
A "Meet Me in Fort Lewis" rally and vigil are planned
for noon outside Fort Lewis. Another in her hometown of Eugene,
is planned for noon at the Federal Building.
A few days ago, we brought you Suzanne Swift's mother, Sara
Rich. Today we bring you Suzanne Swift's grandfather, Jim
Rich. I spoke with him at the Oregon Country Fair near Eugene.
- Jim Rich, Suzanne Swift's grandfather.
For more on the issue of sexual harassment in the military
we are joined by:
- Susan Avila-Smith, a Military Sexual Trauma Specialist
and founder and director of Women Organizing Women, an advocacy
group for survivors of rape in the military.
More information at SuzanneSwift.org.
Email Suzanne Swift's mother, Sara Rich, at formydaughtersuzanne@yahoo.com
We invited a representative from Fort Lewis military base
to be on our program but they declined our request.
Spy or Risk Green Card: How the Bush Administration
'Recruits' Muslim Informants
We take a look at a largely covert aspect of the Bush administration's
War on Terror - the government's aggressive solicitation of
Muslim informants. We speak with Banafsheh Akhlaghi, the attorney
for Yassine Ouassif - who had his Green Card confiscated and
was asked by the FBI to be an informant in the Muslim community
in San Francisco.
We now look at a largely covert aspect of the Bush administration's
War on Terror - the government's aggressive pursuit of Muslim
informants. This week, the Wall Street Journal ran an article
titled, "A Muslim's Choice: Turn U.S Informant or Risk
Losing Visa." The report detailed the case of Yassine
Ouassif. Last November Yassine's green card was taken away
from him when he crossed the border from Canada. Yassine was
then sent home to San Francisco and told to contact a counterterrorism
agent at the FBI. The article states that the agent "made
him an offer: become an informant and regularly report to
the FBI on what his Muslim friends in San Francisco were saying
and doing. In exchange he would get back his green card."
According to Yassine, if he refused, the agent threatened
to deport him back to Morocco.
Israel Launches Heaviest Bombing of Lebanon in 24
Years; Airport Attacked, Over 40 Civilians Killed
Israel has launched its heaviest bombing of Lebanon in 24
years following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah.
Three Israeli rockets hit runways at Beirut airport, forcing
it to close. Israeli ships have entered Lebanese water to
block ports. More than 20 bridges were targeted, causing heavy
damage. Up to 47 civilians, including over 15 children were
killed in the attacks. [includes rush
transcript]
Israel has launched its heaviest bombing of Lebanon in 24
years. Three Israeli rockets hit runways at Beirut airport,
forcing the closure of the country's only international airport.
Israeli ships have entered Lebanese water to block ports.
More than 20 bridges were targeted, causing heavy damage.
And an Israeli helicopter fired a missile at the headquarters
of Hezbollah's Al Manar TV station in a Beirut suburb. The
major offensive follows the capture of two Israeli soldiers
by Hezbollah.
Overnight raids across southern Lebanon killed up to 47 civilians,
including more than 15 children, and wounded over 100 people.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz told Haaretz "Nothing
is safe [in Lebanon], as simple as that."
Hezbollah militants responded by firing volleys of rockets
into northern Israel killing one Israeli woman and injuring
29. Eight Israeli troops were killed two injured a day earlier
in the Hizbollah operation that captured the two soldiers.
Israel has said it holds Lebanon responsible for the soldiers'
capture and views it as an "act of war". Hizbollah
has said they will not be returned without a release deal
for Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab prisoners held in
Israeli jails. The Lebanese Prime Minister has denied any
knowledge of the Hizbollah operation and refused to take responsibility
for the soldiers" capture.
The Israeli offensive comes as Israel continues a separate
attack in the Gaza Strip over another captured soldier. In
Gaza, Israeli jets attacked the Palestinian foreign ministry
building in Gaza City, injuring at least 10 people. At least
23 Palestinian civilians have died in 24 hours, including
nine in one family whose Gaza City home was bombed.
- Naseer Aruri, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He is author
of the book "Dishonest broker: America's Role in Israel
and Palestine"
- Uri Avnery, an Israeli writer and peace activist with
Gush Shalom. He joins us on the line from Tel Aviv.
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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