Jen Marlowe, Law Prof. Anne Emanuel, Troy Davis Execution Scheduled for 9-21-2011, Emergency Action to Seek Clemency

Talk Nation Radio for 9-8-2011
Jen Marlowe, Law Prof. Anne Emanuel, Troy Davis Ehhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifxecutionhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif Scheduled for 9-21-2011 Human Rights Activists Start Emergency Action to Get Clemency for Troy Davis and watch a film by Jen Marlowe here at Amnesty International.

Activists have begun to gear up to fight yet another battle for Troy Davis, hoping it won't be the last. Davis has widespread support from individuals and rights groups like Amnesty International, plus Joan Baez, former FBI Director William Sessions, former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI, Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bob Barr, and judge William S. Sessions.

UPDATE on Davis case provided by Troy Davis supporters and family: On Monday, September 19th, the Georgia Board of Pardons & Parole, under Chairman James E. Donald, will decide whether to execute Troy Davis. For your part, stop them from killing this innocent man. Contact Chairman James Donald and stop the Troy Davis execution. Demand that the board pardon Troy Davis. Call and write to the board at the following address and stop this legalized lynching! Their address is: Georgia State Board of Pardons & Parole, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, S.E.
Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4909, (404) 656-5651 (press 0 for operator, then 5 for “PARDONS”).

Amnesty International has started an "events" page here.

Award winning filmmaker and author Jen Marlowe and Georgia State University Law Professor Anne Emanuel (bio here) join us for a discussion about the history of the case and the evidence against Davis. (We have more audio of these interviews which we are editing now.)See www.JusticeForTroy.org

'The case against Troy Davis, when compared to other death penalty cases across the country, is extraordinarily weak,' said Georgia State University Law Prof. Anne Emannuel, 9-7-2011.
Produced by Dori Smith
TRT: 29:00
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org
Music by Fritz Heede



In two weeks, on September 21, 2011, the State of Georgia plan to execute Troy Davis despite the massive international support for his campaign to prove his innocence in the murder of Georgia policeman Mark MacPhail.

Attorney Anne Emanuel joined us. She teaches Criminal Law and Capital Punishment law at Georgia State University school of law, and is author of a 2006 report on the death penalty in Georgia. She has said “a verdict that is not ironclad is not good enough to support a death penalty” and she is familiar with the Troy Davis Case. Anne Emanuel also served as Chair of Georgia's ABA Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Committee. The work culminated in the publication of Evaluating Fairness and Accuracy in State Death Penalty Systems, The Georgia Death Penalty Assessment Report. From 2004-06, she served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Law.

Books: Jen Marlowe is author of Darfur Diaries, Stories of Survival,about her travels to Northern Darfur and Eastern Chad, and The Hour of Sunlight: One Palestinian’s Journey from Prisoner to Peacemaker. Her award winning films include: Darfur Diaries, Message from Home, and Rebuilding Hope, which follows three Sudanese-American young men on their first homecoming trip back to Sudan, to discover whether their homes and families survived the civil war and to build a school, drill wells and bring medical supplies to their villages in Sudan. (Books can be obtained here.) You can find her film series about Troy Davis on youtube.

This will be the fourth time that Troy Davis is facing an execution date, points out Jen Marlowe, explaining that this time they are looking for clemency because of the doubt that exists about the case. She said: 'The setting of the execution date actually sets into motion the clemency process. The Board of Pardons and Parole, unlike a court which is bound by procedure--they are able to make choices based on what is the ethical thing to do, what is the right thing to do. So we have a lot of hope that the Board of Pardons and parole in Georgia will see that in Troy's case there is overwhelming doubt. And there are significant questions as to Troy Davis' guilt. I would say more than significant questions and so there is a lot of hope that they will do the right thing and they will grant Troy clemency, which basically means mercy, and it means taking him off of death row. They can commute his sentence to life without parole in prison which certainly is not what Troy wants ultimately. He has always maintained his innocence and so he does not want to be in prison for life without parole. But of course you can eventually free a wrongfully convicted man from prison, but if he is executed you can't free him from the grave. So we have great hope that the Board of Pardons and Parole will grant him clemency. And that's really where all of our efforts are now, on trying to let the Board know that there are thousands and thousands of people worldwide who are watching this who are very concerned about an execution proceeding when there is so much doubt.' Jen Marlowe

The Original Prosecution and Trial of Troy Davis was Error Prone. Police later withdrew the only physical evidence they had, a bullet which they had argued would 'prove' Davis was the killer. See case outlined here in press coverage over the years.

