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> Thur., July. 31, 2003
Pacifica's PeaceWatch
Today's Stories:
Bush Takes Responsibility For Errors
in State of Union Speech
Crispin Sartwell Administration Lies Cost Soldiers Lives
An Arab American Views ` Baghdad ` through the eyes of a U.S.
Soldier
A Look at Civil Liberties in South Korea 50 Years After Signing
Armistice
Korean Activists in Washington, DC Mark Anniversary of Armistice
Christmas Coup Comedy Players
David Budbill Releases New Album: "Songs for a Suffering
World"
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West African leaders have committed to deploy the first peace
troops to warring Liberia by the start of next week, as President
Charles Taylor vows to go into exile three days later.
The leaders, meeting in Ghana, agreed to send a vanguard
of 1,500 peacekeepers, expected to be two battalions from
Nigeria. Ghana, Mali, Benin, Senegal and Togo also have promised
3,250 soldiers for an eventual 5,000-strong force.
The pledge came as pressure grew on regional leaders to
speed a peace force promised since rebels opened two months
of bloody siege on Liberia's capital in early June.
Bush Takes Responsibility For Errors in State of
Union Speech
Saddam Hussein's two daughters have arrived in Jordan from
Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, with their nine children
and are according to the Associated Press they are there on
the orders of King Abdullah II.
"They are Arab women who have run out of all options,"
said the king. Al-Sharif refused to say where in Jordan the
two women were, and no other details were immediately available.
The daughters had been estranged from Saddam for some time
but were believed to have reconciled with their father in
recent years. Saddam Hussein's sons killed both daughters'
husbands after one of them gave information to the US government
about Iraq's weapons program.
Yesterday, George Bush took responsibility for the unfounded
claim in his state of union address that there was evidence
Saddam was trying to purchase uranium from Niger. In response
to a reporter's question Bush said, ` I take personal responsibility
for everything I say.' Bush's statement follows three weeks
of allowing other cabinet members to take the blame for the
line in his address including CIA Director George Tenet whose
department called the information into question long ago.
Ray McGovern is a spokesman for a group of retired U.S.
Intelligence officers Called Veteran Intelligence Professionals
for Sanity or VIPS. He was unmoved by the President's statement.
Tape: Ray McGovern is a spokesman for a group of retired
U.S. Intelligence officers Called Veteran Intelligence Professionals
for Sanity or VIPS.
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Crispin Sartwell Administration Lies Cost Soldiers
Lives
The majority of the respondents to an ABC news affiliate
poll believe President Bush knowingly misled the American
people about Iraq's weapons program.76 percent says yes …20
percent say `I don't know" and 4 percent say no he didn't
knowingly misled the public.
Crispin Sartwell is a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer
and author of the forthcoming book: "Extreme Virtue:
Leadership and Truth in Five Great American lives." In
this commentary he explores how the administration's lies,
hurt democracy and cost soldiers' lives.
Tape: Crispin Sartwell is a writer for the Philadelphia
Inquirer
[top]
An Arab American Views ` Baghdad ` through the eyes
of a U.S. Soldier
Two American soldiers were reported killed today as troops
pressed the hunt for ousted dictator Saddam Hussein in northern
Iraq. So far, 166 American forces have been killed in the
Iraq war, 19 more than in the 1991 Gulf War according to the
Associated Press.
Most often our knowledge and notions of Iraq and Iraqi society
are filtered through the lenses of the American media.
Mohammed Oweis, an American of Palestinian origin, a businessman
and activist just returned from Iraq. Oweis stopped by our
studios today and shared his first hand experiences of what
Iraq is like after the shock and awe campaign of the Bush
administration.
Tape: Mohammed Oweis, an American of Palestinian origin,
a businessman and activist who just returned from the Middle
East.
[top]
A Look at Civil Liberties in South Korea 50 Years
After Signing Armistice
North Korea appears ready to accept President Bush's proposal
for six- party talks to resolve growing concerns about Pyongyang's
nuclear weapons, the State Department said Thursday.
Spokesman Richard Boucher said that an initial round of
three-way talks involving the United States, North Korea and
China, held in Beijing last April, apparently will be expanded
to include South Korea, Japan and Russia.
Last Sunday, Koreans celebrated the 50th anniversary of
their armistice, which brought the Korean War to an end. To
commemorate this anniversary, Peacewatch is running a 5-part
series this week on the current political climate in Korea,
from our reporters Aaron Glantz and Ngoc Nguyen, who are currently
in Seoul, South Korea.
In this fourth in the series, we focus on the state of civil
liberties in South Korea. The National Security Law was established
in 1948, when relations between the two Koreas were strained...
it was set up to stem support for North Korean. For decades--
under the law-- activists working toward reunification or
peace were imprisoned, but now the political climate is changing.
Former President Kim Dae Jung's Sunshine Policy has opened
the door to more engagement with the North, which has helped
to weaken the National Security Law. But, as Eunji Kang and
Ngoc Nguyen report, the law is still working to restrict dissidents.
Tape: Eunji Kang and Ngoc Nguyen, reporting from Korea.
Thanks to Aaron Glantz for that report
[top]
Korean Activists in Washington, DC Mark Anniversary
of Armistice
Hundreds of people converged here in the nation's capital
last weekend for an historic, 4-day series of events commemorating
the anniversary of the Korean armistice and calling for peace
and reunification of North and South Korea. In panel discussions,
cultural performances and political rallies, Koreans and their
supporters spoke of the region's history of war, and the people's
desire for a peaceful future.
Hyun Lee and Hae Young Yoon, both from CAAAV, the Committee
Against Anti-Asian Violence and the Chinatown Justice Project
in New York, described their personal experiences with war,
popular resistance and immigration at Saturday's rally, which
attracted some 500 people to the Ellipse in Washington, DC.
Tape: Korean activists Hyun Lee and Hae Young Yoon, speaking
at a rally last weekend, here in the nation's capital. Thanks
to Ryme Katkhouda
and Tom Gomez of Pacifica station WPFW for production assistance
with that piece.
[top]
Christmas Coup Comedy Players
The Christmas Coup Comedy Players of Pacifica stations KPFT
of Houston and WBAI of New York specialize in political satire.
In this next piece they offer this look at Bush's response
to attacks on US soldiers in Iraq.
Tape: The Christmas Coup Comedy Players of Pacifica stations
KPFT of Houston and WBAI of New York
[top]
David Budbill Releases New Album: "Songs for
a Suffering World"
Finally, tonight, the Bush's administration's launching
of a preemptive war against Iraq has not only incited activists
to take to the streets, but it's served as inspiration for
a variety of artists and musicians to spread the message of
peace through more creative means. Peacewatch Producer Scott
Gurian prepared this profile of one such musician, David Budbill,
who-along with fellow musicians William Parker and Hamid Drake,
recently released an album entitled, "Songs for a Suffering
World."
Tape: Musician David Budbill spoke with Peacewatch Producer
Scott Gurian. You can find out more about his album, "Songs
for a Suffering World: A Prayer for Peace, A Protest Against
War," at his website, www.DavidBudbill.com.
[top]
For a copy of today's show, please contact Pacifica
Radio Archives at 800 735 0230.
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