BETWEEN THE LINES
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Global social justice movement resources
Collection of interviews and Web sites with contacts for breaking news about the global social justice movement. (Audio files in MP3 and RealAudio formats.)

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Hungry for more news from "Between The Lines?"

Many BTL interviews are excerpted from Scott Harris' WPKN program, "Counterpoint." To hear more in-depth analysis you'll rarely hear in corporate media, listen to "Counterpoint" LIVE Monday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.

Listen during the above time slot by clicking here!

Check out our
new archive
of selected in-depth interviews and other audio collectibles on our distribution production company's site at www.squeakywheel.net


WPKN Radio mentioned in Danny Schechter's "The News Dissector" column on independent media values. Click here to view the column on Mediachannel.org.

New Haven Advocate's
"Best of New Haven 2001"
-- Staff Picks --
Scott Harris, Best Radio News Reporter
WPKN Radio, 89.5 FM

"Giving Voice to Dissent: Bridgeport's WPKN Radio Covers The News With Left-Of-Center Takes Not Found In The Mainstream Media" Hartford Courant, Feb. 26, 2003

"The Rest of the News," New Haven Advocate, July 3, 2003


ISSUES IN-DEPTH

War And Profiteering

Those Who Dared to Come Forward
In-depth compilation on Washington insiders speaking out on Bush administration policies and actions

"Iraq On The Record," U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman report, March 16, 2004

"Greenspan Testimony Highlights Bush Plan for Deliberate Federal Bankruptcy," by Michael Meurer, truthout.org, March 2, 2004

"Noam Chomsky on Middle East Conflict and U.S. War Plan Against Iraq," Between The Lines interview with Noam Chomsky, conducted by Scott Harris, for the Week Ending May 3, 2002

"The Iraq War & The Bush Administration's Pursuit of Global Domination," Counterpoint, Sept. 15, 2003

The Iraq Crisis, a Global Policy Forum, UN Security Council section on the 13 years of sanctions and other background of the war, the humanitarian situation, the importance of Iraq's huge oil resources, and disputes over a post-war government and reconstruction plan

"Occupation, Inc." Southern Exposure, Winter, 2003/2004

"Pipeline Politics: Oil, The Taliban, and the Political Balance of Central Asia," World Press Review Special Report, Nov.-Dec. 2001

"War Profiteering," by The Nation editors, April 24, 2003

"An Annotated Saddam Chronology," ZNet, Dec. 15, 2003

Civil Liberties

"The Global Gulag: Into The Shadows," by Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com, April 5, 2004

"Keeping Secrets: The Bush administration is doing the public's business out of the public eye. Here's how--and why," by Christopher H. Schmitt and Edward T. Pound, U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 12, 2003

"FBI Memo: Tactics Used During Protests And Demonstrations" Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oct. 15, 2003

"F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies" by Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, Nov. 23, 2003

"Fascism Anyone?" 14 Signs of Fascism, Free Inquiry Magazine, Volume 23, No. 2

"Germany In 1933: The Easy Slide Into Fascism," The Crisis Papers, June 9, 2003

Multi-Ethnic Issues Advocacy

Dr. Earl Ofari Hutchinson's Commentaries, The Hutchinson Report
and in Audio (needs RealPlayer)

Between
The Lines

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Between The Lines
For The Week Ending May 14, 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • In case you missed the Media Reform Conference in Madison, Wis. in November, RealAudio and MP3 of speeches and workshops can be heard by clicking here!

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

  • Former Ambassador to Honduras
    with Troubling Human Rights Record,
    Named as Chief U.S. Diplomat in Iraq

    For story text, Click here!

  • International Solidarity Movement Activists
    Tour U.S. to Rally Opposition
    Against War and Occupation in Palestine, Iraq

    For story text, Click here!

  • Kerry Campaign's Lack of Focus
    and Swing to the Right
    Raises Concern of Party Faithful

    For story text, Click here!

  • Underreported News Summary
    from Around the World

    For full summary, Click here!
LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below. MP3 files available until May 18, 2004.