As to the individuals who prosecuted and convicted Troy Davis: Back in 2007 we spoke with the original prosecutor in the Davis case, and asked him whether or not he had conducted an investigation into Sylvester Redd Coles, who has become a person of suspicion to many who have been studying the case. Coles was at the scene of the murder, and had a gun of the same caliber as the one used to kill Officer McPhail. Yet Spencer Lawton told Talk Nation Radio that the fact that his attorney “allowed” him to go to the police station alone to discuss the murder on the day afterward, indicates his innocence. But did Coles have his attorney present when he went to the station or didn't he? Jen Marlowe says he did, and she also points out that Coles should have been investigated more fully because in his culture being a snitch is thought of as something you just don’t do. Coles went to the police and fingered Troy Davis. Why? Why didn't this unusual behavior for someone like Coles send up a red flag for police and DA Lawton?

The Innocence Project mentions these issues in their brief written on behalf of Troy Davis, see this PDF.

Over the years that this case has been discussed legal analysts and rights activists have pointed out that this kind of behavior has come up before in law. In a friend of the court brief, The Innocence Project PDF file cites the case of Kyles v Whitley, where the 'U.S. Supreme Court reversed a defendant's capital murder conviction because evidence withheld by the prosecution about the state's informant strongly suggested the informant committed the crime'. They describe Coles as the "likely killer" and say he had the most to gain and state: "The primary reason that Troy Davis became a suspect in Officer MacPhail's murder was Sylvester Coles. The day after the shooting, Coles approached the police with his lawyer in tow and implicated Troy Davis. Tr. vol. IV at 915-18, 949. Coles had the most to gain by doing so--he was the most obvious suspect in both the assault on Larry Young and subsequent shooting. Affidavits from new witnesses and from persons who have since heard Coles confess make clear that Coles is the likely killer of Officer MacPhail."

They also argue that, "Ten eyewitnesses and two informants testified against Troy Davis at trial. An astonishing nine of those twelve have revealed in subsequent affidavits that their testimony was false or inaccurate. These recantations have cast light on the improper procedures used by police to secure eyewitness identifications and testimony against Troy Davis, and the personal motivations of the informants to fabricate his alleged confessions."

Also, Marlowe discusses other comments made by Spencer Lawton who has claimed that none of the witnesses had tried to ('back up" at trial) recant earlier. Lawton has indicated that this seemed to him to indicate they were not credible in their recanting of testimony. Marlowe further clarifies the story of a witness who did try to correct the record during the trial. (We also mention that we found a recording of an appeal hearing where the Assistant DA David Lock, refers to witnesses who had tried to recant at trial: “There were some witnesses that backed up a little bit at trial”).

From Jen Marlowe, Message about Execution Date Set for Troy Davis

Date: Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 4:57 AM
Dear friends,

An execution warrant for Troy Davis has just been issued tonight. His execution is scheduled to take place on September 21.
We have known that an execution date for Troy was inevitable. An execution, however, is not. The Georgia Board of Pardons & Parole can still prevent this execution by granting clemency. We expect that a clemency hearing will be held in the days prior to the execution date and we remain hopeful that the board will do the right thing and grant Troy clemency.
Troy has been on death row for 20 years for the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail. Since his conviction, the case against him has completely fallen apart. There is no physical evidence linking Troy to the murder, 7/9 eyewitnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony, and 1 of the remaining witnesses has been implicated as the actual shooter. There are scores of unresolved questions about what actually happened the night of the murder. Only one thing in Troy’s case is crystal clear: there is overwhelming doubt. And, in the words of GSU law professor Anne Emanuel, “A verdict that is not ironclad is not good enough to support a death penalty.”
For a more complete explanation of what exactly we mean when we say, “there’s too much doubt,” please watch (and circulate) this video series, examining the case in-depth.

What you can do:

Sign the petition to the Georgia authorities asking them to grant Troy clemency and encourage others to do the same.

Attorneys, law professors: endorse a sign-on letter from legal professionals to the GA Board of Pardons & Parole. (non-lawyers: encourage friends who are legal professionals to endorse.)

Members of the clergy (all faiths): endorse a clergy sign-on letter to the GA Board of Pardons & Parole (non-clergy: encourage friends in the clergy to endorse.)

Work on organizing an event for the International Day of Solidarity for Troy Davis. (check back tomorrow at www.JusticeforTroy.org for the exact date.)

