Pacifica's Peace Watch
Wed. Jan. 29, 2003
Today's Stories:
Scott Ritter's reaction to last night's State of the Union
address
Point Counter Point
Opposition to War by Business Leaders
Green Party At Sorry State Of Union Rally In DC
FAIR Responds to State of the Union Address
Comcast Refuses Ad Against The War
Dr. Michael Beckwith A Season of Peace
The audio of today's show is posted at http://www.radio4all.net/
The top nuclear inspector in Iraq disputed President Bush’
claims in his state o f the union address last night that
Iraqi intelligence agents are posing as scientists.
But he conceded that he would not be surprised if the inspections
effort had been infiltrated not necessarily by the Iraqis.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Mohamed El Baradei
of the International Atomic Energy Agency also stood by his
inspectors’ findings that aluminum tubes the Iraqis
had tried to import were for rockets and not for a nuclear
program, as the president reasserted yesterday.
Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector for Iraq in
the early ‘90’s took issue with a number of Bush’s
claims about the threat Saddam Hussein poses to Americans.
Tape: Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector, co-author
of the book, “War on Iraq2, What Team Bush doesn’t
Want You to Know.”
[top]
Story: Point Counter Point
President-select Bush’s address was fraught with assertions
being challenged by policy analysts in various fields. During
Pacifica Radio’s live coverage of the address and the
discussion following it, analysts dissected the speech point
by point.
Tape: Progressive panelists reacting to Bush’s state
of the Union address
[top]
Story: Opposition to War by Business Leaders
Bush was flanked by enthusiastically applauding members
of Congress last night, but critics of the president’s
policies come from both sides of the aisle. A small group
of Republican business leaders are angry about Bush’s
push for war and are quite outspoken about it. Liz Veering,
the owner of a small real estate business in the Washington
area, had mixed reactions to Bush’s comments about the
economy and war.
Tape: Liz Veering, the owner of a small real estate business
in the Washington area
[top]
Story: Green Party At Sorry State Of Union Rally
In DC
The DC Statehood Green Party branch, a member of the Shirts
Off Coalition declared, "Bush is taking the shirts off
our backs for a war on Iraq". To oppose this and challenge
Bush's State Of the Union address, the Shirts Off Coalition
called yesterday for a Rally, Concert and March. Minneapolis
City Council Woman Natalie Johnson Lee from the Green Party
to replied to Bush's address.
Tape: Minneapolis City Council Woman Natalie Johnson Lee
from the Green Party, produced by Ryme Katkhouda, Peacewatch
producer from WPFW, Pacifica's station in Washington DC
[top]
Story: FAIR Responds to State of the Union Address
The State of the Union Address was met with little skepticism
or critique from the mainstream press. That is according to
Rachel Cohen a media analyst with Fairness and Accuracy in
Reporting (FAIR), a media watchdog organization. Pacifica’s
Peacewatch spoke with her this afternoon about the myopic
vision of corporate media, its role in shifting public opinion
toward the side of power, the language of wartime, and her
reactions to President Bush’s speech.
Tape: Rachel Cohen a media analyst with Fairness and Accuracy
in Report (FAIR)
[top]
Story: Comcast Refuses Ad Against The War
Comcast television, the nation's largest cable company,
refused to air an ad the anti-war group Peace Action planned
to run during President Bush's State of the Union Address
last night. Comcast's legal department notified the group
on Tuesday morning that they would not run the ad. In a statement
issued by the company, Comcast spokesperson Mitchell Schmale
said claims made in the ad were unsubstantiated, though he
failed to specify which claims the company objected to. The
voices heard on the video produced by the group are those
of actual people. Each gives his or her main reason for opposing
war in Iraq.
Tape:
Earlier today, Gloria Minot of Pacifica Station WPFW spoke
with Scott Lynch, a spokesperson for Peace Action about his
reaction to Comcast's decision to censor the views of those
opposed to war in Iraq:
Tape: Scott Lynch, a spokesperson for Peace Action of New
Jersey. Thanks to Tom Gomez from WBIX Internet radio for preparing
that report.
[top]
Story: Dr. Michael Beckwith A Season of Peace
The chorus of voices for Peace continues to grow in the
US and around the world. A coalition of peace activists under
the leadership of the Agape International Spiritual Center
in Culver City, CA has developed a unique platform for increasing
the peace. Dr. Michael Beckwith, founder and spiritual director
of the multicultural, trans-denominational center visited
our studios recently and announced this year’s season
of peace.
Tape: Dr. Michael Beckwith, founder and director of the
Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, CA
Credits
[top]
For a copy of today's show, please contact Pacifica
Radio Archives at 800 735 0230.
|
