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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
Compilation of Washington insiders speaking out on Bush administration policies and actions

Project for the New American Century's Letter to President Clinton on Iraq, Jan. 26, 1998 Urges President Clinton to remove the threat that Iraq poses by stating a strategy to do so in his "upcoming State of the Union Address."

"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, U.N. 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 Jan. 14, 2005

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

  • Indonesian Military Hinders
    Distribution of Tsunami Aid in
    Devastated and Wartorn Aceh Province

    For story text, Click here!

  • U.S. Emergency and Development Aid Comes
    with Many Strings Attached

    For story text, Click here!

  • Rising Ocean Levels Tied
    to Global Warming May Have
    Exacerbated Tidal Waves'
    Destructive Power

    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 Jan. 18, 2005.

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

Indonesian Military Hinders
Distribution of Tsunami Aid in
Devastated and Wartorn Aceh Province

Interview with Munawar Zainal,
with the Aceh Center,
conducted by Scott Harris

In one of the world's worst natural disasters, a deadly tidal wave battered the coasts of 11 countries from South Asia to Africa in the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26. Estimates of the death toll have steadily risen and may exceed 150,000, with another half million seriously injured and millions more homeless, hungry and in danger of contracting serious diseases triggered by the collapse of sanitation and health care.

The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that produced the tsunami, was centered 93 miles off the coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh. Estimates of those who died in Indonesia alone is approaching 90,000 -- with most of the fatalities in natural gas rich-Aceh. The destruction wrought by the tidal wave has been compounded by reports of continuing hostilities between the Indonesian military and members of the Free Aceh Movement, who have been fighting for independence since 1976. The decades-long conflict, which has killed some 10,000 Acehnese since 1989, now threatens to hinder the distribution of sorely needed food, water, shelter and medical aid.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Munawar Zainal, of the Pennsylvania-based Aceh Center. Zainal, who lost his sister and another 20 members of his extended family in the tsunami, describes the destruction in his home province and how the conflict in Aceh with the Indonesian military has stalled the distribution of aid to tens of thousands of victims.

For more information on how you can help the people of Aceh call (717) 343-1598 -- or -- visit the websites of East Timor Action Network at www.etan.org or Nonviolence International-USA at www.nonviolenceinternational.net.

Related links:

U.S. Emergency and Development Aid Comes
with Many Strings Attached

Interview with Tom Barry,
policy director of Foreign Policy in Focus,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus

In response to the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean that has claimed more than 140,000 lives, President Bush initially announced that the U.S. would contribute $15 million to the relief effort. But, after worldwide criticism of what many viewed as a meager amount, the U.S. contribution quickly climbed to $35 million and then $350 million. The money will come from the budget of the Agency for International Development, or USAID, as well as other accounts.

As of Jan. 3, the Bush administration had declined to request additional money from Congress as the funds will come from existing accounts. But there is growing concern that this could deplete funds earmarked for victims of future natural disasters, war or famine. Additionally, it's not uncommon that the announcement of a generous donation makes headlines, but the follow-through is weak or non-existent. Although Japan has contributed $500 million to aid in the tsunami disaster, exceeding the U.S. commitment by $150 million, President Bush can rightfully claim that the U.S. donates more total dollars than any other country to worldwide humanitarian relief. But it's also true that the U.S. is the stingiest of all developed nations in the charitable aid it provides annually as a percentage of its gross domestic product.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Tom Barry, policy director of Foreign Policy in Focus, which is a joint project of the Institute for Policy Studies and the International Relations Center. He discusses the substantial political and economic strings attached to U.S. foreign aid, and alternative policies that could enhance the nation's true security needs.

