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> Tues. Mar. 4, 2003
Pacifica's Peace Watch
Today's Stories:
Jeremy Scahill Reports from Baghdad
Religious Leaders Visit Iraq
Turkish Parliament Urged to Further Privatize By IMF
Arab Summit in Beirut
Phil Donahue the Latest Casualty of Conservative Pundits
Follow the Money
Refuse to Fight
Russia Takes Harder Stance Against Military Action
Christmas Coup Comedy Players
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The general who would command a war in Iraq - - -general
Tommy Franks is headed to Washington for meetings with top
administration officials. This as the Pentagon prepares to
send another 60,000 American troops to the Persian Gulf region.
With some 230-thousand U.S. forces already deployed, officials
say 60-thousand more were ordered there in the last few days.
Another 20,000 to 30,000 are expected to head for the region
later - which would bring the force to well over 300-thousand.
Though little is said in the mainstream media, the US and
Britain forces are already bombing targets in Iraq and have
done so, without UN sanction since the “end of the Persian
Gulf War.” Recent reports state that the US has expanded
its bombing operations in supposed no fly zones.
Tape: Peace Watch correspondent Jeremy
Scahill in Baghdad
[top]
Story: Religious Leaders Visit Iraq
With the United States moving toward a vote next week to
approve military action against Iraq, Secretary-General Kofi
Annan declared today that war must be a last resort and called
Baghdad's missile destruction "a positive development."
With the U-N Security Council vote looming on the horizon
this week, peace activists believe this may be the last opportunity
to avert war. A group of American religious leaders headed
for Baghdad this week, intent on reversing Bush’s self-proclaimed
“crusade” against Iraq with what they call a "pilgrimage
for peace".
Tape: Peacewatch producer Robert Knight from Pacifica station
WBAI in NY …
[top]
Story: Turkish Parliament Urged to Further Privatize
By IMF
Turkish Parliamentarians started working on the country's
budget today, two days after their historic vote against the
US war on Iraq. Denial of the Bush Administration's multi-billion
dollar aid package means many farmers won't be paid this year.
The country's health care and social security system will
be cut. Officials from the International Monetary Fund arrived
in Ankara for negotiations with the Turkish government where
they will insist on further privatizations.
To help lessen this blow, lawmakers unveiled what they call
a peace tax -- a new levy on homes and cars. In addition to
a budget-fixing move, the peace tax is meant to show the United
States the Parliament has no plans to revise its decision
to deny the US military use of its soil.
Tape: Fathna Unsal, founding member of Turkey's ruling Islamic
AK Party and the leader of the AK Party's women's wing, with
Peacewatch correspondent Aaron Glantz
[top]
Story: Arab Summit in Beirut
Syrian President Bashar Assad gave a powerful speech at
the opening session of Saturday's Arab Summit in Beirut, Lebanon.
His speech was received with applause throughout the Arab
world, and many said it summed up how Arabs throughout the
region feel about the looming war on Iraq...
Tape: … Syrian President Bashar Assad, speaking at
Saturday’s Arab Summit in Beirut, Lebanon. Thanks to
Oula Farawati
[top]
Story: Phil Donahue the Latest Casualty of Conservative
Pundits
Recently, many US celebrities opposing the war in Iraq have
been singled out by conservative media pundits, that has led
to a wave of firings and mainstream media silence on the anti-war
position. One recent instance of this was the cancellation
of MSNBC's Donahue show last week. Rick Ellis, a columnist
at allyourTV.com, broke the story of an internal memo at MSNBC
that illustrated the real concerns of cable networks, namely
competing with Fox News.
Tape: Rick Ellis, a columnist at allyourTV.com
[top]
Story: Follow the Money
Many people feel the US has not made the case for an invasion
of Iraq and wonder why this administration, against all conventional
wisdom, is continuing to build up troops in the region. PeaceWatch
spoke to political commentator Ambrose Lane, host of We Ourselves
on Pacifica station WPFW in Washington, today, about how money
impacts the US march to war on Iraq.
Tape: Political commentator Ambrose I. Lane, Sr., Esq.,
Host of We Ourselves on Pacifica station WPFW in Washington
[top]
Story: Refuse to Fight
As the US sends another 60,000 troops to the Persian Gulf,
a group of Washington area peace activists is distributing
a statement calling on service members to refuse to fight,
refuse to kill.
Tape: Susan Crane, member of Jonah House in Baltimore, MD.
GI fight hotline 1-800-FYI95GI
[top]
Story: Russia Takes Harder Stance Against Military
Action
Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, hardening Moscow's
opposition to quick military action, indicated Russia might
use its veto against the U.S.-backed resolution.
Speaking at a news conference in London, Ivanov said, "it
is unlikely" that Russia or any permanent Security Council
member with veto power would abstain.
With the U-N Security Council vote looming on the horizon
this week, peace activists believe this may be the last opportunity
to avert war.
The debate over the legality of a U.S. led invasion into
Iraq has taken an interesting turn. Lawyers in the firm Matrix
Chambers, where British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s
wife practices believe attacking Iraq on the basis of the
second U-N resolution would be a violation of international
law.
[top]
Story: Christmas Coup Comedy Players
Finally, tonight, a bit of political satire from the Christmas
Coup Comedy Players at Pacifica stations KPFT in Houston and
WBAI in New York…
Tape: Christmas Coup
Comedy Players
Credits
[top]
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