BETWEEN THE LINES
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Hungry for more news from Between The Lines?

Many BTL interviews are excerpted from Scott Harris' live, 2-hour program, Counterpoint. To hear more in-depth analysis you won't get in mainstream media, listen to Counterpoint LIVE Monday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. EST on WPKN Radio

Counterpoint is now archived in its entirety on The White Rose Society website


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WPKN Radio mentioned in Danny Schechter's "The News Dissector" column

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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


ISSUES IN DEPTH
War And Profiteering

"The Future of Iraq: The Spoils of War," Blood and oil: How the West will profit from Iraq's most precious commodity, by Danny Fortson, Andrew Murray-Watson and Tim Webb, The Independent/UK, Jan. 7, 2007

"Cheney is Longtime Bad News for U.S.," by John Nichols, by the Madison Capital Times (Wisconsin), Jan. 16, 2007

"Bush administration provokes open war on Iran: Irbil raid, and other operations, authorized "several months ago," by Larry Chin, Global Research, Jan. 15, 2007

"Iran: The Next War," by James Bamford, Rolling Stone, July 24, 2006

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

"Martial Law Threat is Real," by Dave Lindorff, commondreams.org, July 27, 2007

"ACLU: US Constitution in Grave Danger,"United Press International, July 25, 2007

"Old-line Republican warns 'something's in the works' to trigger a police state," by Muriel Kane, Rawstory.com July 19, 2007

"Fascist America, in 10 easy steps," by Naomi Wolf, The Guardian, April 24, 2007


"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

"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

Between The Lines

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Between The Lines
For The Week Ending May 9, 2008


statueliberty

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

  • Pentagon War Propaganda Operation Exposed
    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • Agriculture Policies Linked
    to Nutrition, Health and Environment

    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • Sean Bell Murder Verdict
    Another Example of Institutional Racism

    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • Underreported News Summary
    from Around the World

    For full summary text and audio, Click here!
LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below.



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


 Pentagon War Propaganda Operation Exposed

Interview with Peter Hart,
analyst with the media watch group
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting,
conducted by Scott Harris


warpropaganda

A New York Times article titled, "Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon's Hidden Hand," revealed how the Pentagon recruited and regularly briefed a group of 75 retired U.S. military officers, later hired by TV news networks as commentators. Many of these officers, who spoke uncritically of the Bush administration's Iraq War strategy, failed to disclose their financial ties to military contractors that were profiting from the conflict.

Media outlets including Fox News, NBC, CNN, CBS and ABC used the Pentagon's approved cheeleaders with little or no questions about possible conflicts of interest. The Pentagon's propaganda operation was so successful a former Pentagon official told the Times, "We were able to click on every single station and every one of our folks were up there delivering our message."

An indication of how closely the U.S. media coordinates their reporting with the Pentagon can be seen in the statements of former CNN News chief executive Eason Jordan. In an appearance on the CNN program, "Reliable Sources," Jordan recounted how before the U.S. invasion of Iraq he had gone to the Pentagon to get prior approval for his network's group of retired military commentators. Between the Lines Scott Harris spoke with Peter Hart, an analyst with the media-watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, who examines the Times' troubling report on the media's willingness to operate as a conduit for Pentagon propaganda.

Contact FAIR by calling (212) 633-6700 or visit their website at www.fair.org



Agriculture Policies Linked
to Nutrition, Health and Environment


Excerpt of speech by Michael Pollan,
author and professor of journalism,
produced by Melinda Tuhus


wetlands

Food is big news these days -- the rising costs, the diminishing supply, especially in poor countries like Haiti, and the diversion of crops, like corn, and land to the production of bio-fuels.

Michael Pollan is the author of several books about food, including "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto." He writes about the industrial food system, including government subsidies to large agribusiness corporations, as well as alternatives that would increase the supply of healthy food people eat. He says that humans around the world have been able to stay healthy on a wide variety of diets, but that the American diet is the one that reliably makes us sick, leading to increases in obesity, diabetes and other health problems.

In late April, just as the $300 billion farm bill was poised to be passed by the U.S. Congress, Pollan spoke at the Yale University Law School. He was invited by City Seed, a group that sponsors four farmers' markets in New Haven, Conn., to bring healthy produce to city residents. Pollan presented a historic overview of how small-scale farming was transformed into agribusiness, profiting corporations such as Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland. He also points out that the farm bill should be called the Food Bill, since it affects everyone, not just farmers. Pollan says there are some promising developments, but many obstacles remain for the production of healthy food, based on how farming is now regulated.

