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> Mon June. 23, 2003
Pacifica's PeaceWatch
Today's Stories:
Oil Fires in Iraq Stop Shipment of
Oil
WPFW Community Comment
Unrest in France over Arrest of Iranians
National Political Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouti Responds
to Latest Killing in Gaza
Military Recruitment in High Schools
Caroline Casey Speaks at Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility Conference
The Christmas Coup Comedy Players
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Oil Fires in Iraq Stop Shipment of Oil
Last week, as the US prepared to ship the first oil since
the invasion of Iraq in March, the second major oil fire in
a month raged out of control. On Saturday, a Reuters correspondent
said thick smoke filled the sky 12 hours after an explosion
at the oil fields near the town of Hit.
The first oil fire was attributed to a gas leak on the main
export pipeline from the Kirkuk oilfields to Turkey. It is
believed that saboteurs caused the second explosion. Michael
Klare, professor of Peace and World Studies at Hampshire College
in Western Massachusetts spoke to Peacewatch today. We asked
him how much damage these oil fires caused, and how the fires
impact the efforts to rebuild Iraq.
Tape: Michael Klare Professor of Peace and World Studies
at Hampshire College in North Hampton, Massachusetts
[top]
WPFW Community Comment
With no weapons of mass destruction found yet in Iraq, talk
of impeachment of the President for deceiving the nation over
Iraq’s alleged weapons stockpiles is beginning for the
first time to receive a spattering of coverage in the mainstream
media. Activists led by former US Attorney General Ramsey
Clark have created a website, www (dot) vote to impeach (dot)
org, where people can sign a petition and donate to a campaign
to publish sign-on ads in major newspapers across the country.
Listeners to Pacifica station WPFW here in the nation’s
capital called in this morning and expressed their thoughts
on this topic.
Tape:
[top]
Unrest in France over Arrest of Iranians
Claiming intelligence of planned attacks against diplomatic
missions in France, the French government last week made sweeping
arrests of 156 members of the Iranian group the People's Mujaheddin.
In response, supporters of the Mujaheddin-e Khalq held protests
in Paris, Bern, London, and even Houston. Phara Charmchi from
Pacifica station KPFT files this report on the protests. She
spoke with Ahmad Sadri, a professor of sociology at Lake College
in Chicago, Illinois. His work has recently focused on the
intellectual history of Iran, and recently he has written
several pieces for an online journal, "The Iranian,"
about the prospects and obstacles to reform in Iran.
Tape: by Phara Charmchi, from Pacifica station KPFT in Houston.
Thanks also to Renee Feltz for production assistance with
that report.
[top]
National Political Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouti
Responds to Latest Killing in Gaza
Three Palestinian members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade
were killed in an explosion in Northern Gaza Saturday night.
Initial reports said that an Israeli tank fired a missile
at them as they attempted to plant a landmine nearby Israeli
troops, though Israeli military sources later denied that
account, saying instead that the Palestinians were killed
when the landmine exploded prematurely.
Also over the weekend, Israeli security forces shot and
killed top Hamas leader Abdullah Kawasme in the West Bank
town of Hebron. Speaking in Jordan over the weekend, US Secretary
of State Colin Powell said that he regretted Israel’s
killing, which he said came at a delicate point in the Israeli-Palestinian
peace negotiations. Peacewatch spoke earlier today with Mustafa
Barghouti, Palestinian leader of the National Political Initiative,
and we asked him for his reaction to Powell’s comments.
Tape: Mustafa Barghouti is the Palestinian leader of the
National Political Initiative and the director of the Village
Medical Relief Committee
[top]
Military Recruitment in High Schools
A provision in the No Child Left Behind Act forcing schools
that receive federal funds to pass over confidential student
information to the military, and increasing funds to school-based
junior ROTC programs are just two of the aggressive tactics
the US military has used recently to get more and more young
people to join the armed services. Every day, more than 3,000
military recruiters go to high schools across the United States.
They attend school baseball games, show off army Humvee, and
set up simulated war video games. As Peacewatch correspondent
Ingrid Drake reports, there’s no system in place to
safeguard students from abuses by recruiters.
Tape:
[top]
Caroline Casey Speaks at Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility Conference
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility or PEER,
held a conference in Washington, DC, last week to celebrate
its 10th anniversary. One of the Keynote speakers was radio
personality Caroline Casey, who examined the political climate
in the US today.
Tape: Caroline Casey, political activist and radio personality
speak at a conference for Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility or PEER.
[top]
The Christmas Coup Comedy Players
Earlier this year, the Bush administration released information
about one of their latest tools for identifying potential
terrorists. In this political satire, the Christmas Coup Comedy
Players take on this latest weapon against terrorism.
Tape: The Christmas
Coup Comedy Players of Pacifica Stations KPFT of Houston
and WBAI of New York
Credits
[top]
For a copy of today's show, please contact Pacifica
Radio Archives at 800 735 0230.
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