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> Fri., June. 20, 2003
Pacifica's PeaceWatch
Today's Stories:
U-S Troops in Iraq: Scott Peterson
Naomi Klein Explores Cutting Services to the Iraqi People
U.S. Corporations in Iraq
Iraqi Travel Agent Song
Military Recruitment In Senior High School
Clear and Present Danger: Joyce Meskis
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U-S Troops in Iraq: Scott Peterson (Science
Christian Monitor)
A rocket-propelled grenade slammed into an electrical transformer
near U.S. troops in Fallujah, injuring two soldiers and sending
a tower of flame into the night sky, witnesses and the U.S.
military said Friday. It was the latest in an escalating series
of attacks on U.S. soldiers and sabotage against the infrastructure
needed for Iraq's reconstruction.
US soldiers, admitted it was common practice to kill men,
women and children, even killing the wounded that were unable
to fight. An article in the London Evening Standard today,
also said that morale among the troops is at an all time low;
that many soldiers have seen psychiatrists; because they are
not prepared to deal with peacekeeping duties for people they
feel are trying to kill them. One soldier was quoted in the
story as saying: "One day you are shooting at them, then
the next day you are trying to help them."
Since Bush declared the end of major hostilities on May
1st, over 50 US troops have been killed at an average of one
a day. At the same time, several Iraqi civilians have also
been killed, men, women, and children. Scott Peterson, staff
writer for the Christian Science Monitor, in Baghdad, spoke
with Peacewatch today about what the mood is on the streets
of Baghdad with this on-going violence.
Tape: Scott Peterson, staff writer for the Christian
Science Monitor reporting from Baghdad, Iraq.
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Naomi Klein Explores Cutting Services to the Iraqi
People
Paul Bremer has issued no-bid contracts to US companies to
rebuild Iraq’s oil well and there are rumors of plans
to privatize Iraq’s utilities. In a story in the Nation
magazine, Naomi Klein she poses the question... Why is Paul
Bremer, the US appointed governor of Iraq, Hacking away so
viciously at Iraq’s public sector? Klein expresses that
after only a few weeks on the job he’s already “downsizing
in disguise”
Tape: Naomi Klein is a commentator for the Globe and Mail
in Canada and the author of several books, namely; No Logo:
Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies and Fences and Windows: An
Activist Journal from Seattle to September 11. She is also
a contributing writer for The Nation magazine
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U.S. Corporations in Iraq
As Iraq's public sector is phased out under the leadership
of Paul Bremer, in favor of a free market society, some activists
and watchdog groups are raising questions about the backgrounds
of those corporations being granted lucrative contracts. US
Labor Against the War, a network of labor organizations formed
in opposition to the war on Iraq, recently released a report
profiling the labor, human rights, environmental, business
and social records of some 18 U.S. corporations granted contracts
to participate in Iraq's reconstruction. Peacewatch spoke
earlier this week with Bob Muehlenkamp, one of the group's
spokesmen.
Tape: Bob Muehlenkamp is a co-convener of US
Labor Against the War. The group released a report this
week entitled, "The Corporate Invasion of Iraq: Profiles
of US Corporations Awarded Contracts in US/ British Occupied
Iraq."
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Iraqi Travel Agent Song
In this next segment we explore a new form of tourism born
of the invasion of Iraq by US and UK forces. The
Christmas Coup Comedy Players present Baghdad Tourism,
produced by Pacifica stations WBAI
of New and KPFT of Houston.
Tape: Looting Tours of Baghdad by The Christmas Coup Comedy
Players of Pacifica stations KPFT in Houston and WBAI of New
York
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Military Recruitment In Senior High School
As part of our continuing series on military recruitment,
Peacewatch correspondent Ingrid Drake recently visited Cardozo
Senior High School, in Northwest Washington, DC. With its
crumbling infrastructure, Cardozo is typical of DC public
schools, yet it is unique for its diverse student body, comprised
of recent immigrants from around the world and a large African
American population. Drake took a tour of the Junior ROTC
training facilities in the basement of the school, and she
spoke with a guidance counselor about the choices students
face when selecting extracurricular programs. She also spoke
with students who are members of the Junior ROTC, as well
as those opposed to military recruitment in the school.
Tape:
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Clear and Present Danger: Joyce Meskis
In April 2000, six police officers arrived at the Tattered
Cover bookstore in Denver, Colorado; armed with a search warrant
demanding that owner Joyce Meskis turn over a patron’s
records. Meskis refused, politely explaining this action violated
her customer’s First Amendment rights. In 2002, the
Colorado Supreme Court agreed with her. As part of Pacifica’s
continuing series, “A Clear and Present Danger,”
which explores the challenges of free expression in an open
society, Joyce Meskis spoke recently with Stephen Rodhe about
the landmark case, and about the threats to the First Amendment
that are disguised in Article 215 of the USA Patriot Act.
Tape: Joyce Meskis is the owner of the Tattered Cover bookstore
in Denver, Colorado. She spoke recently with Stephen Rodhe
as part of “A Clear and Present Danger,” Pacifica’s
continuing series exploring the challenges of free expression
in an open society. The series is a co-production of PEN USA
and the Pacifica Radio Archives. The Executive Producer is
Deborah Jones, producer Eileen Moskowitz, and the editor is
Mark Torres. The show was recorded on location in Los Angeles.
To obtain a copy, you can go to www.pacificaradioarchives.org,
and to find out more about PEN USA, log you can go to their
website at www.penusa.org.
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For a copy of today's show, please contact Pacifica
Radio Archives at 800 735 0230.
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