Michael Pollan is an author and professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, where he directs the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism. This segment was recorded and produced by Melinda Tuhus.



Sean Bell Murder Verdict Another Example
of Institutional Racism


Interview with DeLacy Davis,
founder and president of Black Cops Against Police Brutality,
conducted by Scott Harris


bell

In recent decades, many of America's big cities have experienced waves of racial tension after police shootings of unarmed African American men. These tensions are often exacerbated when the public comes to believe that the U.S. justice system, plagued by institutional racism, is unable or unwilling to hold police involved in such shootings accountable for their actions.

The acquittal of three New York City police detectives charged in the November 2006 shooting fatality of 23-year-old Sean Bell, an unarmed African American bridegroom-to-be the night before his wedding has provoked protests and calls for a federal civil rights review of the case. On April 25, State Supreme Court Judge Arthur J. Cooperman acquitted Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora of manslaughter charges, and Detective Marc Cooper of reckless endangerment. The three officers, two of whom were African Americans, fired a total of 50 bullets that killed Bell and seriously injured two of his friends.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with DeLacy Davis, a 20-year veteran of the East Orange, N.J. Police Department and founder and president of the group Black Cops Against Police Brutality. Davis considers the conscious and unconscious institutional racism that exists in police departments and courtrooms throughout the nation - and what can be done to constructively repair a system that he feels devalues the lives of people of color.

Contact Black Cops Against Police Brutality by calling (973) 926-5717 or visit their website at www.b-cap.org.




  • Darfur activists have started a protest campaign against Olympic Games sponsors Coca-Cola and Staples for failing to speak out against the ongoing atrocities in Darfur, Sudan, where over 200,000 people have died. China has large investments in Sudan's booming oil sector and continues to sell arms to Sudan despite a U.N. arms embargo. ("Activists to Protest Some Olympic Sponsors," Associated Press, April 25, 2008; "Olympic Corporate Sponsors Still Silent on Darfur," Dream for Darfur press release, April 24, 2008
  • In Colombia, former federal Sen. Mario Uribe, cousin and political ally of President Alvaro Uribe, has been arrested in Bogota for ties with paramilitary death squads in an expanding investigation. ("Cousin of Colombian President Arrested in Death Squad Probe," Washington Post, April 23, 2008; "Colombia Scandal Ensnares Close Ally of President Uribe," Los Angeles Times, April 23, 2008)
  • Chevron has publicly denounced two Ecuadorian activist lawyers who recently won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for their grassroots activism working to protect the environment. ("Environmental Awards Draws Chevron's Ire," Reuters, April 14, 2008; "If Loving the Earth Isn't Enough, Hating Texaco Will Do," The Gristmill, April 15, 2008)


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


Between The Lines
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Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 5/2/08

Between The Lines' Blog

"Reading Between The Lines"

U.S. Politics

"The Court Fumbles On Voting Rights," The New York Times editorial, Apr. 29, 2008

"Supreme Court Gives Republicans A Boost," by Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, Apr. 29, 2008

"How Democrats Can Beat McCain," by Paul Waldman, The American Prospect, Apr. 29, 2008

"Former Pastor's Latest Comments 'Outrage' Obama," Associated Press, Apr. 29, 2008

"The Militarist," by Matthew Yglesias, The American Prospect, Apr. 28, 2008

"Hillary Has Cynically Turned To The One Argument She Has Left: Race," by Gary Younge, Guardian/UKs, Apr. 28, 2008

"House Democrats Work On Huge Iraq Money Bill," San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 28, 2008

"Does John McCain Stand For Anything?," by Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect, Apr. 28, 2008

"Jeremiah Wright Delivers The Knockout Punch: But Will It Topple Obama?," by Mike Whitney, Counterpunch, Apr. 28, 2008

"Supreme Court Upholds Photo ID Law For Voters In Indiana," Associated Press, Apr. 28, 2008

"How McCain Lost In Pennsylvania," by Frank Rich, The New York Times, Apr. 27, 2008

"On The 2008 Primary And Black Anger," by Terence Samuel, The American Prospect, Apr. 25, 2008

"GOP Objects To Bill Allowing Recounts," by Ben Adler, Politico, Apr. 25, 2008

"The Ritual Flaying Of Jimmy Carter," by Joe Conason, TruthDig, Apr. 24, 2008

More newswire ...