This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:

Former Ambassador to Honduras
with Troubling Human Rights Record,
Named as Chief U.S. Diplomat in Iraq

Interview with Larry Birns,
executive director, Council on Hemispheric Affairs,
conducted by Scott Harris

In recent weeks, the Bush administration has been reeling from crisis to crisis in Iraq. Battles in the cities of Falluja and Najaf have resulted in one of the most deadly months for U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians, with more than 115 American personnel and over 1,300 Iraqis dead. A cease-fire brokered in Falluja arranged for the deployment of an all-Iraqi force in the rebellious town and was to have been led by a former Republican Guard general in Saddam Hussein's army. But that move was widely criticized by Iraqis persecuted by the former regime and was quickly reversed. A standoff in the holy city of Najaf between U.S. troops and a militia group loyal to Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr continues with frequent skirmishes.

Meanwhile, the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. troops has erupted into a major international scandal. Allegations describe the beating and sodomizing of Iraqi prisoners, which may have resulted in the death of at least one detainee. These charges, along with photos published of American soldiers subjecting hooded and naked Iraqi prisoners to sexual humiliation, have enraged millions of Iraqis and Muslims around the globe -- already vehemently opposed to the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Into this turmoil will walk John Negroponte, the newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Iraq who is slated to take charge of the nation in July as the U.S. symbolically transfers sovereignty to an as-yet unknown Iraqi provisional government. Between the Lines Scott Harris spoke with Larry Birns, executive director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs who examines Negroponte's disturbing career which includes an assignment as the American ambassador to Honduras during a period of gross human rights abuses there, and a U.S.-sponsored illegal war against neighboring Nicaragua.

Contact the Council at (202) 216-9261 or visit their website at www.coha.org

Related links:

International Solidarity Movement Activists
Tour U.S. to Rally Opposition
Against War and Occupation in Palestine, Iraq

Interview with Slava Davidson,
member of the International Solidarity Movement,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus

Members of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party voted overwhelmingly on May 2nd against his plan to withdraw Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, even though polls showed a majority of all Israelis supports the idea. The May 2nd killing of a pregnant Israeli settler and her four children by Palestinian gunmen was thought to have influenced the vote.

A rotating group of activists who have spent time in the Palestinian territories serving as international monitors of human rights violations are now traveling in the U.S. as part of what's called the "Wheels of Justice Tour." The tour promotes education on nonviolence and encourages activism against war and occupation in both Palestine and Iraq. The tour bus, decorated with artwork and peace slogans, made several stops recently in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

At the tour's stop in New Haven, Slava Davidson described two recent visits to the West Bank, where he spent three months over the past year, departing in March. He is a member of the International Solidarity Movement, or ISM, a group founded by a Palestinian, an Israeli and American Jew and a Palestinian-American. Over the past two years, two ISM members -- American Rachel Corrie and Briton Tom Herndahl -- were killed by the Israeli military when they nonviolently intervened to protect Palestinian homes and children.

Davidson, who lives in New York City, spoke with Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus about his observations in the West Bank and expressed hope for a peaceful settlement through collaboration between Palestinians and Israelis.

For more information about The Wheels of Justice Tour, call (773) 505-1870 or visit their website at www.justicewheels.org

Kerry Campaign's Lack of Focus
and Swing to the Right
Raises Concern of Party Faithful

Interview with Doug Ireland,
The Nation commentator,
conducted by Scott Harris

As Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry tours the nation and raises funds in his race for the White House, there are growing doubts about the direction of his campaign. Many Democratic Party activists and political observers note that the presumed Democratic Party nominee has yet to find a clear or compelling message for his campaign. There is also concern in recent weeks that the Bush administration has succeeded in putting Kerry on the defensive about his tax policies, his support for the military and his war record.

Despite deepening violence and instability in Iraq, harsh questions what about the White House knew about possible attacks before Sept. 11, and a succession of scandals, Bush is holding his own or gaining ground in recent public opinion polls. Some critics of the Kerry campaign say his early support for the Iraq war, and later contradictory positions, make it difficult for the candidate to differentiate himself from the president. Others point out that Kerry's pro-corporate economic platform, designed to appeal to moderate voters, will fail to motivate the party faithful in numbers large enough to win in November.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with New York-based commentator Doug Ireland, who takes a critical look at the direction and strategy of John Kerry's campaign for president.

