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> Fri., Apr. 25, 2003
Pacifica's PeaceWatch
Today's Stories:
Former deputy Prime Minister of Iraq
Tariq Aziz turns himself in to UN forces
Colin Powell on North Korea: No Course of Action is Off the
Table
Journalist Tim Shorrock on North Korea
Former US Ambassador to Iraq Edward Peck on the Powell - Rumsfeld
“rivalry”
Military contractor Dynacorp receives US contract for Iraq,
despite dubious human rights record
Dixie Chicks victim of national climate of heightened patriotism
Actor Micheal Moore: I’m an American
Author and media critic Michael Parenti on the “Superpatriots”
Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi’s thoughts on the
occupation of Iraq
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President Bush will soon declare an official end to combat
in Iraq, White House officials said Friday, previewing an
address that also will outline his plans to rebuild the war-torn
nation and sustain the global war on terrorism. Officials
say the speech may come as early as next week when the president
visits an aircraft carrier returning to San Diego from Iraq
war duty.
Former deputy Prime Minister of Iraq Tariq Aziz turns
himself in to UN forces
A former Iraqi intelligence official accused of links to
al-Qaida has been captured by U.S. forces according to American
officials. Farouk Hijazi, who most recently served as Iraq's
ambassador to Tunisia, was once a senior official in the Mukhabarat,
Saddam Hussein's intelligence service. The announcement came
a day after the surrender of Saddam loyalist Tariq Aziz.
Aziz served as deputy Prime Minister of Iraq until the outbreak
of the war, and was the only Christian in Saddam Hussein's
inner circle. He was the most publicly-known figure of the
regime, and his surrender has been regarded by many observers
as a symbol that the regimes’ rein has come to an end.
Aziz was also regarded as a moderate, and prior to the war,
he issued a peace plan-- quickly rejected by the US-- that
would have averted the bombing.
Tape: William Polk, expert on the Arab region and a former
member of the State Department in the Kennedy administration
who visited Iraq and met with Tariq Aziz shortly before the
invasion...
[top]
Colin Powell on North Korea: No Course of Action
is Off the Table
While the war winds down in Iraq, things are heating up
in North Korea. A North Korean official warned earlier this
week that his country has nuclear weapons and may test, export
or use them depending on US actions. And a secret memorandum
from War Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was leaked earlier this
week, where he called for regime change in North Korea. Yesterday,
Colin Powell responded to a question from a South Korean reporter
on the confusing stance of the US toward North Korea, which
has said that it possessed nuclear weapons. In contrast to
the manufacturing of evidence and blustering rhetoric seen
in the prelude to the war in Iraq, Powell says that the US
is keeping all diplomatic options open with North Korea
Tape: Secretary of State Colin Powell
[top]
Journalist Tim Shorrock on North Korea
Tape: Journalist Tim Shorrock, who has written about U.S.
relations with Korea for over 20 years
[top]
Former US Ambassador to Iraq Edward Peck on the Powell
- Rumsfeld “rivalry”
Al Hunt, Editor of The Wall Street Journal reported that
the Powell-Rumsfeld rivalry is "perhaps the most intense
and high-stakes intra-administration feud since World War
II. Other media sources speculate that the infighting reflects
a level of comfort within the Republican Party. We turn now
to Former Ambassador Edward Peck, who served as chief of mission
to Iraq, and worked in the State Department for 32 years.
Peck was a liaison officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He
offers his analysis of the apparent division within the Bush
administration.
Tape: Edward Peck, ambassador and former chief of mission
to Iraq and a fellow at the Institute for Higher Defense Studies
at the National Defense University
Tape: Gil Scott-Heron song- Space Shuttle
[top]
Military contractor Dynacorp receives US contract
for Iraq, despite dubious human rights record
In addition to the much talked about Iraq contracts awarded
to corporations Halliburton and Bechtel, military contractor
DynCorp officially received a contract last Friday from the
State Department-- in spite of its dubious human rights record.
Tape: Report from KPFT in Houston, Texas by Karam Said with
assistance from Barry Yeoman of Mother Jones magazine
[top]
Dixie Chicks victim of national climate of heightened
patriotism
As the nation went to war in Iraq last month, the country
found itself engulfed in a climate of heightened patriotism.
Many actors, musicians and celebrities who questioned the
Administration’s motives in launching its preemptive
war found themselves suddenly silenced and shunned by the
media and other members of the artistic community. Among the
casualties was the music group the Dixie Chicks after Lead
singer Natalie Maines told a London crowd that "We're
ashamed the president is from Texas," their home state.
Tape: “More Love” by the Dixie Chicks
[top]
Actor Micheal Moore: I’m an American
Several prominent artists have come under censure for expressing
opinions that are critical of the administration. Academy
award winner Michael Moore was booed at the Academy Awards
ceremony several weeks ago for opposing the war on Iraq. Moore
won an Oscar for his documentary “Bowling for Columbine.”
At a press conference after the ceremony, Moore responded
to questions from the press. When asked whether he received
the response he expected from the audience and why he made
his statement against the war he responded, “Because
I’m an American.”
Tape: Michael Moore, author of Stupid White Men and Other
Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation and producer of
the film Bowling for Columbine
[top]
Author and media critic Michael Parenti on the “Superpatriots”
More and more, to speak out against the administration’s
policies means to be treated as unpatriotic and traitorous.
Author and media critic Michael Parenti weighs in with his
thoughts on the media’s coverage of the war and dissent
against Bush administration policies.
Tape: Author and media critic Michael Parenti
[top]
Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi’s thoughts
on the occupation of Iraq
Now that the United States occupation of Iraq has begun,
we go to a discussion with leading Egyptian feminist Nawal
El Saadawi on the repercussions of the occupation on international
law, democracy, women, and the rest of the Arab world.
Dr. Nawal El Saadawi has written a number of books on the
topics of women, feminism, sexuality and politics. Her words
have been translated into 30 languages, and she has been awarded
several esteemed literary prizes.
Tape: Egyptian feminist and author Nawal El Saadawi, speaking
with KPFK’s Sonali Kolhatkar
[top]
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