The Bush administration made an effort to discredit Wilson, after he challenged the president's rationale for the Iraq war by publicly discussing his 2002 fact-finding trip to Niger. While on the CIA mission there he found no support for the president's claim that Iraq was seeking to buy uranium in the African nation for its nuclear weapons program.

Vice President Cheney, it turns out, was the originator of information passed on to Libby, who in turn spoke with reporters about Wilson's wife's job at the CIA. Libby's defense attorney argued in an opening statement at the trial that the White House had sacrificed Libby in order to protect President Bush's political advisor Karl Rove in advance of the 2004 Presidential election. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with investigative journalist Robert Parry who examines the significance of Libby's trial and what the public may learn about the inner workings of the Bush administration as they aggressively attacked critics of their decision to invade Iraq.

Robert Parry is winner of the George Polk award for national reporting. He is the author of "Secrecy and Privilege, Rise of the Bush Dynasty from Watergate to Iraq." Read his columns online at www.consortiumnews.com

Related links:

• "Bush and Cheney Face Legal Jeopardy in Covert CIA Agent Outing Investigation," Interview with Robert Parry, investigative reporter, conducted by Scott Harris, Between The Lines For The Week Ending April 28, 2006
• "Fitzgerald Previews Government's Case Against Libby," by Jason Leopold, Truthout, Mar. 20, 2006
• "Interview With Murray Waas: How Cheney 'Authorized' Libby To Leak Classified Info," Democracy Now!, Feb. 10, 2006 "Will Scooter Libby Graymail The CIA?," by David Corn, The Nation, Feb. 6, 2006
• "Some Congressional Democrats Now Push for White House Accountability on False Pre-Iraq War Claims," Interview with U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y. conducted by Richard Hill, Between The Lines For The Week Ending Nov. 18, 2005
• "Libby May Have Tried To Mask Cheney's Role," Washington Post, Nov. 13, 2005
• "Indictment of Vice President's Former Chief of Staff Prompts Demand to Investigate White House Role in Misrepresenting Rationale for Iraq War" Interview with John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation magazine, conducted by Scott Harris, Between The Lines For The Week Ending Nov. 11, 2005
• "Poll: Libby Indictment Hits Major Nerve," Associated Press, Nov. 9, 2005
• "A Cheney-Libby Conspiracy, Or Worse? Reading Between The Lines Of the Libby Indictment," by John Dean, FindLaw.com, Nov. 4, 2005
• "Iraq War Appears Likely To Go On Trial Along With Libby," by Marc Sandalow, San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 29, 2005
• "As CIA Leak Investigation Concludes, Critics Say Probe Should Examine Possible Presidential Crimes Around Iraq War," Interview with John Bonifaz, conducted by Scott Harris, Between The Lines Week Ending Oct. 28, 2005

  April 14 Day of Action
  on Global Warming Will Demand
  Mandatory Cuts in Carbon Emissions

  Interview with Bill McKibben,
  author and environmentalist,
  conducted by Melinda Tuhus

  

  While there was significant buzz before President Bush's 2007 State of the Union speech that he would make some breakthrough announcements regarding his administration's plans to address global warming, the reality of his proposals were underwhelming. He mainly called for a large increase in ethanol production to power motor vehicles, which carries its own set of problems, environmental and otherwise.

  In order to bring the issue of climate change significantly more into the consciousness of politicians and citizens alike, writer and activist Bill McKibben has come up with a project called, "Step It Up '07." Working with six graduate students at Middlebury College in Vermont where he teaches, McKibben is promoting a national day of climate action on April 14. On that day, protesters across the U.S. will demand that Congress enact immediate cuts in carbon emissions and pledge an 80 percent reduction by 2050.

  Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with McKibben just before he took off on a trip to Antarctica -- where effects of global warming are alarmingly more advanced than in the continental U.S. He explains what he hopes "Step It Up '07" will accomplish and how millions of people can get involved.

  Bill McKibben is author of The End of Nature, the first book on climate change written for a popular audience, published in 1989. Visit McKibben's Step It Up campaign website at www.stepitup07.org, where, in less than a month, almost 500 events have been scheduled in 45 states.

  This week's summary
  of under-reported news
  

  Compiled by Bob Nixon

  • The International Criminal Court's first arrest warrant against Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony is now a bargaining chip -- amnesty vs. peace -- in talks between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army. ("African search for peace throws court into crisis," The Guardian, Jan. 9, 2007; "International justice versus local needs in Uganda," Reuters, Jan. 7, 2007; "International community urged to assist peace process in Uganda," Oneworld.net, Jan. 22, 2007)
  • The House Judiciary Committee, now chaired by Mich. Democrat John Conyers is holding hearings on the dramatic disparity between mandatory minimum drug sentencing for offenses involving crack and powder cocaine. ("Congress is expected to revisit sentencing laws," New York Times, Jan. 8, 2007)
  • Mortgage default notices in California grew 145 percent in the final three months of 2006. ("More Californians at risk of losing homes," Los Angeles Times, Jan. 24, 2007; "Tremors at the Door," New York Times, Jan. 26, 2007)
    

  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 Feb. 13, 2007

  Note to our broadcast affiliates: We offer 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, obtain schedules or send feedback to us at betweenthelines@snet.net.

  • Consumer-quality MP3 for dialup or fast connection (Links to www.radio4all.net) download. Needs QuickTime Player or your favorite MP3 player. Podcasting available.

  Credits:
  Executive producer: Scott Harris
  Segment producers: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus
  Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
  Program narration: Denise Manzari
  News reader and copy editor: Chris Ferrio
  Senior web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
  Web producer: Jeff Yates
  Newswire editor: Hank Hoffman
  Photo editor: Scott Harris
  Outreach coordinator: Anna Manzo
  Distribution: Anna Manzo, Jeff Yates and Bill Cosentino
  Theme music: Written by Richard Hill and Jody Gray, and performed by Mikata.
  

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