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EXCLUSIVE: Haitian Political Prisoner So Anne Released After
Over 2 Years in Haitian Jail
Christians United for Israel: New Christian Zionism Lobby
Hopes to Rival AIPAC
Fmr. White House Counsel John Dean on Conservatives Without
Conscience
EXCLUSIVE: Haitian Political Prisoner So Anne Released
After Over 2 Years in Haitian Jail
Popular Haitian-American folk singer and political activist
Annette Auguste, has been released after spending over two
years in a Haitian jail. Auguste, commonly known as So Anne,
was jailed shortly after the 2004 coup that ousted Haitian
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. So Anne joins us on the
line from Haiti. [includes rush
transcript]
Popular Haitian-American folk singer and political activist
Annette Auguste, has been released after spending over two
years in a Haitian jail. Auguste, commonly known as So Anne,
was jailed shortly after the 2004 coup that ousted Haitian
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. So Anne was one of the most
prominent Aristide supporters to be jailed under the U.S.-backed
Haitian government. She lived in Brooklyn, New York for 20
years before returning in 1994 when Aristide returned to power
after the first coup against him.
In May 2004, US Marines raided her home in the middle of
the night, used explosives to break down her front door, killed
her two pet dogs, handcuffed her 5-year-old grandson and arrested
her. She has been in prison ever since. According to the Haitian
Lawyers Leadership Network, the Haitian judge in charge of
her case ruled this week that there was no evidence to hold
her in prison. She was released last night.
So Anne joins us on the line from Haiti. We also speak with
independent journalist Kim Ives, the former editor of the
Haitian newspaper, Haiti Progres.
- So Anne, Haitian folk singer. She speaks to us from Haiti.
- Kim Ives, independent journalist and former editor of
the Haitian newspaper, Haiti Progres.
Christians United for Israel: New Christian Zionism
Lobby Hopes to Rival AIPAC
We take a look at a new recently established group called
Christians United for Israel - an evangelical organization
that believes supporting expansionist policies of the Israeli
government is: "a biblical imperative." We speak
with investigative journalist Max Blumenthal who reports they
lobbied the Bush administration to adopt a confrontational
posture toward Iran, refuse aid to the Palestinians and give
Israel a free hand in its attack on Lebanon. [includes rush
transcript]
In March of this year, a study on the role of the Israel
lobby in US foreign policy caused an uproar in the academic
community and in the media. The paper's authors, Professor
Stephen Walt of Harvard University and John Mearsheimer of
the University of Chicago, argued the pro-Israel lobby has
unduly influenced the United States to set aside its own security
in order to advance the interests of Israel. The study emphasized
the activities of the pro-Israel lobby group the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.
Well, there's another side of the pro-Israel lobby that's
drawing increasing attention -- and some say its far more
influential. A new group was recently established called Christians
United for Israel - CUFI. They're an evangelical organization
that believes supporting expansionist policies of the Israeli
government is: "a biblical imperative." In a new
article for The Nation, journalist Max Blumenthal reports
group members have held several meetings with White House
officials to talk about US policy in the Middle East. They've
apparently lobbied the administration to adopt a confrontational
posture toward Iran, refuse aid to the Palestinians and give
Israel a free hand in its attack on Lebanon.
We're going to speak with Max Blumenthal in a moment but
first, we hear from Christians United for Israel. Their inaugural
event was held last month in Washington, DC. More than 3,000
people were in attendance to hear speeches from Israeli and
American dignitaries. Among the speakers was Kansas Republican
Senator Sam Brownback.
The group's founder, Texas television evangelist John Hagee,
also spoke.
We speak with Max Blumenthal. He writes about Christians
United for Israel in a new piece for the Nation titled "Birth
Pangs of a New Christian Zionism."
- Max Blumenthal, Puffin Foundation writing fellow at the
Nation Institute. His work has appeared in The Nation, Salon,
The American Prospect and the Washington Monthly. His blog
is MaxBlumenthal.Blogspot.com.
Fmr. White House Counsel John Dean on Conservatives
Without Conscience
We speak with former Nixon White House counsel John Dean
about his new book, "Conservatives Without Conscience."
In it, he warns that many of today's Republican and conservative
leaders are: "conservatives without conscience who are
capable of plunging this nation into disasters the likes of
which we have never known." [includes rush
transcript]
As we discuss the radical Christian movement and its role
in US policy in the Middle East, we're going to step back
and get a broader perspective from a former Republican political
insider -- Nixon White House counsel John Dean.
Dean served as Nixon's White House lawyer for the last 1,000
days of his presidency and was among the White House staffers
implicated in covering up the 1972 break-in of the Democratic
National Headquarters inside the Watergate Hotel.
Dean agreed to testify to Congress that Nixon was guilty
of covering up Watergate, even though he was certain to condemn
himself. Dean was eventually charged with obstruction of justice
and would eventually be sentenced to 127 days in detention
for taking part in the cover-up. Today Dean has become a vocal
critic of the Bush administration. He's written a new book.
It's called "Conservatives Without Conscience."
Dean writes of what he calls: "conservative authoritarianism."
He warns that many of today's Republican and conservative
leaders are: "conservatives without conscience who are
capable of plunging this nation into disasters the likes of
which we have never known."
- John Dean, served as counsel to President Nixon. Author
of several books, his latest is "Conservatives Without
Conscience."
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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