Tom Barry is policy director of Foreign Policy in Focus and co-author of "The Soft War, The Uses and Abuses of U.S. Economic Aid." For more information, call (505) 388-0208 or visit the group's website at www.fpif.org

Related links:

Rising Ocean Levels Tied
to Global Warming May Have
Exacerbated Tidal Waves'
Destructive Power

Interview with Ross Gelbspan,
journalist and author,
conducted by Scott Harris

The destructive power of nature is horrifyingly clear in the aftermath of the earthquake-born tsunami which devastated South Asia and parts of Africa on Dec. 26. The giant waves that struck coastlines from Sri Lanka to Thailand, killed over 140,000 people and destroyed cities, in addition to much of the region's civil infrastructure. In the wake of the disaster, many scientists and government officials are now calling for an early warning system in the Indian Ocean that could alert coastal communities of future tidal waves.

But some climatologists warn that rising sea levels tied to global warming may have exacerbated the damage caused by the tsunami, and have made low-lying coastal areas across the globe vulnerable to flooding, severe erosion and eventual submersion. According to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the levels of the world's oceans rose on average by 4-8 inches during the 20th century, with an additional rise of 3 inches to 2 1/2 feet expected by the year 2100. Poorly planned shoreline development, the destruction of mangrove swamps and coral reefs have also played a role in weakening the natural defenses of coastal areas.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Ross Gelbspan, a veteran journalist and author of two widely acclaimed books on global warming, "The Heat Is On," and "Boiling Point." Gelbspan talks about the relationship between climate change, rising ocean levels and the destructive power of nature unintentionally released by humankind.

Ross Gelbspan's most recent book is titled, "Boiling Point: How Politicians, Big Oil and Coal, Journalists and Activists are Fueling the Climate Crisis -- and What We Can do to Avert Disaster." Visit his website at www.heatisonline.org

Related links:

This week's summary
of under-reported news

Compiled by Bob Nixon

  • Israel is placing tight restrictions on Palestinian candidates on the Jan. 9 ballot as the election heats up for a new president of the Palestinian Authority, to succeed Yasser Arafat. ("Israel accused of obstructing Palestinian election in east Jerusalem," The Guardian, Dec. 28, 2004)
  • The declining health of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who suffers from thyroid cancer, could put the direction of the high court into full public view in early 2005. Rehnquist is a strong legal conservative, but a firm defender of separation of church and state. ("The God Squad," American Prospect, January 2005)
  • A vigorous national debate on farm policy could show Americans where the Democrats stand, and make a clear contrast with the Bush administration to win the rural vote. But that strategy would force Democrats to challenge pro-free trade and pro-corporate agribusiness policies. ("Secretary of Agribusiness," by John Nichols, Online Beat column, The Nation, Dec. 13, 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 Jan. 18, 2005

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
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Bill Cosentino
Segment producer: Melinda Tuhus
Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates, Bill Cosentino
Senior Web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
Web producer: Jeff Yates
Newswire editor: Hank Hoffman
Executive producer: Scott Harris
Theme music: Mikata


Between The Lines
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Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 1/7/04

Between The Lines Community Forum

Share your thoughts with the Between The Lines crew and listeners' community!

Election 2004

"Purging Of Rolls, Confusion, Anger Ohio Voters," Toledo Blade, Jan. 9, 2005

"Many Americans Refuse To Concede 'Stolen Election,'" Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jan. 9, 2005

"Ohio Election Problems Highlight Urgent Need For Reform," by Mark Weisbrot, Knight Ridder, Jan. 8, 2005

"Electoral Vote Challenge Meets Venomous Response In Congress," by Brian Dominck & Ariella Cohen, The New Standard, Jan. 8, 2005

"Election 2004: Stolen Or Lost?," by Russ Baker, TomPaine.com, Jan. 7, 2005

"It's One Tentative Step Toward Fairer Elections," by Melissa Harris Lacewell, New York Newsday, Jan. 7, 2005

"Standing Up To Bush On Ohio: First Shot By Congressional Progressives," by David Lindorff, Counterpunch, Jan. 7, 2005

More newswire ...

