Palestinian Statehood, Discussion with Law Prof. Francis A. Boyle Plan B Uniting for Peace Resolution
"Time to end Israel's stall and delay tactics on so called talks while they build settlements," Boyle says. We discuss history of the discussion on Palestinian statehood. Review of year long effort to get votes, UN Security Council, Israel, US, and Palestinian leaders.
TRT:29:00 Produced by Dori Smith Music by Fritz Heede Download at Pacifica's Audioport here or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org
Palestinians need statehood prior to any negotiations with Israel. As a result of peace agenda during Reagan years, the Palestinians began a "diplomatic dialogue" with the PLO, which means diplomatic de facto recognition that continues today. The status has been upgraded since then to the status of "observer state" which has been held by Switzerland in the past, prior to their UN membership. The Vatican also has "observer state" status.
"Time to end Israel's stall and delay tactics on so called talks while they build settlements, Boyle says. We discuss history of the discussion on Palestinian statehood. Historically Palestinian efforts to achieve more UN status has been met with strong opposition and even threats from the USA, specifically from former Ambassador Pickering.
Half hour Talk Nation Radio Special, An interview with Prof. Francis A. Boyle of the U. of Illinois School of Law, on Palestinian Statehood. He is author of the book, Palestine, Palestinians and International Law and served as a Legal Adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization (from 1987) and the Provisional Government of the State of Palestine (from 1988) on the creation of the State of Palestine, its accession to the Geneva Conventions and Protocols, invocation of the Uniting for Peace Resolution, admission to the United Nations Organization, accepting the I.C.C.’s jurisdiction, etc. (See more on his bio bio)
He says the Palestinians have support for statehood in the U.N. General Assembly, which they already have as a "defacto" status. Once they do achieve statehood they will sign on to the International Criminal Court. We discuss the process in political context and get an update on events at the UN. We also learn more about what would happen after Palestinian statehood, including the Palestinians effort to join the ICC. We get an update on an investigation by the ICC (International Criminal Court), and hear how Israelis and the US media have ignored what has already been submitted to the ICC asking for an investigation and prosecution into the actions of Israel and their military.
Could a US veto be overcome by means of a Uniting for Peace Resolution? Attorney Boyle says yes, because the Palestinians already have Observer State Status and already filed a Complaint with the ICC, which is pending. The ICC prosecutor has publicly stated that he is investigating. Once they are able to obtain statehood, "they can lodge a state complaint against the highest levels of Israel that will perfect the complaint that the Palestinians have already filed.--Thus, full-fledged UN State Membership is now the only realistic option for Palestine and the Palestinians."
See Reuters, "U.S. tries to stall Palestinian statehood bid: report" September 3rd 2011, "Washington has launched an effort to avoid a clash stemming from plans by Palestinians to seek recognition as a state at the United Nations, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing senior U.S. officials and foreign diplomats. --The Obama administration has introduced a plan to restart peace talks with Israel to try to convince Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to give up the bid to seek recognition at the annual meeting of leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, it said." More here.
Talk Nation Radio for September 29, 2011 Professor Ernest Drucker, A Plague of Prisons The Epidemic of Mass Incarcerations in America
Prof Ernest Drucker's new book, A Plague of Prisons offers a shocking overview of what has gone terribly wrong within America's prison system. He writes that there has been a 1733% increase in the number of Americans incarcerated over drug charges since 1973. As the inmate population soars, clinical psychologist Ernest Drucker documents the damage to inmates and their families as well as society as a whole.
We learn that despite economic stagnation in America, mass incarceration has become an irrational and self-defeating system of revolving doors. Many judges are essentially robo-signing as they sentence inmates to jail over and over again. They may not have any discretion as to the sentencing in many drug cases as the law provides for strict punishments even for addicts. Ernest Drucker is a clinical psychologist who flips the nature of current debate around, arguing for example that it is not marijuana use which leads to more serious crime and further incarceration. Rather, it is incarceration for marijuana use which causes the behaviors leading to perpetual incarceration.
Ernest Drucker also talks about the lack of political will in America, where mass incarceration is a "third rail" of politics. Touch it and you perish. Professor Ernest Drucker also comments on the high profile death penalty case of Troy Anthony Davis, and we discuss some of the reasons for the epidemic of mass arrests in the USA.