As GSU Law Professor Russ Covey said, “The state of Georgia does not have to execute Troy Davis, and it should not execute Troy Davis.”

For the sake of justice, we can and must act now. Please check www.JusticeForTroy.org to keep up with latest developments.

In solidarity,
Jen Marlowe

Edward Girardet, Afghanistan is More for Sale Today than 10 Years Ago

Talk Nation Radio for August 31, 2011
Where did we begin in Afghanistan? Where are we, and where are we going?
'Afghanistan is More for Sale Today than 10 Years Ago' Edward Girardet


TRT: 29:00
Produced by Dori Smith, in Storrs, CT and syndicated with Pacifica Network
Music by Fritz Heede
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org. This is part 2 of our interview and see part 1).

We continue our interview with journalist, author and producer, Edward Girardet on his 2011 book, Killing the Cranes, a Reporter’s Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan, (Chelsea Green Press, 2011).

In this half hour we learn more about bin Laden, his death and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in the context of the continuing violence. Then we hear more about the reasons for the violence overall in post US invasion Afghanistan. The US has ignored key social norms in Afghanistan such as the Loya Jirgha process. Also ignored was the Afghan's long standing mistrust of foreigners, of Arabs, Brits, or Americans, which should have led to extensive though time consuming talks about the meaning of a western presence in Afghanistan. In fact, Girardet explains, much earlier, as the US considered its ‘response’ to 911, there were warnings from aid groups that went unheeded. A major road was therefore built without consultations with any of the Afghans who lived along them. Now those expensive roads built by the U.S. are too dangerous for the US and NATO force to use.

We also hear more about the mistakes relating to the US position on attacking all Taliban members, even moderates, early on. Girardet points out, ‘Had there been a more astute perception about what was going on in Afghanistan at the time the US could have focused on the ones who were closely operating with al Qaeda–the majority were not’ -- Also, Afghans were tired of war by the time of the Bush and Cheney invasion. As to al Qaeda, the Taliban, and the opium trade, Edward Girardet reflects on the meaning of former V.P. Dick Cheney’s $43 million dollar ‘gift’ to the Taliban (designed to urge them to stop growing poppies). Did they merely use it to manage opium prices?

Killing the Cranes has a section on US support for Osama bin Laden and his support for the anti-Soviet Afghan resistance, as well the changing circumstances between Afghans and the 'outsiders' in Afghanistan. The Saudi Arabs sought to dominate members of the Taliban and change Afghan society, gaining power as religious militants with growing regional influence. Their money bought alliances, but not strict loyalty within the Taliban, where some grew concerned about what the money was leading them into. And on page 253 of Killing the Cranes, Edward Girardet describes the complex reality of al Qaeda in Afghanistan and money that was being provided to the Taliban. [Some brackets are my own as explanations from the text]:

"It was only from 1987 onward that we began to notice growing numbers of Arabs inside Afghanistan itself. It was as if they had only been dabbling with jihad up till then. Massoud [an Afghan leader, later assassinated] had a few in the north and welcomed them as fellow Muslims. The bulk of the Arabi, [Wahhabi Arabs] however, focused on the Pushtun border areas. They did not mix readily with the Afghans, who complained often of their arrogance. The Arabi had their own commanders. The Afghan mujahideen operating directly with them were hired guns. The Arab attitude was that money and weapons could buy everything, including allegiance. "It sometimes amazes me that the Afghans have (tolerated) such attitudes for so long," said a European aid worker operating in eastern Afghanistan. "Money speaks loudly but it is not in the Afghan character to take this sort of thing lying down."

On page 254 Girardet describes growing friction between the Wahhabi [a Saudi Muslim extremist faction) and the mujahideen, a friction that was causing rifts within the resistance. "Commanders such as Abdul Haq warned that relations with the Arabs were running the risk of breaking out into open conflict. And, "Something is going to happen and it is best that it happens sooner rather than later, so that Afghans realize how dangerous these Arab Wahhabi are."

Most of the Afghans Girardet met who "ostensibly embraced Wahhabism did it for cash," he writes, continuing on page 254: "In many ways, such attitudes set the scene for al Qaeda and other extremist groups to firmly establish themselves in Afghanistan a decade later. The problem with the Taliban in 2001 was that they were never sophisticated enough to see the big picture. On a local or regional basis, some Talib commanders realized that in return for their money, weapons, and satellite phones, the Arabi--who also had ISI support--had the run of the country in order to reinforce their own agendas. In the end, however, the Taliban had no real control over their activities. Until the collapse of the Talib regime, these foreign fighters operated parallel existences by running their own camps, eating out on their own in local restaurants, and conducting their own operations. For the Taliban to simply kick out al Qaeda because of the US and other outside pressure was probably impossible at that late stage of the game."

