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Over 70 Killed in Lebanon in Deadliest Day of Israeli Assault
Ralph Nader: U.S. Carries "Inescapable Responsibility"
for "Israeli Government's Escalating War Crimes"
Tony Snow to Helen Thomas: "Thank You for the Hezbollah
View"
Israeli Professor in Haifa Blasts "Reckless" Assault
on Lebanon
Over 100 Palestinians Killed in Three Week Israeli Offensive
Report Confirms Chicago Police Tortured Black Prisoners
Over 70 Killed in Lebanon in Deadliest Day of Israeli
Assault
Israeli air-strikes killed at least 72 civilians in Lebanon
on Wednesday making it the deadliest day of the Israeli assault.
The death toll now stands at around 330 with many hundreds
more wounded. We go to Beirut to get a report. [includes rush
transcript]
Israeli air-strikes killed at least 72 civilians in Lebanon
on Wednesday making it the deadliest day of the Israeli assault.
The death toll now stands at around 330 with many hundreds
more wounded. The United Nations emergency relief coordinator
estimates that nearly a third of the casualties are children.
Meanwhile thousands of foreigners continue to evacuate Lebanon
and aid agencies are warning of a looming humanitarian crisis
for those left behind. So far, the Israeli bombardment has
displaced over 500,000 residents in Lebanon which has a total
population of four million.
Ralph Nader: U.S. Carries "Inescapable Responsibility"
for "Israeli Government's Escalating War Crimes"
We speak with former Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader,
who In a wrote a letter to President Bush this week harshly
criticizing the White House for its response to Israel's bombardment
of Lebanon. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has issued an urgent
appeal to the international community to intervene saying
his country has been "torn to shreds." While many
countries have called on Israel to halt its military assault,
the Bush administration has so far openly rejected calls for
a ceasefire. U.S. and Israeli officials have reportedly agreed
the bombings will continue for another week.
In a letter to President Bush this week, former Presidential
Candidate Ralph Nader harshly criticized the White House for
its response to the crisis. Nader is perhaps the most well
known Lebanese-American in the world. He ran against George
W Bush for president twice - in 2000 and 2004. He is also
the most prominent consumer advocate in the country.
- Ralph Nader, independent presidential candidate for 2000
and 2004.
Tony Snow to Helen Thomas: "Thank You for the
Hezbollah View"
We play an excerpt of Tuesday's White House press conference.
In it, Press Secretary Tony Snow is questioned by veteran
correspondent Helen Thomas about the Israeli assault on Lebanon.
[includes rush
transcript]
We play an excerpt of Tuesday's White House press conference.
In it, Press Secretary Tony Snow is questioned by veteran
correspondent Helen Thomas. Commonly referred to as "The
First Lady of the Press," Helen Thomas is the most senior
member of the White House press corps. What many people don't
know is that she is also of Lebanese descent. At Tuesday's
new conference, she questioned Tony Snow about the US response
to the Israeli assault.
- White House press conference, July 18, 2006.
Israeli Professor in Haifa Blasts "Reckless"
Assault on Lebanon
As the Israeli assault on Lebanon enters its ninth day,
Hezbollah is continuing to fire rockets into Northern Israel.
We go to Haifa to speak with Israeli historian and author
Illan Pappe about the crisis. [includes rush
transcript]
Hezbollah is continuing to fire rockets into Northern Israel.
Twenty nine Israelis have been killed so far, including 15
civilians. On Wednesday, Hezbollah fired over 100 missiles
hitting Haifa and, for the first time, Nazareth. The rocket
attacks killed two boys in Nazareth - they were both Palestinians
with Israeli citizenship. Nine others were wounded in the
attack.
- Illan Pappe, an Israeli historian, author and political
scientist at the University of Haifa. His latest book is
"A History of Modern Palestine." He joins us on
the line from Haifa.
Over 100 Palestinians Killed in Three Week Israeli
Offensive
We go to Gaza, where a parallel Israeli assault continues
to claim lives on a daily basis. Over 100 Palestinians have
been killed by the Israeli military over the past three weeks.
Many of the casualties have been children. We speak with physician
and human rights activist Dr. Mona El-Farra in Northern Gaza.
[includes rush
transcript]
From Lebanon, we turn to Gaza, where a parallel Israeli assault
continues to claim lives on a daily basis. On Wednesday, 30
Israeli armored vehicles entered Gaza's Mughazi refugee camp
at sunrise - just hours after Israel's withdrawal from northern
Gaza on Tuesday. Israeli soldiers occupied the camp while
bulldozers leveled the surrounding farmland. An Israeli drone
fired a missile into the edge of the camp. Six Palestinians
were killed and over 50 injured in the attack.
Over 100 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military
over the past three weeks. Many of the casualties have been
children. A UN Security Council resolution opposing the offensive
was vetoed by the United States last week.
- Dr. Mona El-Farra, a physician and community activist
in northern Gaza. She is a health development consultant
for the Union of Health Work Committees in Gaza. She runs
a blog called From
Gaza, with Love
Report Confirms Chicago Police Tortured Black Prisoners
Special prosecutors in Chicago have released a major report
confirming that African American men have been systematically
tortured inside the Chicago prison system. We speak with one
of the lead attorneys in the case and a torture survivor.
[includes rush
transcript]
We take a look at torture and brutality here in the U.S.
For nearly two decades an area in Chicago's city jails known
Area 2 was the epicenter for the systematic torture of dozens
of African-American males by Chicago police officers. Close
to 150 people say they were subjected to abuse including having
guns forced into their mouths, bags places over their heads,
and electric shocks inflicted to their genitals. Four men
were released from death row after government investigators
concluded torture led to their wrongful convictions. Yet to
date no police have been charged with any crime.
Well, yesterday the findings of a four-year investigation
into the cases were released. The investigation found evidence
that several officers in the department tortured criminal
suspects but concluded that they cannot be prosecuted because
too much time has passed.
- Flint Taylor, an attorney with the People's Law Office
in Chicago. He represented many of the torture victims and
was directly involved in spearheading the special prosecutor's
investigation.
- David Bates, one of the men to come forward with allegations
of torture.
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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