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> Wed., Apr. 9, 2003
Pacifica's PeaceWatch
Today's Stories:
US Deliberately Targeted Journalists
- Hassan Ibrahim, Al-Jazeera
International Law Conference
Ashley Gilbertson N. Iraqi photographer
Patriot Act Congressman John Conyers, D-Michigan
Bush Radio Give Peace A Chance
Paul Robeson’ 105th Anniversary of Birth
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Story: US Deliberately Targeted Journalists - Hassan
Ibrahim, Al-Jazeera
Yesterday, shortly before 8:00 am in Baghdad, the Al Jazeera
satellite building was bombed by US forces, killing journalist
Taraq Ayyoub and injuring a cameraman. Minutes later, U-S
artillery damaged the offices of Abu Dhabi TV, trapping 30
journalists in the debris. Several hours later on the same
day, a US tank fired upon the Palestine Hotel that housed
international journalists, killing two journalists.
According to One World.net, the Pentagon’s response
from Central Command was that “non-embedded journalists
operate at their own risk and that US forces bear no responsibility
for protecting journalists operating independently in Iraq.”
The Pentagon defended its attack of the Palestine hotel by
saying that their forces came under fire by snipers in the
Hotel. But Amnesty International says, “ If {the hotel}
had demonstrably been used for military purposes, it should
not have been attacked by a tank shell, clearly incapable
of careful targeting this case.” Amnesty went on to
say, that the Palestine Hotel was protected under international
humanitarian law.
Two major international press watchdog groups have denounced
the U.S. strikes that killed three journalists and wounded
many more. Because al-Jazeera’s facilities in Kabul
had been bombed during the conflict in Afghanistan in 2001,
al-Jazeera had provided the US forces with the satellite coordinates
of its office in Baghdad, plus the code of its signal to the
satellite transponder hoping to avoid attack this time - without
success.
From Doha, Qatar, PeaceWatch spoke with Hassan Ibrahim,
senior producer for Al Jazeera about the journalists killed
in these three separate attacks.
Tape: Hassan Ibrahim, senior producer for Al Jazeera TV
speaking with us from Doha Qatar.
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Story: International Law Conference
On several occasions since the beginning of the war, U.S.
officials have claimed that Iraq is in violation of the Geneva
Convention. The Administration was outraged when American
Prisoners of War were paraded on Iraqi TV several weeks ago,
and grisly pictures of dead coalition forces were broadcast.
The Pentagon refuted assertions that the U.S. was also in
violation of the Geneva Convention, after allied forces bombed
Iraqi television off the air. Military officials stated that
the station was under quote “key regime command and
control assets” and was therefore a legitimate military
target.
Questions of legality under international law have been
raised frequently since the onset of the war. Peacewatch correspondent
Matthew Bradley recently attended a conference with international
law experts in Washington DC, and he filed this report.
Tape: Anne Marie Slaughter President, American Society for
International Law
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Story: Ashley Gilbertson N. Iraqi photographer
Critics of the practice of embedding journalists and photographers
with military units in Iraq, argue that it enables censorship
by the US military. Amid misguided bombs and missiles, one
photographer has unofficially embedded himself with the US
Special Forces in the City of Erbil, the official capital
of Iraqi Kurdistan in northern Iraq. Earlier today Peacewatch
spoke with Ashley Gilbertson with Aurora Photos about his
experiences.
Tape: Ashley Gilbertson, a photographer with Aurora Photos
in northern Iraq.
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Story: Patriot Act Congressman John Conyers,
D-Michigan
That slippery slope down the path of civil liberties in
the wake of 911...just got a little slipperier. Some congressional
republicans are maneuvering to make the already sweeping anti-terrorism
act a permanent fixture in American law. The Act is set to
expire in 2005 unless Congress re-authorizes it.
Congressman John Conyers of Michigan spoke with PeaceWatch
today about the repercussions of the Patriot Act and the possibility
of it becoming permanent.
Tape: US Congressman John Conyers Democratic of Michigan
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Story: Bush Radio Give Peace A Chance
President George W. Bush and his George Herbert Walker Bush
have shared many of the same cabinet officers, corporate advisers
and strategic goals for the rich oilfields of Iraq. But there
is at least ONE Bush AGAINST the war in Iraq Bush Radio,
which is broadcasting a signal to give peace a chance from
it headquarters in Capetown, South Africa. Pacifica station
WBAI’s Wake Up Call New York joined Bush Radio live
o the air as they began a 48-hour peace broadcast.
Tape: Produced by Robert Knight of WBAI, NY
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Story: Paul Robeson’ 105th Anniversary of Birth
One of the most memorable voices ever to draw breath was
that of Paul Robeson, born on this date 105 years ago. We
celebrate his life and legacy of fighting against oppression.
Today we commemorate his fight for peace and justice. In 1949
after riots in Peekskill, NY Robeson shared this poem
Tape: Paul Robeson in Peekskill, NY in 1949 today would
have been his 105th birthday.
Credits
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