There are also fascinating pages about Edward Girardet’s own confrontation with bin Laden who asks him who he is and what he is doing in Afghanistan. Saying he is a journalist covering the region Girardet says, quote “I’ll leave if our Afghan friends no longer consider us their guests, just as I’m sure you’ll leave if they no longer consider you their guests. In return bin Laden says quote: "We are here because of Allah. The Afghans are our brothers of Islam, but we are here to fight all our enemies. Americans, Russians, Israelis".

In the end, 'Killing the Cranes' offers a fascinating exchange between a journalist and a militant about intentions, and identities, and loyalties. More than that, it shows us what we should have known about Afghanistan in 2001, that there were Afghans with power who would have welcomed help in removing al Qaeda from their country. We are left astonished at what Edward Girardet has been trying to tell us over three decades, that the Afghan war was unnecessary, and that the US role has been deeply troubling over several decades and during several administrations. Clearly, there are warnings in 'Killing the Cranes' that President Obama and the incoming head of CIA, David Petraeus, would be wise to heed.

Journalist, author and producer, Edward Girardet is the founding director of the Institute for Media and Global Governance in Geneva, Switzerland. He is also the editor of Crosslines Essential Media Ltd (UK) and he has written for a wide variety of publications on humanitarian, media, and conflict issues including the Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic, the International Herald Tribune, and The Financial Times. Edward Girardet has also written reports on international aid operations. Previous books include Afghanistan: The Soviet War; Somalia, Rwanda and Beyond; and Populations in Danger, a Médecins Sans Frontières Report, (see this page from Amazon) as well as Crosslines, Essential Field Guide to Humanitarian and Conflict Zones (here).

Edward Girardet's new book, 'Killing the Cranes' is a Scathing Indictment of the Afghan War

Talk Nation Radio for August 25, 2011
Edward Girardet's new book, 'Killing the Cranes, a Reporter's Journey through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan', is a scathing indictment of the Afghan War

With assassinations becoming routine, and NATO air strikes continuing to enrage and alienate civilians, Edward Giradet says once again, that the war was unnecessary. He further suggests the situation is highly complex with no obvious or easy way forward. This is part one of an extended interview.


Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, CT
TRT: 29:34
Download at Pacifica’s Audioport here Or at Archive.org and Radio4all.net


Journalist, author and producer, Edward Girardet joins us to talk about his 2011 book published by Chelsea Green Press, Killing the Cranes, a Reporter’s Journey Through Three Decades of War in Afghanistan.

The book spans his reporting to the Christian Science Monitor and other major media outlets. Based in Paris, he began covering Afghanistan several months before the Soviets invaded in 1979. Just before we spoke with him about his book, the British counsel in Kabul was the target of twin suicide attacks, which took place on the anniversary of Afghanistan’s Independence Day from Britain in 1919. It was a grim reminder that the people of Afghanistan have been struggling against various forces ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifver many generations. We look at the complexities of the ongoing war and occupation, and hear an insiders view of the personalities involved.

Edward Girardet is often described by the US media as, ‘The man who met Osama Bin Ladin.” He discusses the encounter in Killing the Cranes, but the much larger discussion is about the complexities of Afghan society and the seemingly endless US and NATO presence there. In his report in Foreign Policy Magazine July 18th Edward Girardet asks, after more than three decades of targeted killings, is there anyone left alive who can actually run Afghanistan?

Related links: Edward Girardet, Assassin Nation, Foreign Policy Magazine, July 18, 2011.

Fukushima, the final warning, Michael Steinberg: The Children of Japan test Positive for Radiation Poisoning

Talk Nation Radio for August 18, 2011


Fukushima, the final warning, Michael Steinberg:The Children of Japan test Positive for Radiation Poisoning The people of Japan are appealing for international attention, and help. At the web page NIRS.org you can sign a petition to protect Japan’s children, as the extent of contamination to soil, food, air and water, are only now being revealed. We hear a portion of a broadcast by the Australian Broadcast Network, ABC.


Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, CT
TRT: 29:19
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

We discuss Michael Steinberg’s take on the Fukushima nightmare as a final warning to global societies about the dangers of nuclear energy. Acclaimed writer and activist Michael Steinberg is author of the book, Millstone and Me: Sex, Lies and Radiation, published in 1998 by Black Rain. It became a historical document outlining the battle to close an aging nuclear plant in Connecticut. In that case Connecticut residents of all types of parties and social classes came together as one as they noted the health risks posed by the threat of radiation. Could the world finally be doing the same thing?
Japan’s nuclear power company, TEPCO, has said they hope to begin removing fuel rods from plants that melted down in early 2014. The goal is to finish by the end of 2016. Yet even this is uncertain as a time frame for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Meanwhile both TEPCO and the entire nuclear industry of Japan are being financially bailed out by the government. (NHK TV) But at the worst possible time in the crisis, the global media has pulled away from the story, even as news that radiation levels spiked to a new record high in early August, we did not see intensive global coverage.
The NY Times did publish an extensive report on the failures of the Japanese government to focus on responding to the radiation leak, TEPCO and the government was centering their attention instead on potential economic damage. Within the past week we saw global markets rise in response to claims that damage to Japan’s economy was not as bad as had been thought. It’s an absurd take according to those who who have been monitoring this story in the independent press. They say we are at a critical moment in the effort to save lives in Japan.

The Australian Broadcast Corporation provided a short news story on the crisis for Japanese school children and nursing mothers. Click Here -- They are finding cesium in their breast milk. Children are testing positive for radiation poisoning. Warning, this video is very emotional to view. It demonstrates the pressing emergency for the children of Japan.

Ellen Brown, Why Banks Don’t Lend, Liquidity Crisis, Are we Seeing another Banking Crisis?

July 21st, 2011

Talk Nation Radio for July 21, 2011
Ellen Brown, Why Banks Don’t Lend, Liquidity Crisis

She discusses the potential for another banking industry crisis and looks at the solutions.

TRT: 29:18
Download at Pacifica’s Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, CT
Music byFritz Heede
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Ellen Brown joins us once again, to talk about her latest piece in Truthout.org, titled, Why Banks Aren’t Lending: The Silent Liquidity Squeeze. Ellen Brown is author of the 2009 book Web of Debt, you can find it online at webofdebt.com. She is also Chair and President of the educational Public Banking Institute, a non profit think tank at: publicbankinginstitute.org.

The U.S. Government bail out known as TARP failed to provide needed resources through loans from banks. Instead, banks hoarded cash, contributing to the national and international liquidity problem. Ellen Brown reported recently in Truthout.org that, "A stunning $1.6 trillion in excess reserves has accumulated in bank reserve accounts since the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008". Corporations are doing the same. Cisco, a technology company, has reported anywhere from 40 and 44 billion in cash reserves over the past year, yet they are carrying out an "austerity program" of layoffs, sending out over 6,000 pink slips. What is the company using their money for? Stock buybacks, and yet they do not provide dividends to share holders. Cisco is also closing one of their plants. Ellen Brown explains how the liquidity problem contributes to job loss and failure of small businesses to grow.

Ellen Brown’s earlier articles had titles like: “Turning the tables on Wall Street, and North Dakota shows Cash-Starved States, How they can Create their own Credit. She is a proponent of the state banking system in place in North Dakota she says has made that state solvent. Without some form of strong measures, the nation could be facing yet another banking and financial institution crisis.

In the time since we last spoke with Ellen Brown, many states have turned to the state bank model as a potential source of hope as American towns, cities, and states, face record short falls. Fourteen states have bills pending to either create a state bank or do a feasibility study to develop one.

We reached Ellen Brown in London, she is en route to Malaysia where she was invited to speak at a conference. She will speak at the Global Table, the local money reform group in London, as they consider a bill pending in the British Parliament.

http://publicbankinginstitute.org
http://webofdebt.com

Medea Benjamin, Greece, the U.S., Israel, and the Gaza Flotilla

Talk Nation Radio for July 13, 2011
Medea Benjamin, Greece, the U.S., Israel, and the Gaza Flotilla
Early release



TRT:29:14
Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, CT
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org Download here as a free MP3 file in 128K.

An activist for 30 years, Medea Benjamin is winner of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize from the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She is also an author and former economist and nutritionist with the United Nations and World Health Organization. Her articles appear in Alternet, Huffington Post, CommonDreams, and OPED news. Or you can learn more about her work online at Codepink.org and USTOGAZA.org. We reached Medea Benjamin in Athens where the US ship Audacity of Hope is still impounded by Greek Authorities. Author, and long time peace activist, Medea Benjamin is co-founder at Global Exchange and Code pink, and you can learn more about the flotilla mission at twitter at @USBOATTOGAZA Deputy Consul General Kate Brandeis that she agreed that the U.S. Boat “had a right to sail to Gaza.” Still, they were stopped at gun point as they tried to leave the Greek port.

