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UN General Assembly Hears Bush, Ahmadinejad Trade Criticism
Thai Military Leaders Stage Military Coup
Why Did the FCC Bury Studies on Media Consolidation?
One Day After Complete Exoneration, Maher Arar Yet to Receive
Apology From Canada, US for Year-Long Imprisonment, Torture
in Syrian Jail
UN General Assembly Hears Bush, Ahmadinejad Trade
Criticism
Speaking from the same lectern within hours of each other,
President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traded
criticism at the opening session of the UN General Assembly.
This year’s agenda for 192 UN member states includes
trying to promote Mideast peace, curb Iran’s nuclear
ambitions, get UN peacekeepers into conflict-wracked Darfur,
and promote democracy. We speak with UN specialist Phyllis
Bennis. [includes rush
transcript]
The sixty-first annual United Nations General Assembly has
opened in New York. This year’s agenda for the 192 UN
member states includes trying to promote Mideast peace, curb
Iran’s nuclear ambitions, get UN peacekeepers into conflict-wracked
Darfur, and promote democracy. Over a week and a half, each
nation is allotted 15 minutes at the General Assembly’s
dais to deliver a speech about the issues most important to
them. President Bush spoke yesterday morning. In his speech
he pressed Iran to return to international talks on its nuclear
program and threatened consequences if they do not.
- President Bush, addressing the UN General Assembly.
Bush also applauded the new government in Iraq and promised
to defend Afghanistan from a resurgent Taliban. Hours later
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the General
Assembly. He defended his country’s nuclear program
saying it was for peaceful purposes. He also accused the United
States and Britain of using the UN Security Council to advance
their own agendas.
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressing the
UN General Assembly.
Outside of the United Nations, thousands of protestors gathered
to call for the end to the ongoing war in Iraq and an end
to all wars. As President Bush stepped to the podium, a group
of 17 activists were arrested for civil disobedience as they
called for the ouster of Bush for crimes against humanity.
One of those arrested was Ann Wright -- she is one of three
State Department officials to publicly resign in protest of
the Iraq war in 2003.
- Retired Army Col. Ann Wright, speaking before her arrest.
- Phyllis Bennis. Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies
in Washington DC, specializing in Middle East and United
Nations issues. Author of “Challenging Empire: How
People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power.”
Thai Military Leaders Stage Military Coup
In Thailand, military leaders have staged a bloodless coup,
suspending the constitution and declaring martial law. We
go to the capital Bangkok to get reaction on the ground. [includes
rush
transcript]
Military leaders in Thailand staged a bloodless coup Tuesday
night, then suspended the constitution and declared martial
law. Prime Minister Thaskin Shinawatra was in New York for
the UN General Assembly. He cancelled his scheduled speech
last night and it is unclear whether he intends to return
home.
The leader of the coup, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, told
a news conference today that a new prime minister would be
named within two weeks. He said new elections would take place
in a year’s time, once a new constitution had been written.
He also warned that the ousted prime minister could face charges.
The Thai armed forces seized power without firing a shot.
Tanks rolled into the capital, Bangkok, as soldiers seized
government offices and took up strategic positions around
the city. In a broadcast on all Thai television channels,
the leadership of the armed forces said it had taken control,
declared nationwide martial law and ordered all troops to
return to their bases. A spokesman for the coup leaders said
the seizure would be temporary and power would be ‘returned
to the people’ soon.
- Prapart Sakuntanak, spokesperson for coup leaders.
The heads of the armed forces went to the palace to visit
the highly revered king and declared loyalty to him. The king
has made no comment about whether he backs the takeover. The
military said the country’s stock market, banks and
schools would remain closed on Wednesday. BBC World, CNN and
other international TV news channels have been taken off the
air, while Thai stations have broadcast footage of the royal
family and patriotic songs. Reuters is reporting that the
army has banned gatherings of more than five people.
The coup followed months of growing tension in Thailand,
with protests against the Prime Minister and a general election
which was annulled due to concerns about its legitimacy.
- Chanida Chanyapate Bamford. Deputy Director of Focus
on the Global South. Speaking from Bangkok.
Why Did the FCC Bury Studies on Media Consolidation?
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered an investigation
into why two reports that called into question media consolidation
were never released to the public. Both reports have come
to light in just the last week. A former FCC lawyer says top
agency officials ordered staff to destroy every last copy
of one of the studies. [includes rush
transcript]
For the second week in a row, the Federal Communications
Commission is facing allegations of censorship. Yesterday,
it was disclosed that the agency buried a critical study of
media consolidation. The study, titled ‘ A Review of
the Radio Industry’ found that the Telecommunications
Act of 1996 had led to a drastic decline in the number of
radio station owners — even as the actual number of
commercial stations in the United States had increased.
Last week, a former FCC lawyer revealed that top officials
ordered staff to destroy all copies of a draft of another
study, which concluded that greater concentration of media
ownership hurt local television news coverage. Both former
FCC Chair Michael Powell and current Chair Kevin Martin deny
ever seeing the reports. Yesterday, Martin ordered a formal
investigation into why these two agency reports were never
made public.
- Timothy Karr. Campaign director of Free Press, a media
reform organization.
One Day After Complete Exoneration, Maher Arar Yet
to Receive Apology From Canada, US for Year-Long Imprisonment,
Torture in Syrian Jail
Canada and the US are refusing to apologize to Maher Arar
despite his exoneration by a Canadian government inquiry.
The Syrian-born Canadian was detained nearly four years ago
by U.S. authorities at JFK airport and was sent to Syria where
he was jailed for a year and repeatedly tortured. Maher Arar
joins us with his reaction. [includes rush
transcript]
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has refused to apologize
to Maher Arar despite Arar’s exoneration by a federal
inquiry. Four years ago, Maher Arar was on his way back to
Canada from a family vacation in Tunisia. The Syrian-born
Canadian citizen had a stopover at JFK airport in New York.
After being questioned at the airport, U.S. officials took
him to a New York immigration facility. Two weeks later he
was secretly flown to Jordan aboard a Gulfstream Jet. Maher
Arar ended up in Syria where he was held in a cell, the size
of a grave. He was physically and psychologically tortured.
He was forced to confess to having trained in Afghanistan
-- where he has never been. He was released after a year and
never charged with a crime.
On Monday, the Canadian government admitted for the first
time that Arar was a completely innocent man. Justice Dennis
O’Connor, who led the inquiry, said the U.S. government’s
decision to send Arar to Syria was likely based on inaccurate
and misleading information provided by Canadian authorities.
On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged
that a tremendous injustice had taken place but he declined
to apologize to Arar. Maher Arar joins us now on the phone
from Canada.
- Maher Arar. Syrian-born Canadian citizen who spent a
year imprisoned in Syria after U.S. officials detained him
at a New York airport during a stopover.
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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