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

• Bush "Stays Course" on Iraq Plan
  But Confronts Harsh Military
  and Political Realities
  For story text and audio, Click here!

• Israeli Raid on Rafah Refugee Camp
  Results in More than 50 Dead,
  and Hundreds Homeless
  For story text and audio, Click here!

• Filmmaker Ken Burns
  Condemns Bush Policies
  on War and Civil Liberties
  For story text and audio, Click here!

• Underreported News Summary
  from Around the World
  For full summary and audio, Click here!

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Almost daily, the Bush administration has been battered by bad news from Iraq. The focus on investigations into the U.S. military's torture of prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison was momentarily overshadowed by the assassination of Izzedin Salim, the president of the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S. raid on the offices of longtime American ally Ahmed Chalabi, now suspected of passing sensitive intelligence to the Iranian government. All this, while U.S. troops continue to battle Iraqi insurgents and a Shiite militia group.

With growing questions about the administration's competency to successfully lead the nation out of an increasingly costly war, President Bush addressed the nation on May 24 to explain his goals in Iraq. At a speech delivered at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., the president summarized his plan to hand over sovereignty to a new, as yet unnamed Iraqi interim government on June 30, leading to U.N. supervised elections in 2005. But as President Bush's approval rating in public opinion polls continues to decline, there is great skepticism that the political and military realities on the ground will cooperate.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Wayne Madsen, investigative journalist and former National Security Agency officer, who assesses President Bush's Iraq policy, its chances for success and how the coming U.S. election may affect the conduct of the war.

Read Wayne Madsen's articles online at www.counterpunch.org

Related links:

• " Council Defies US Over Top Job Choice," by Luke Harding and Michael Howard in Baghdad, the Guardian/UK, May 31, 2004
• " The Handover That Became a Shambles: Ten U-Turns on the Road to 'Peace'," by Justin Huggler and Rupert Cornwell, Independent U.K., May 30, 2004
• "Face Reality," by Zbigniew Brzezinski, The New Republic, May 28, 2004
• "The choice of Iyad Allawi: Exiled Allawi was Responsible for 45-Minute WMD Claim," by Patrick Cockburn, the lndependent/UK, May 29, 2004
• "The President's Speech," New York Times | Editorial, May 25, 2004
• "U.S. Intelligence Fears Iran Duped Hawks into Iraq War," by Julian Borger, The Guardian, May 25, 2004
• "The Truth About Ahmed Chalabi," by Andrew Cockburn, Counterpunch, May 20, 2004
• More links ...

Israeli Raid on Rafah Refugee Camp
Results in More than 50 Dead,
and Hundreds Homeless

Interview with Maher Nasser,
representative of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees,
conducted by Scott Harris

After a week of military operations conducted by the Israeli Army in Gaza's Rafah refugee camp, United Nations officials have described it as a "humanitarian catastrophe." During the weeklong offensive, the Israeli Army reported killing more than 50 Palestinians and demolishing 56 houses and apartment buildings. The U.N. says that over the past month, Israeli troops have destroyed 180 buildings in Rafah, resulting in nearly 2,000 people made homeless. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated that the raid into the densely populated area was mounted to search for tunnels under the Gaza-Egyptian border that they claim are used by Palestinian militant groups to smuggle weapons.

Some of the worst violence in Rafah occurred on May 19, when an Israeli tank and helicopter fired on unarmed protesters, killing several, including children, and wounding dozens of civilians. That incident provoked condemnation from around the world and led to the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution, denouncing Israel for the attack and resulting loss of life. The resolution's passage was made possible by a rare White House decision to abstain rather than use their veto power to defeat the measure.

Between the Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Maher Nasser, representative of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees based in New York City. Nasser describes the poverty and hopelessness that he says have overwhelmed the people of Gaza and the dwindling resources available to assist the growing number of desperate Palestinian refugees.

Contact the the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees by calling (212) 963-2255 or visit their website at www.unrwa.org

Related links:

• "The Rape of Rafah," by Uri Avnery, Counterpunch, May 22/23, 2004

Filmmaker Ken Burns
Condemns Bush Policies
on War and Civil Liberties

Speech excerpt by Ken Burns,
filmmaker and historian,
produced by Melinda Tuhus

Filmmaker and historian Ken Burns is best known for his documentaries, including his award-winning series on the Civil War, the highest rated program in the history of American public television. Burns spoke at Yale University's College Class Day on May 23, an annual affair that takes place the day before commencement exercises.

In his address, Burns spoke about the leadership of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and America's current war on terrorism. He expressed disagreement with President Bush's conduct of that war and concern over the threats to civil liberties and democracy posed by our own government.