Bush Regime

"Deal Or No Deal: The Torture Election," by Chris Floyd, Counterpunch, Apr. 29, 2008

"Cheney Lawyer Claims Congress Has No Authority Over Vice-President," Guardian/UK, Apr. 29, 2008

"The Myths And Harsh Effects Of Bush's Economic Class War," by Larry Beinhart, AlterNet, Apr. 28, 2008

"Selling The President's General: The Petraeus Story," by Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com, Apr. 27, 2008

"Hawks Resurgent?," by Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, Apr. 26, 2008

"Pentagon Halts Feeding Of Information To Retired Officers While Issue Is Reviewed," by Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes, Apr. 26, 2008

"U.S. Syria Claims Raise Wider Doubts," BBC News, Apr. 25, 2008

"Pentagon Suspends Controversial Briefings," CNN, Apr. 25, 2008

"Judge Rejects Bush Administration's 'State Secrets' Claim; Says FBI and Department of Homeland Security Must Reveal 'Watchlist' Status for Americans Seeking End to Unnecessary, Unlawful Border Stops," PRNewswire, Apr. 23, 2008

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"Is War With Iran Imminent? This Time, It's More Than A Rumor...," by Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, Apr. 28, 2008

"Obliterate Them! Of Rattlesnakes And Dogs," by Andrew Wimmer, Common Dreams, Apr. 26, 2008

"U.S. Weighing Readiness For Military Action Against Iran," Washington Post, Apr. 26, 2008

"The Real Matrix: The Pentagon Invades Your Life," by Tom Engelhardt & Nick Turse, TomDispatch.com, Apr. 24, 2008

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan

"Afghanistan's Insurgency Moving North," Christian Science Monitor, Apr. 29, 2008

"Iraqis Accuse Blackwater Of Shredding Documents," Associated Press, Apr. 28, 2008

"Forces See Spike In IEDs In April," USA Today, Apr. 27, 2008

"Shiite Cleric Tells Followers To End Fighting And Unite Iraqis," The New York Times, Apr. 26, 2008

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties/ Human Rights

"Ex-Prosecutor Calls War Tribunals Tainted," Reuters, Apr. 29, 2008

"Green Scare State Terrorism," by Stephen Lendman, ZNet, Apr. 29, 2008

"Lawyers Fear Monitoring In Cases On Terrorism," The New York Times, Apr. 26, 2008

"Guantanamo Drives Prisoners Insane, Lawyers Say," International Herald Tribune, Apr. 26, 2008

"Courts May Get More Latitude On 'State Secrets,'" by William Fisher, Inter Press Service, Apr. 26, 2008

"Groups Wrangle With CIA Over 'Ghost Prisoners,'" by William Fisher, Inter Press Service, Apr. 26, 2008

"A Million People Sentenced To Madness?," by David Luban, Balkinization, Apr. 26, 2008

"FBI Warned Justice, Pentagon About Interrogation Tactics Used Against Terror Suspects," Associated Press, Apr. 23, 2008

"Bush's Gitmo Justice Creates A Legal Black Hole," by Nat Hentoff, Village Voice, Apr. 22, 2008

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Nine Days Of Silence From The Willing Accomplices," by Meteor Blades, Daily Kos, Apr. 29, 2008

"Who's Feeding The Watchdog?," by Sean Gonsalves, Common Dreams, Apr. 29, 2008

"Brian Williams Nominates Peggy Noonan For A Pulitzer Prize," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 29, 2008

"Military Propaganda Pushed Me Off TV," by Jeff Cohen, Truthout, Apr. 28, 2008

"TV Military 'Analysts' Are Part Of What Ike warned Against," by Nancy Grape, Portland Press Herald (Maine), Apr. 27, 2008

"The Prostitute And The Moderators-A Suggestion," by Christopher Brauchli, Common Dreams, Apr. 26, 2008

More newswire ...

Activism

"Demonstration Targets Antiwar Protesters," Star-Ledger (New Jersey_, Apr. 28, 2008

"The Green Gap," by Kate Sheppard, The American Prospect, Apr. 24, 2008

More newswire ...



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