Medea Benjamin discusses the tactics and pressure brought to bear on Greek authorities who arrested the captain of the US Ship to Gaza, the Audacity of Hope, and jailed him for several days in very poor conditions.

Passengers have been making their way home after being stopped in waters off the Greek port of Pireaus. We look at what went wrong, and what organizers plan to do now. In many ways the short journey was a success though. Media coverage was largely positive and many journalists wanted to go on the flotilla to Gaza. Israeli officials appear ham handed and Greek authorities give ridiculous credibility to an organization (Shurat HDin, Israel Law Center) that has in the past been tied to a scheme to force a sale of the Gaza flotilla ships, and "give" the money to a supporter who says they were a victim of some form of violence that is in no way connected to anyone in the flotilla movement.

ALSO, TIAA Creff announced that they were divesting from holdings in companies supporting settlement activity in Israel. (See Haaretz July 2011).

Also available for this week, a related special: here

Talk Nation Radio for July 7, 2011
Gale Courey Toensing, Medea Benjamin, Update on US Ship to Gaza
Flotilla Passengers Reflect and Plan Next Actions

Gale Courey Toensing, Medea Benjamin, Update on US Ship to Gaza, Flotilla Passengers Reflect and Plan Next Actions

Talk Nation Radio for July 7, 2011

Gale Courey Toensing, Medea Benjamin, Update on US Ship to Gaza
Flotilla Passengers Reflect and Plan Next Actions



TRT: 29:02
Produced by Dori Smith, in Storrs, CT and syndicated with Pacifica Network
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

We hear voices from the Gaza flotilla and interview Connecticut peace activist Gale Courey Toensing who provides us with an update as of July 2nd (from on board the Audacity of Hope in Greek port). Gale Gale Courey Toensing is a staff reporter for, Indian Country Today. Then Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange and Code Pink co-founder, provides an update as of July 7th (from Athens, Greece). Passengers of the flagship of the Gaza Flotilla 2, the US Boat to Gaza, as well as other vessels are now en route home. Greek authorities have confiscated their boat and other boats in the flotilla and are holding them.

We hear about possible fall out from the actions of U.S. and Israeli governments as well Greek officials involved in an exaggerated response to intercept the peace activists in waters off Greece as they left the port of Piraeus. Legal action is possible, according to Medea Benjamin, as John Klusmer, the captain of the Audacity of Hope, was arrested and held for days in severe conditions without a bed or ample food and water. He was released Tuesday and charges relate to a failure to obey a police order. They appear to be the equivalent of a misdemeanor.

The passengers on board the US Ship to Gaza, Audacity of Hope, have vowed to continue to work to "lift Israel's criminal siege of Gaza and end the Israeli occupation". This as the Obama administration and the State Department under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton continue to issue meaningless requests to the Israeli government that they stop pushing Palestinians out of their homes, crushing the homes, then building new settlements which are typically massive apartment complexes.

We are editing a half hour interview with Medea Benjamin to add to this week's available broadcasts.

See USTOGAZA online

See also "US Boat to Gaza Is a Quarter Jewish - "Not Too Shabby!" Tuesday 7 June 2011. by, Robert Naiman, in Truthout.

Libor Koznar on the Audacity of Hope to Gaza, as Freedom Flotilla Passengers begin their Civil and Human Rights Mission on behalf of Palestinians

Talk Nation Radio for June 29, 2011
Special series on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Libor Koznar on the Audacity of Hope to Gaza, as Freedom Flotilla Passengers begin their Civil and Human Rights Mission on behalf of Palestinians

Once again peace activists are challenging the Israel stranglehold on Palestinians in Gaza, with ten more ships making their way to Gaza with humanitarian aid. Israel has been threatening to board the ships carrying hundreds of peace activists from many countries. We will be hearing from Connecticut residents on the Gaza flotilla who are traveling on the Audacity of Hope.



