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Report Rules FBI Justified in Fatal Shooting of Puerto Rican
Independence Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios
Did BP Purposefully Allow its Alaska Pipeline to Corrode
in Order to Shut it Down and Boost Oil Prices?
Lebanon Facing its Worst Environmental Disaster Ever: Oil
Spill From Israeli Strike Still Untreated After One Month
Israeli Ambassador Grilled on Targeting of Civilians, Use
of Cluster Bombs and Other War Crimes in Lebanon
Report Rules FBI Justified in Fatal Shooting of Puerto
Rican Independence Leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios
The Justice Department has ruled FBI agents were justified
in the fatal shooting of Puerto Rican independence leader
Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Rios was killed in September during
a raid on his home. Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonzalez discusses
the ruling. [includes rush
transcript]
The Justice Department has ruled FBI agents were justified
in the fatal shooting of Puerto Rican independence leader
Filiberto Ojeda Rios. Rios was killed in September during
a raid on his home. Agents waited at least nineteen hours
before entering his home after they shot him. Autopsy reports
show that Rios - known widely in Puerto Rico as "Filiberto"
-- bled to death from a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Investigators
say the shooting was justified because Rios had opened fire
on the agents. Pro-independence activists are alleging a cover-up.
Independence leader Hector Pesquera called the report contradictory,
saying: "This confirms our initial claims that they never
had any intention of capturing Filiberto, that they came to
kill him, not arrest him."
Did BP Purposefully Allow its Alaska Pipeline to
Corrode in Order to Shut it Down and Boost Oil Prices?
North America's largest oilfield remains shut down for a
fourth day and it could remain shut down for several months.
The oil company BP closed the oilfield on Sunday after discovering
what it described as "unexpectedly severe corrosion"
of the oil pipeline. Questions are now being raised about
whether BP purposely allowed the pipeline to become corroded.
We speak with longtime oil industry watchdog, Chuck Hamel.
[includes rush
transcript]
North America's largest oilfield remains shut down for a
fourth day and it could remain shut down for several months.
Up until this week, the Prudhoe Bay oilfield in northern Alaska
produced 400,000 barrels of oil a day.
The oil company BP closed the oilfield on Sunday after discovering
what it described as "unexpectedly severe corrosion"
of the oil pipeline.
The price of oil surged three percent upon the news of the
shutdown. Questions are now being raised about whether BP
purposely allowed the pipeline to become corroded.
Two years ago, a longtime oil industry watchdog named Chuck
Hamel warned BP about corrosion problems. But his warning
appears to have been ignored.
In 2004 he wrote a letter to the BP Board of Directors that
said workers at Prudhoe Bay were concerned about safety, health
and threats to the environment at the oilfield.
Hamel wrote that the workers "seek to see the corrosion
problem addressed and corrective action undertaken without
further delay and before any of their colleagues at Prudhoe
are harmed."
Chuck Hamel joins us in our studio in Washington. He is a
former oil industry executive who now advocates for workers
in the oil industry.
- Chuck Hamel, long-time oil industry watchdog who has
been working with concerned oilfield operators working at
the BP Prudhoe Bay in Alaska.
Lebanon Facing its Worst Environmental Disaster Ever:
Oil Spill From Israeli Strike Still Untreated After One Month
Scientists are scrambling to control what is being described
as the worst environmental disaster ever to hit Lebanon. An
Israeli attack on a power station last month has leaked 15,000
tons of oil into the Mediterranean. The spill has gone untreated
for the past four weeks. We go to Beirut to speak with Lebanon's
environment minister and an environmental activist working
in the area. [includes rush
transcript]
As the Israeli assault on Lebanon enters its 30th day, scientists
are scrambling to control what is being described as the worst
environmental disaster ever to hit Lebanon.
Four weeks ago the Israeli military attacked a power station
on the Lebanese coast, blowing up the plant's five large fuel
tanks.
Since then around 15,000 tons of oil have leaked into the
Mediterranean Sea. Satellite images show the spill has already
reached as far as north as Syria. 70 miles of coastline have
already been polluted. Environmentalists fear the spill could
also end up affecting Cyprus, Turkey and Greece.
For the past month the oil spill has gone untreated because
of the ongoing Israeli air attacks and naval blockade. One
United Nations official described the situation as an "environmental
massacre." Friends of the Earth has warned that the spill,
if left unchecked, threatens to be the greatest environmental
disaster ever in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Yacoub Sarraf, Environment Minister of Lebanon.
- Wael Hmaidan, coordinator of the Oil Spill Working Group,
a coalition of environmental organizations in Lebanon. He
is a former Greenpeace campaigner for the Arab World. He
is also an organizer with the peace group Lil Hayat, a coalition
of 40 Lebanese organizations and NGOs that held a peace
rally in Beirut last week.
Israeli Ambassador Grilled on Targeting of Civilians,
Use of Cluster Bombs and Other War Crimes in Lebanon
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ayalon,
was questioned last Sunday in Washington DC as part of a press
stakeout. Sam Husseini of the Institute for Public Accuracy
was there to ask the tough questions. He grilled Ayalon on
Israel's targeting of civilians and use of cluster bombs in
Lebanon, Israel's nuclear arsenal and its lack of adherence
to United Nations Security Council resolutions. [includes
rush
transcript]
Israel's cabinet authorized an expanded ground offensive
into Lebanon on Wednesday, backing a push towards the Litani
river which lies 18 miles from the border. The decision came
on a day of fierce fighting in southern Lebanon. Fifteen Israeli
soldiers were killed in action - the highest number in a single
day since the conflict began almost a month ago.
More than 100 Israelis, most of them soldiers have now been
killed in the conflict. More than 1,000 Lebanese, most of
them civilians have also been killed.
Amid the ongoing bloodshed, top Israeli government officials
have been making regular appearances on the major news networks
in this country to defend Israel's actions. But in the corporate
media, Israeli spokespeople rarely - if ever - face any critical
questioning. Well, this past Sunday, one of them was taken
to task.
Israel's ambassador to the United States, Daniel Ayalon,
was being interviewed at the studios of FOX News in Washington
DC. After the interview, he was questioned outside the studio
as part of a press stakeout.
Sam Husseini, the communications director of the Institute
for Public Accuracy, was there to ask the tough questions.
He grilled Ayalon began by asking about:
- A report released by Human Rights Watch that accused
Israel of committing war crimes for deliberately targeting
civilians in Lebanon.
- Israel's possession of nuclear weapons
- Israel's use of cluster bombs in Lebanon
- Israel's lack of adherence to United Nations Security
Council resolutions.
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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