Human rights issues are analyzed by an activist as Palestinians seeking statehood are threatened with "dire" consequences by Israelis. The US cajoles Israel and Turkey in New York. Plus legal analysis of Turkey's case at the ICC against Israel by international law expert. Can the Palestinians rely on Mahmoud Abbas to make gains for them through the use of a statehood appeal at the UN and International Law? Or will they lose further land and rights? (Photo of "The Shepherds' Field- Beit Sahour" which is the birthplace of Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh, and he points out that the Mosque and Church are in the same block.)
Frank Barat joins us as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas arrives in New York to see his promise through to try to obtain statehood for Palestine.
Frank Barat is a human rights activist and Frank Barat author with Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe, of, "Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War Against the Palestinians" His new book will be coming out soon outlining the London session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, the 2011 session is opening November 5th .
Frank Barat focuses on the human rights in the context of the Israeli occupation. He is the Coordinator of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine and has written for Electronic Intifada,Counterpunch, Z Magazine, New Internationalist, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and the Palestine Chronicle. He is the editor of Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War against the Palestinians (2010). His new book will be coming out soon outlining the London session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, the 2011 session is opening November 5th .
Frank Barat focuses on human rights in the context of the Israeli occupation. He is the Coordinator of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine and has written for Electronic Intifada,Counterpunch, Z Magazine, New Internationalist, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and the Palestine Chronicle. -Netanyahu makes effort to get ahead of morning headlines in America with a sudden offer to negotiate. Palestinians response, it is “propaganda”. They insist that Israel must cease construction of illegal settlements prior to any negotiations. -CLIPS: A member of the official Palestinian delegation to the UN, Husam Zamlot, and partial comments of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both from Al Jazeera English. -News: There has been an explosion in a busy downtown section of Ankara, Turkey, that killed three people and wounded 34. The blast later turned out to be the result of a car bomb and one person was arrested at the scene after it was reported that she called out something that seemed political. Kurdish sehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifparatists have been blamed but there was no immediate claim of responsibility. -Turkey is seeking to bring Israel to the ICC. Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has been discussing bringing Israel to the ICC, now do they have to be a member state to the ICC statute first? -Another concern for Israel and the US is the potential for the Palestinians to join the International Criminal Court once they obtain statehood. We’ll also hear from law professor John Quigley about Turkey’s case at the ICC against Israel.
Professor John Quigley of Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law joins us to talk about Turkey’s efforts to bring Israel to the ICC, International Criminal Court. He is an expert on International Law and writes on the United Nations, war and peace, east European law, African law, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and other topics, and he is very familiar with events on board the Mavi Marmara.
John Quigley is author of many books and publications including Palestine and Israel:A Challenge to Justice. (Scholar and activist Mazin Qumsiyeh, being arrested in Al-Walaja in 2010. Prof. Qumsiyeh teaches at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities in occupied Palestine. He previously served on the faculties of the University of Tennessee, Duke and Yale Universities. See this link for further information.)
Talk Nation Radio for September 15, 2011 Ground Truths about the U.S. Operation in Afghanistan Experts on Afghanistan Elizabeth Gould and Paul Fitzgerald join us. They are authors of the book, Crossing Zero, The AfPak War at the Turning Point of American Empire. We are once again at a turning point for Afghanistan as Kabul falls prey to yet another violent power struggle.
TRT: 29:00 Produced by Dori Smith, Storrs, CT Download at Pacifica’s Audioport here Or at Radio4all.net and Archive.org
We also discuss the latest report by Gould & Fitzgerald titled, 9/11, Psychological Warfare & the American Narrative. Although we spoke with them before the US Embassy in Kabul came under fire, Paul Fitzgerald coincidentally bringing up events there in 1979 that heralded a new US policy of supporting Afghan warlords and power brokers in a fight against the Russians in Afghanistan, this perpetuating the US Cold War era.
As Americans marked the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, a suicide bomber blew up a truck at a NATO combat outpost in Afghanistan. The base serves US Special Forces, and the Army reported 89 soldiers wounded. Two Afghan civilians were killed including a three-year-old child. In the next 48 hours, Kabul exploded with a series of bombings and ground attacks as gunmen said to be linked to the Taliban’s Haqqani, with suspected Al-Qaeda ties, appear responsible for breaking through to top security zones around NATO and the US Embassy. (See 9/11 in Kabul here on Al Jazeera English). Will Kabul once again be victimized by a power struggle between forces that have battled again and again using money and resources from various occupying forces? Will the ground war become more of an air war? And more costly for civilians? Many questions as the election cycle begins, and the transition for competing war lords also begins.
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 9-21-2011Human 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