Produced by Dori Smith
TRT: 29:00
Download at Pacifica's audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

Libor Koznar, joins us to talk about his reasons for making the journey. He is a Central Connecticut State University graduate and co-Founder of Art and Struggle, an artist & activist collective. Koznar will be reporting on the Gaza flotilla for Talk Nation Radio, but he may wind up banned from Israel as a result of his efforts. The Foreign Press Association has accused the Israeli government of using "threats and intimidation" in an effort to try to stop media coverage of the 10-ship flotilla. They say the journalists traveling with the ships will be banned from Israel for ten years. (Artwork from the Art at Art and Struggle web page, work by Abdul Hay Mussalam, Village Celebration, acrylic on wood composite, 27 1/2" x 48 1/2", 1985)

Activists on the ship from Sweden, Greece, and Norway, are alleging deliberate sabotage after its propeller cut off while it sat in the dock in Athens. The group is making repairs. Earlier in the month Israelis tried to claim that the Audacity of Hope was not seaworthy, but the ship is set to sail with the others anyway and organizer Ann Wright said the allegations were a false attempt to detain the vessel and prevent their journey.

As peace activists from all over the world including holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein, who is now 86 years old. Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker will be on board the flotilla as well as Global Exchange founder Medea Benjamin.

Nobel Peace Price laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi and Ribogerta Menchu Tum have asked for UN support for the mission. Nine people were killed last May as Israeli commandos boarded one of the previous Gaza flotilla vessels, killing nine people. See this link to PeaceJam.

Israeli Navy commandos have already started conducting drills at sea as they ramp up their military efforts to stop the flotilla. Israel asked for US support and got it as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Gaza freedom flotilla mission was not helpful. US officials reminded the flotilla passengers that the Israeli navy had stopped previous attempts to enter Gaza by sea, resulting in deaths, injuries and arrests.

US and global peace activists say they are deeply troubled by America’s inaction as Israel continues to push Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem, then construct illegal settlements. Israel has also been under heavy criticism for use of excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters.

Street Medic Roger Benham on a Mining Protest in West Virginia

Talk Nation Radio for June 22, 2011
Street Medic Roger Benham on a Mining Protest in West Virginia

Tracing the Route of a 1920s and 1930s Protest to Save Blair and Coal River Mountains
The coal industry and companies like Massey Energy, now Alpha Resources, have decimated the mountains, and poisoned rivers and streams as well as air in West Virginia and other places. Protesters gathered to retrace their steps and protest Mountain Top Removal.



Produced by Dori Smith
TRT:29:06
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here and at Archive.org and Radio4all.net

Roger Benham joins us once again. A street medic who has traveled to places like Haiti, Palestine, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and other places, this time he has just returned from West Virginia where he and two other medics from Connecticut got a first hand look at the damage that has been done to the environment by the coal industry, and companies like Massey Energy. Facing lawsuits and criticism over mine safety, Massey was taken over by Alpha Resources. Some have doubts that it is anything more than a name change. Meanwhile, a growing protest movement has been largely ignored as the company has devastated mountain regions, damaging the state’s economy, wrecking homes, and ruining health.

The people of West Virginia have lost their rights to land, and to safety, as the coal industry has blasted the tops off of mountains, poisoning their water, sending rock shrapnel onto them, causing the foundations of their homes to crack, and saturating the air they breath with coal dust. Roger Benham fills us in on the fight to save Coal River Mountain, the subject of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s new film, The Last Mountain. We hear the audio of the movie trailer. Plus he tells the story of the Blair Mountain protests of the 1920s, and how they traced the route of earlier coal mining protesters who also had a lot at stake.

News of the protest appears here, here and here. We will provide further information in the coming weeks. The history includes a major battle and we hear Roger Benham tell the story of the old battle for Blair Mountain, adding information about a recent effort to make the mountain a national historic site.

There is a short clip of Aunt Molly Jackson, a traditional singer and protest writer who took on the coal industry, mining bosses, and sheriffs, in Kentucky. The clip we hear was part of a special produced by Produced and Written by Mark Torres, Executive Producer: Brian DeShazor, and Narrated by Arline Chang. It is available here.

Diane Wilson on Diary of an Eco-Outlaw

Talk Nation Radio for June 3, 2011
Diane Wilson on Diary of an Eco-Outlawhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Produced by Dori Smith in Storrs, Connecticut
TRT: 29:00http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Download at Pacifica’s Audioport here and at Radio4all.net and archive.org



Award winning environmentalist and author Diane Wilson joins us to talk about her latest book, Diary of an Eco-Outlaw, An Unreasonable Woman Breaks the Law for Mother Earth published by Chelsea Green Publishing of White River Junction, VT. It’s a sequel to her first book, An Unreasonable Woman.

