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American Bar Association: President Bush is "Undermining
Rule of Law" By Ignoring Laws Passed by Congress
Kofi Annan Says Israel’s Fatal Attack on UN Force in
Lebanon was “Apparently Deliberate”; Longtime
UN Official Says Israel Knew Site Was UN Base
Mustafa Barghouti Calls for Ceasefire With Israel
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Introduces House Resolution Calling
for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon
American Bar Association: President Bush is "Undermining
Rule of Law" By Ignoring Laws Passed by Congress
ABA President Michael Greco discusses the organization’s
new report criticizing the president’s unprecedented
use of signing statements. Greco also speaks out on presidential
power, domestic surveillance, Guantanamo and torture. [includes
rush
transcript]
The largest lawyers group in the country has warned that
President Bush is undermining the Constitution by claiming
he has the authority to ignore laws passed by Congress.
A new
report (PDF) by the American Bar Association criticizes
the president’s unprecedented use of what’s known
as signing statements through which he claims a right to ignore
or not enforce sections of bills that he signs into law.
The report declares: "The Constitution is not what the
President says it is.”
Since Bush took office, he has issued over 800 signing statements
– more than all other presidents combined.
The ABA’s report was written by a bipartisan task force
that including several well known conservatives former FBI
Director William Sessions (who served under President Ronald
Reagan and George H.W. Bush), former Republican Congressman
Mickey Edwards and Bruce Fein who served in the Reagan and
Bush administration.
- Michael Greco, President of the American Bar Association.
Kofi Annan Says Israel’s Fatal Attack on UN
Force in Lebanon was “Apparently Deliberate”;
Longtime UN Official Says Israel Knew Site Was UN Base
Israeli bombs fell on an observer post for the United Nations
peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL. Four observers
were killed in the blast which UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
called “apparently deliberate.” [includes rush
transcript]
Israeli officials have agreed to launch an investigation
into the incident but deny that the attack was intentional.
We are joined on the telephone from Beirut by Timur Goksel.
He is a former spokesperson and senior advisor for UNIFIL,
the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. He teaches at
Notre Dame University and the American University of Beirut.
- Timur Goksel, former spokesperson and senior advisor
for UNIFIL. He has lectured internationally on Lebanese
politics, and techniques of peacekeeping. Professor Goksel
teaches at Notre Dame University and the American University
of Beirut.
Mustafa Barghouti Calls for Ceasefire With Israel
On Tuesday, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic
Jihad agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel and to free
captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit in exchange
for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and
an end to Israeli attacks. Israel and Hamas's exiled leaders
in Syria, have not agreed to the deal. [includes rush
transcript]
The UN’s top humanitarian official Jan Egeland is
accusing the Israeli military of using a disproportionate
amount of force in Gaza. Over the past month more than 100
Palestinians have been killed. Earlier today Israeli forces
killed seven Palestinians – including a three-year-old
girl.
Egeland also criticized Israel for targeting the Palestinian
civilian infrastructure, including Gaza’s only power
plant.
On Tuesday, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Islamic
Jihad agreed to stop firing rockets at Israel and to free
captured Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit in exchange
for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Israel
and Hamas' exiled leaders in Syria have not agreed to the
deal.
In other developments, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem
has accused the Israeli army of using Palestinian civilians
as human shields in an operation in the northern town of Beit
Hanoun last week. To discuss these issues we are joined on
the phone by Dr. Mustafa Barghouti.
- Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, secretary general of the Palestinian
National Initiative, President of the Palestinian Medical
Relief Committee.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Introduces House Resolution
Calling for Immediate Ceasefire in Lebanon
On Capitol Hill 24 members of the House of Representatives
have backed Rep. Kucinich’s resolution calling on the
president to appeal to all sides in the current crisis for
an immediate cessation of violence. [includes rush
transcript]
As the Israeli attacks on Lebanon enter its third week,
pressure is growing on the Bush administration to back an
immediate ceasefire. On Capitol Hill 24 members of the House
of Representatives have backed a resolution calling on the
president to appeal to all sides in the current crisis for
an immediate cessation of violence. The resolution also calls
for the United States to send diplomats to multi-party negotiations.
The author of the resolution is Democratic Congressman Dennis
Kucinich of Ohio.
- Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Ohio Congressman and former Democratic
presidential candidate.
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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