Pacifica's Peace Watch
Tues. Jan. 21, 2003
Today's Stories:
Can Bush Get His War On
Assassination Plans For Saddam Hussein
Black Voices for Peace
From Turkey Voices in the Wilderness
Moveon.org
Australian Peace Activists Turn Up the Heat
Bernice Reagon of Sweet Honey ‘n’ the Rock
The audio of today's show is posted at http://www.radio4all.net/
Story: Can Bush Get His War On
The Bush administration continues to make its case and prepare
militarily for war against Iraq, but support for the president’s
agenda is losing ground in some diplomatic circles and in
the court of public opinion.
Anywhere between 200 to 500 thousand anti-war protestors
- - - some carrying signs that read: freezing for peace turned
out this weekend in Washington, another 200-thousand rallied
in San Francisco and rallies were held in approximately 100
cities worldwide. In total, nearly a million protestors have
come out against a war with Iraq. Support in conservative
circles is also waning.
The president’s ratings have slipped from a popular
68% down to a less popular 56% in 45 days according to a Newsweek
ABC poll. France today announced it will wage a major diplomatic
fight to block a U-N resolution calling for war against Iraq
and threatened to us its veto power if necessary. U-N analyst
Phyllis Bennis, of the Institute for Policy Studies says France’s
announcement today is consistent with it’s position
all along.
Tape: Phyllis Bennis, of the Institute for Policy Studies
The Washington Times is reporting today that Secretary of
State Colin Powell warned the United Nations against being
“shocked into impotence” on Iraq. In a hastily
called meeting, Powell told 13 of the 15 members of the council.
We cannot fail to take the action because we are afraid of
what others might do.
Meanwhile, "Task Force Iron Horse," - - - the
army’s most advanced land combat division comprising
16,000 soldiers from the 4th Infantry and 20,000 supporting
troops from 10 bases, is deploying as a special unit to confront
Iraq. By month's end, as many as 100,000 American troops may
be positioned in the region. A total force of more than 200,000
soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines is expected to be in
place, or on the way, by late February.
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Story: Assassination Plans For Saddam Hussein
There is a growing sense of uneasiness as talk of a possible
assassination of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein continues.
U.S. intelligence has stepped up their efforts to track and
monitor the Iraqi President.
Tape: Ralph Shoneman and Mya Shone, Pacifica station WBAI
in New York
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Story: Black Voices for Peace
In a marathon day of peace and justice workshops and 5 hours
of passionate speeches at Plymouth Congregational Church,
Black Voices for Peace sponsored a Martin Luther King program,
with over 3 thousand people in attendance.
Tape: Damario Solomon-Simmons a student from Oakland, CA
Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney also addressed
the standing roowm crowd.
Tape: Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader reflected on how the US got
into the plans for war against Iraq and how we can get out
of it.
Tape: Ralph Nader, consumer activist, produced by Ryme Katkhouda,
Peacewatch producer for WPFW, Pacifica's Station in Washington
DC and Serge Mishel
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Story: From Turkey Voices in the Wilderness
While more than a hundred thousand peace activists descended
on Washington and around the country for anti-war protests
this weekend, a handful of Americans were on an airplane to
the Middle East. The group-- a delegation of the Chicago-based
organization Voices in the Wilderness-- is on its way to Baghdad
to bear witness in the event of a US war on Iraq.
Tape: From Amman, Jordan, Aaron Glantz reports...
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Story: Moveon.org
Head UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix is due to report back
to the Security Council early next week on the progress of
the inspection teams in Iraq, and thousands of activists are
preparing for the occasion by holding a massive, anti-war
demonstration outside the United Nations building in New York.
Meanwhile, several members of Congress are circulating a letter
to President Bush, asking him to let the inspectors do their
work, and thousands of people across the country visited the
offices of their elected representatives today, asking them
to sign on to the letter.
Tape: Litsa Binder, in the 11th Congressional District of
New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Peacewatch Producer Scott Gurian spoke with Heather
Bradshaw, who visited her Congress person's office in Studio
City, California.
Tape: Heather Bradshaw in Studio City, California
Peacewatch also spoke with Eli Pariser of http://www.moveon.org,
which is coordinating the lobbying campaign nationwide
Tape: Eli Pariser of http://www.moveon.org
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Story: Australian Peace Activists Turn Up the Heat
Rallies against a war in Iraq continue around the world.
In Melbourne, Australia, demonstrators have turned up the
heat in protest of the lack of media coverage of peace demonstrations.
Yesterday, over 150 woman demonstrators showed up on the steps
of the Parliament house with their underwear as outerwear.
.
Tape: Kelly Armstrong of ABC-TV’s MDA was there. Deepa
Fernandez provided voices from Australia
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Story: Bernice Reagon of Sweet Honey ‘n’
the Rock
A voice of struggle for over four decades and a stalwart
of the community is founder of the Grammy award winning accapella
singing group Sweet Honey In The Rock, Bernice Johnson Reagon.
Reagon is a Mellon Fellowship winner, a Peabody Fellow and
former professor of African-American Studies at American University
in Washington DC. She was a founder The Freedom Singers, who
traveled around the country during the civil rights movement
teaching the songs of struggle and triumph.
Last week, Reagon visited the studios of PeaceWatch to discuss
the motivation for her life of activism.
Tape: Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of Sweet Honey In
The Rock.
Credits
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For a copy of today's show, please contact Pacifica
Radio Archives at 800 735 0230.
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