She was a 24 year old boat captain before turning into an environmentalist and the story of how that happened is both uplifting and at times shocking as she takes on Dow, Union Carbide and Formosa Plastics, trying to get them to stop polluting. Diane Wilson has been jailed fifty times for civil disobedience, and taken on people like Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and former BP CEO Tony Hayward. And a long list of many others, largely men, working at companies as security or working as CEOS. Diary of an Eco-Outlaw is sure to be another major success for author, Diane Wilson.

Understanding What Meltdown is as Applied to Japan Leak: Michael Mariotte, NIRS, Update on Radiation from Fukushima

Talk Nation Radio for May 25, 2011

Michael Mariotte, NIRS, Update on Radiation from Fukushima:
Understanding What Meltdown is as Applied to Japan Leak


Produced by, Dori Smith
TRT:28:58 Music fades long, 40:00 and also at midway point in the program we feature a 1:14 sec. clip of Courtney Dowe's, Radiation Blues.
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

We’re continuing to update the situation in Japan at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where Japan Electric now admits that 35% to 50% of the fuel had melted down at three reactors as of weeks ago. Michael Mariotte of NIRS, the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, joins us with an update. NIRS is urging people to sign their petition and contact their representatives to try to once again block the $36 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear development offered by the White House. See this PDF as well as this pdf. NIRS offers health information on the after effects of Chernobyl here as reference material for those concerned about the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

At their web site NIRS.org there are continual updates including one May 20th (and 26th) explaining that more is known at this point about the meltdown at Plant 1, the Mox fuel plant that leaked Plutonium in addition to other radioactive particles. As had been reported to us earlier by nuclear expert Dr. Arjun Mahijiani, there was damage to Unit 1 from the earthquake even before the devastating tsunami. We had discussed the crack leading to the plant and you can find that interview and others at www.talknationradio.org.

Paul Blanch part 2, US Nuclear Power Plant Safety Issues

Talk Nation Radio for May 19, 2011
Paul Blanch part 2, US Nuclear Power Plant Safety Issues
TRT:29:01
Produced by Dori Smith, Storrs, Connecticut
Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org

We continue our conversation with nuclear expert and whistle blower, Paul Blanch, about symptoms of decay within America’s nuclear industry. They said they’d learn from the Fukushima Daiichi nightmare. But according to Paul Blanch the underground coolant pipes are decaying, and not being tested sufficiently. Interestingly, in Japan news, TEPCO officials theorize that although plant 4 was not operating before the earthquake and tsunami, it was nevertheless impacted by hydrogen traveling to it from an adjacent reactor through pipes and vents. Bloomberg is reporting that a radiation alarm was going off at Fukushima before the tsunami March 11, which could mean that it was in fact damaged by the earthquake before the tsunami wave hit. Tepco continues to pump water into Plants 1, 2 and 3, in an attempt to keep the reactors cool now that cooling water containment was breached, leading to a melting of rods.

As of May 19th TEPCO revealed that radioactive cesium-134 levels at plant 3 are at 1,800 times the legal limit. Lat week cesium-134 levels were at 32,000 times the legal limit. (See report here) These are the kinds of technical questions that would have been part of the job description for Paul Blanch who spent some 27 years in the nuclear field working for major companies. He is now a whistle blower and expert witness on license renewal for New England nuclear power plants.

Last time Paul Blanch told us the state’s safety plan for Millstone Nuclear Power Plant run by Dominion is not workable. In the event of a nuclear crisis at the plant, state DEP workers couldn’t distribute Potassium Iodine or manage an evacuation in the event of an accident. He expands on that, and describes conditions at plants in New England including Millstone, which has leaked Tritium, only mildly radioactive but nevertheless, a "marker" for problems such as corroded under ground coolant pipe lines.



See Also NY Times on Plant 1, Meltdown 'With Reactor Damage Thought to Be Worse, Tokyo Utility Sticks to Plan', By HIROKO TABUCHI
Published: May 17, 2011, 'Tokyo Electric said it would change some aspects of its plan to bring the reactors to what it called a “cold shutdown,” where temperatures at the core fall below the boiling point.-- The utility no longer plans to fill up the reactors with water to stabilize them, it said. Instead, the company will now try to keep the reactors cool by building self-circulating cooling systems at the damaged reactors'.

And NIRS, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Stop Wasting Taxpayer Money on Nuclear Subsidies
Tell your legislators that putting taxpayers on the hook for subsidies to the nuclear industry is bad business and will only delay or diminish investments in affordable clean energy alternatives.