Bush Regime

"For Unemployed, Wait For New Work Grows Longer," The New York Times, Jan. 9, 2005

"Inaugural Excess," by Bernard Ries, Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2005

"Bush Keeps Crying Wolf On Social Security," by William O'Rourke, Chicago Sun Times, Jan. 9, 2005

"Bush 'The King' Blows $50 Million On Coronation," by Paul Harris, Observer/UK, Jan. 9, 2005

"GOP 'Doomsday Plan' Rewites Constitution," Boston Herald, Jan. 9, 2005

"Bush's Job Approval Lowest Of Recent Two-Term Presidents; Congress Even Lower," Associated Press, Jan. 8, 2005

"Warning From A Student Of Democracy's Collapse," by Chris Hedges, The New York Times, Jan. 6, 2005

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"The Failure Of Empire," by Editors of Monthly Review, Jan., 2004

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan

"U.S. Troops Kill Civilians In Botched Strikes," Reuters, Jan. 9, 2005

"'The Salvador Option': Pentagon Mulls Death Squads For Iraq," Newsweek, Jan. 9, 2005

"Americans Talking To Themselves In Fallujah," by Nigel Parry, Electronic Iraq, Jan. 9, 2005

"U.S. Soldiers Flee To Canada To Avoid Service In Iraq," Telegraph/UK, Jan. 9, 2005

"As Iraqis Return To Fallujah, Many Find Everything They Knew Destroyed," Knight Ridder, Jan. 8, 2005

"Iraqi Elder Statesman Again Calls For Postponement Of Elections," Agence France Presse, Jan. 8, 2005

"Report Paints Bleak Picture Of Iraqi Forces," Boston Globe, Jan. 8, 2005

"Iraq, The Devastation," by Dahr Jamail, TomDispatch.com, Jan. 7, 2005

"Campaigning In Iraq Has Worsened Ethnic, Religious Tensions," Knight Ridder, Jan. 7, 2005

"Iraq 2004 Looks Like Vietnam 1966," by Phillip Carter & Owen West, Slate, Dec. 27, 2004

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties/ Human Rights

"Unanswered Questions: Gitmo Scandal Deepens," by Michael Isikoff, Newsweek, Jan. 17, 2005

"Interrogating Donald Rumsfeld: 37 Questions Congress Should Ask On Administration Torture Policies," by Karen J. Greenberg & Joshua L. Dratel, TomDispatch.com, Jan. 10, 2005

"Dear Mr. Gonzales: You Should Be Ashamed," by Marjorie Cohn, Truthout, Jan. 10, 2005

"Roundtable Discussion: Torture And International Human Rights," by Mark LeVine, ZNet, Jan. 9, 2005

"American Lawyer Finds Guantanamo Bay Conditions Atrocious," Daily Star/Lebanon, Jan. 8, 2005

"Mysterious Jet Tied To Torture Flights," Chicago Tribune, Jan. 8, 2005

"FBI Director Mueller On Guantanamo Hot Seat," Newsweek, Jan. 6, 2005

"Opposition Builds Against 'Torture Apologist' Gonzales" by Brian Dominck, The New Standard, Jan. 6, 2005

"The Business Of Fighting Terror," by Ryan Singel, Wired News, Jan. 5, 2005

"Gonzales: The Fight Is On," by Bruce Shapiro, The Nation, Jan. 5, 2005

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Armstrong Williams Case Shines Harsh Light On Pundit Industry," by James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, Jan. 8, 2005

"White House Paid Pundit $240,000 To Promote Law," USA Today, Jan. 7, 2005

"Blog-Gate: Many Questions From Memo-gate Remain Unanswered" by Corey Pein, Columbia Journalism Review, Jan. 7, 2005

"Acts Of God, Acts Of Media," by Norman Solomon, Common Dreams, Jan. 7, 2005

"Media's Double Standard: Americans, Others," by Paul Janensch, Hartford Courant, Jan. 6, 2005

More newswire ...

Activism

"Has The People's Rebellion Begun?," by Ted Glick, Future Hope, Jan. 9, 2005

"Activists Heading To Brazil For Social Justice Forum," Journal News/New York, Jan. 9, 2005

"Getting Real About The Draft: Why The Peace Churches Are Meeting In March," by Greg Moses, Counterpunch, Jan. 8, 2005

"U.S. Military Familes Bring Help, Condemn War," by Dahr Jamail, Jamail Reports, Jan. 8, 2005

More newswire ...

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