Doug Ireland's work regularly appears in the Nation magazine and the L.A. Weekly. Read Ireland's recent piece on John Kerry titled, "All Profile, No Courage" online at www.tompaine.com

This week's summary
of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

  • In March 2002, Macedonia security forces killed seven undocumented Pakistani immigrants, which at the time authorities said were part of a Balkan terrorist group "looking to attack vital installations." The story has now been exposed as a fraud. The deadly fabrication was designed to impress the Bush administration as being tough on terror and to win U.S. support. ("Macedonia faked militant raid," BBC News, May 1, 2004; "Killings staged to win U.S. support," The Guardian, May 1, 2004)
  • China's repression of worker rights has led to job flight from industrial zones in the U.S., Mexico and developing nations. China's crackdown on labor depresses factory wages anywhere from 45 to 85 percent. ("The China Syndrome," In These Times, April 26, 2004)
  • Thirty-nine members of the Congressional Black Caucus are hoping to arrange a meeting with Ralph Nader to persuade him to abandon his independent run for president. ( CBC Tells Nader to Drop Out," The Hill, by Klaus Marre, April 28, 2004)

DOWNLOAD this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below. Needs Quicktime Player or your favorite MP3 player. Note: Make sure your browser is set for streaming or download depending on your connection speed. MP3 files available until May 18, 2004

Note to our broadcast affiliates: We are now offering FTP access for faster, more reliable download of our broadcast quality files. Please call Anna Manzo at (203) 268-8446 ext. 2, to register for FTP logon access or send feedback to us at betweenthelines@snet.net.

Credits:
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
News writer: Genette Nowak
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Zelphia Hunter
Segment producer: Melinda Tuhus
Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates
Senior Web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
Web producer: Jeff Yates
Newswire Editor: Hank Hoffman
Web editor: Bill Cosentino
Executive producer: Scott Harris
Theme music: Mikata

... MORE ...

Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 5/7/04

Bush Regime/Election 2004

"Election 2004: It's Prince Hal Vs. King Henry ," by Harold Meyerson, Miami Herald, May 9, 2004

"A Progressive Response To The Nader Campaign," by Jeff Cohen, Common Dreams, May 7, 2004

"Smart Mobs Versus Amway" by Brad deGraf, Alternet, May 6, 2004

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"Predictable Prison Atrocities," by Paul Street, ZNet, May 9, 2004

"Torture Is News But It's Not New," by John Pilger, The Mirror/UK, May 8, 2004

"Bolivia In Crisis," by Tom Hayden, Alternet, May 7, 2004

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq

"Chain Of Command: How the Defense Dept. Mishandled The Abu Ghraib Disaster," by Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker, May 17, 2004

"Like The Wehrmacht, We've Descended Into Barbarity," by Richard Overy, Guardian/UK, May 10, 2004

"U.S. Military Confirms Existence Of Horrific Pictures And Video," Independent/UK, May 9, 2004

"Nobody Was Listening: Early Abuse Accounts Met With Silence," Associated Press, May 9, 2004

"'I Will Never Forget What They Did To Me,'" Telegraph/UK, May 9, 2004

"Abuse Reports Began Almost At War's Start," San Francisco Chronicle, May 8, 2004

"Soldier: Unit's Role Was To Break Down Prisoners," Washington Post, May 8, 2004

"Rumsfeld Warns Of Worse Photos To Come," San Francisco Chronicle, May 8, 2004

"Joe Hits The Big Time," Billmon.org, May 6, 2004

"Telltale Signs Of Torture Led Family To Demand Answers," by Dahr Jamail, The New Standard, May 4, 2004

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties

"Scandal Bigger Than Prison Abuse," by Haroon Siddiqui, Toronto Star, May 6, 2004

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Muzzling Michael," by Greg Palast, ZNet, May 8, 2004

"The Media, Politics And Censorship," by Bill Moyers, Alternet, May 7, 2004

"Moore Accused Of Publicity Stunt Over Disney 'Ban,'" Guardian/UK, May 4, 2004

"Press Freedom Groups Concerned Over Restrictions Imposed On Media Outlets," World Press Freedom Committee, May 7, 2004

"Limbaugh: Prisoner Abuse 'Brilliant,'" Media Matters, May 6, 2004

More newswire ...

Activism

"A Dream Three Times The Size Of Texas," by Rebecca Solnit, TomDispatch.com, May 6, 2004

More newswire ...


Between The Lines
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Wednesdays, 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
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