Pacifica's Peace Watch
Fri. Feb. 28, 2003
Today's Stories:
Former Ambassador for Jordan Hassan Abunimah
The Turkey Parliament Still Undecided
Arab Summit
Religious leaders Leave For Baghdad
Poets Against the War
Firefighters Prepare for War in Iraq
Questions Remain Regarding Oil Well Fires During Gulf War
Egyptian Anti-War Arrests
David Brock and Conservative Manipulation of Media
The audio of today's show is posted at http://www.radio4all.net/
Story: Former Ambassador for Jordan Hassan Abunimah
Iraq agreed today to begin destroying its Al Samoud II missiles
within 24 hours. Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans
Blix, who set the Saturday deadline, called the decision
"a very significant piece of real disarmament."
The destruction of the finned white rockets is seen as a key
test of the country's resolve to disarm and avert a U.S.-led
war. Predictably, Baghdad's 11th-hour concession was greeted
with celebration by governments opposed to war and skepticism
by those advocating it.
Many critics of the Bush administration’s war agenda
fear the pre-emptive strike policy is putting the U.S. in
a position of international isolation. During a discussion
yesterday with Hassan Abunimah, a former Ambassador to the
U-N from the nation of Jordan, Abunimah was troubled by U-S
tactics designed to pressure the Security Council into voting
to go to war. Today we play part two of our conversation with
Abunimah.
Tape: Hassan Abunimah, a former Ambassador to the U-N from
the nation of Jordan.
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Story: The Turkey Parliament Still Undecided
Timur Donis arrived in Ankara this morning. The 47 year-old
Turkish journalist walked more than 300 miles from Istanbul
to Ankara. 15 days through the snow to protest a US lead war,
a war opposed by more than 90 percent of the Turkish public.
Donis' arrival in the Turkish capital comes a day before the
Parliament here is set to vote on a measure allowing the US
military to send 60,000 troops and 250 warplanes to launch
a northern front against Iraq. Speaking over a tea, hours
after reaching the Turkish Capital, Timur Donis says he'll
be in the streets of Ankara tomorrow when the Parliament meets.
More than 100,000 Turks are expected to turn out tomorrow
to protest.
Tape:
But members of Turkey's ruling Islamic AK Party are holding
out against a deal their leaders signed with the United States
to allow 60,000 US troops to launch a northern front against
Iraq. From the Turkish Capital Ankara, Aaron Glantz takes
a look at one part of the anti-war movement in Turkey -- right
wing nationalists.
Tape:
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Story: Arab Summit
After more than two weeks of clear indecisiveness, the Arab
League announced that an Arab Summit is on Saturday in the
Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh, in Jordan. Secretary General
of the Arab League Amr Moussa said the Summit's agenda will
be short and will discuss two main items: the threat to launch
a war against Iraq and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Tape: Oula Farawati reports from Amman, Jordan...
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Story: Religious leaders Leave For Baghdad
The Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington DC was
the target Wednesday of a procession of ministers from around
the world. Africa Action also was part of the conference.
The group called upon the Bush administration to support the
full cancellation of the debts owed by African countries to
the World Bank and the IMF, which they held liable for failures
of the economic policies that they themselves imposed; they
urged the US government to use the wealth and power of the
U.S. to enhance human development in Africa by leading the
call for the cancellation of Africa's debts.
Tape: Tom Gomez, of WBIX.org-Exiles
and Refugees Radio joined them and files this report.
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Story: Poets Against the War
Several weeks ago on Peacewatch, we spoke with poet Sam
Hamill, who declined a White House invitation to recite poetry
at a symposium hosted by Laura Bush because he is strongly
opposed to the war in Iraq. Hamill’s refusal sparked
the website "Poets
Against the War (dot) org," and a day of poetry reading
across the country. We present now Sarah Browning with her
poem, "Sunday Morning in spring, 2002," as recited
here in the nation’s capitol.
Tape: Poet Sarah Browing. Thanks to Allen Bushnell for production
assistance with that piece.
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Story: Firefighters Prepare for War in Iraq
Rapid response oil well firefighting teams are gearing up
for the possibility of massive oil well fires in Iraq
this according to a Houston, Texas-based oil well fire-fighting
company, CUDD Pressure Control.
The Pentagon is tapping all three of the world’s leading
oil well firefighting companies out of the fear Iraqi President,
Saddam Hussein, might set explosive charges and ignite some
of the 1,500 oil wells strewn throughout the country.
Jackson Allers of sister Pacifica station, KPFT
in Houston recently spoke to, Jeff Miller, a spokesperson
for the oil well firefighting company, CUDD Pressure Control,
and to Greenpeace Research Director, Kert Davies, about the
potential environmental disaster that could occur if the Iraqi
oil wells are ignited. He files this report.
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Story: Questions Remain Regarding Oil Well Fires
During Gulf War
For the past six years, The American Gulf War Veterans Association
has received numerous reports from veterans stating that U.S.
forces and not members of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard
were actually the ones responsible for the setting of the
oil well fires at the end of the first Gulf War. Now the 5th
member of the military has come forward to tell his story
of how he was ordered to set the wells on fire so that Saddam
would be blamed for the act. The man you will hear speaking
is not the officer who made the statement because he fears
reprisals from the government, but his statement is read verbatim...
Tape: KPFK's Joyce Riley
and Dave Onclist reenacted the soldier's testimony.
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Story: Egyptian Anti-War Arrests
Today we air anti-war activists from various groups in D.C.
gathered in front of the Egyptian Embassy to protest the imprisonment
and torture of Egyptians who helped organize peaceful protests
against the invasion of Iraq. Arrests were made in Cairo from
mid-January during the lead-up to the international anti-war
protests on February 15.
"At least 11 citizens have been tortured by tactics
such as solitary confinement, repeated beatings, blindfolds,
and electric shock treatment," revealed Jonathan Neale
of the International Campaign against Aggression against Iraq.
"Of special concern is an individual who recently had
a major medical operation before being arrested. He is being
held incommunicado and needs medications immediately."
Tape: Suheir Morsi, a prominent Arab-American intellectual
and Human Rights Activist Thanks to Ryme Katkhouda,
Peacewatch producer for WPFW,
Pacifica's station in Washington DC for this segment.
[top]
Story: David Brock and Conservative Manipulation
of Media
Former right-wing, conservative, media ”quote hit
man” unquote, David Brock tells all in his most recent
book, Blinded By The Right: The Memoir of an Ex-Conservative.
Brock had a career that spanned two presidents, the first
Bush and Bill Clinton and worked diligently to promote and
defend the policies and ideas of the ultra conservative right.
When he wrote his book, The Seduction of Hilary Rodham, he
found himself out in the cold.
PeaceWatch spoke with Brock this week about his latest book
and asked who were the young Brocks out there today.
Tape: David Brock, author of “The Real Anita Hill,”
The Seduction of Hillary Rodham and most recently Blinded
by the Right: A Memoir of An Ex-Conservative; former columnist
for the Spectator and the Washington Times.
[top]
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