As Burns addressed the graduates and their families, helicopters flew overhead, patrolling the airspace above the campus while President Bush made a private visit to New Haven to celebrate his daughter's graduation from Yale. Burns himself has a daughter in the Yale class of 2004. The following is an excerpt from Ken Burns' speech, which was recorded and produced by Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus.

Related links:

• Filmmaker and Historian Ken Burns, Between The Lines Q&A transcript of anti-war speech excerpt at Yale Class Day, May 23, 2004

This week's summary
of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

• The Observer newspaper reports that American military guards at Guantanamo Naval base in Cuba, digitally videorecorded dozens of beatings of Afghan detainees. ("U.S. Guards Filmed Beatings at Terror Camp," The Observer, May 16, 2004)
• The Bush administration's plan to double the number of U.S. troops dedicated to Plan Colombia, the anti-insurgency, anti-drug campaign, is in jeopardy. A Colombian general on trial for participating in a massacre of civilians is threatening to reveal the strong relationship between Colombia's army and right-wing death squads unless charges are dropped. ("The General and his Labyrinth," The Guardian, April 15, 2004)
• According to the right-wing Alliance for Marriage, a recent poll shows that blacks and Latinos oppose gay marriage in greater numbers than the American public does. Black progressives have formed a new group, the National Black Justice Coalition, to promote strong black gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender voices supporting issues such as marriage equality. ("Homophobia of all hues," The Nation, May 17, 2004)
  

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Credits:
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Elaine Osowski
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

Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 5/28/04

Bush Regime/Election 2004

"Satire: The Diebold Variations," by R. Careaga, 2004

"Kerry Targets Republican Stronghold," Guardian/UK, June 1, 2004

"Even Some In G.O.P. Call For More Oversight Of Bush," The New York Times, May 31, 2004

"If Fake Terror Alerts Can't Scare Us, What Will Bush Try Next?," by Charles Cutter, Cutter's Way, May 30, 2004

"The Right Will Fight Dirty," by Dave Johnson, Seeing The Forest, May 29, 2004

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"The Choice This Year Is Between Empire And Democracy," by Thom Hartmann, Common Dreams, May 31, 2004

"Time Challenges Cheney On Halliburton Contract," Time, May 30, 2004

"New Draft Debate" CBS News, May 30, 2004

"Whatever You Ask, Please Do Not Ask Why We 'Hate' You," by Omar Barghouti, Outlook India, May 30, 2004

"Torture: The Logical Outcome Of Bush's War For 'Democracy?'," by Saul Landau, Counterpunch, May 29, 2004

"Bush's Cruel New Rules On Cuba," by U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt, Counterpunch, May 28, 2004

"Face Reality," by Zbigniew Brzezinski, The New Republic, May 28, 2004

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq

"Ahmad Chalabi: The Manipulator," by Jane Mayer, The New Yorker, June 7, 2004

"The Deep Game," by William Rivers Pitt, Truthout, June 1, 2004

"Army Is Investigating Reports Of Assaults And Thefts By G.I.s Against Iraqi Civilians," The New York Times, May 31, 2004

"Iraq Deepens Internal Pentagon Tensions," Reuters, May 30, 2004

"The Handover That Became A Shambles," The Independent/UK, May 30, 2004

"Iraq Diaries: On Their Way To Abu Ghraib," by Mike Ferner, Electronic Iraq, May 29, 2004

"Chalabi-gate: None Dare Call It Treason," by Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, May 28, 2004

"Alliance Between Chalabi, U.S. Conservatives Now In Ruins," Knight Ridder, May 28, 2004

"Occupation Made World Less Safe, British Pro-War Institute Says," Independent/UK, May 26, 2004

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties

"Gallery Owner Attacked For Iraqi Abuse Art," Associated Press, May 30, 2004

"ISP Fights PATRIOT Act," by Jessica Azulay, Antiwar.com, May 29, 2004

"Ashcroft, Snoops & Gag Orders: The Secrets Of Surveillance," by Elaine Cassel, Counterpunch, May 29, 2004

"PATRIOT Act Beseiged," by Nat Hentoff, Village Voice, May 28, 2004

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Media Alternatives-- Part 1," by David Edwards, ZNet, May 28, 2004

"How To Silence An Awkward Newspaper," by John Pilger, ZNet, May 28, 2004

"Not Fit To Print," by James C. Moore, Salon.com, May 27, 2004

"Editors Weigh In On N.Y. Times Admission On Iraq Reporting," Editor & Publisher, May 27, 2004

More newswire ...

Activism

"Remembering Dave Dellinger," by Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, Common Dreams, May 31, 2004

More newswire ...