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

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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

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



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

"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

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



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



"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 Aug. 22, 2008


PRE-ELECTION 2008 APPEAL -- FOCUS ON THE ISSUES

The


A participatory democracy functions best with well-informed citizens. Listen to Between The Lines and arm yourself with information and analysis that those in power would prefer you don't have.

This year's presidential election could very well determine the course of the United States for the next decade and beyond.

Each week, Between The Lines provides dissenting views on the status quo, reporting on issues that matter including: skyrocketing energy prices and oil company profiteering; the growing debt crisis; the Republican party and religious extremism; the neoconservative drive for American empire; and the failing U.S. healthcare system.

Here's how you can support our efforts to get the word out to more people during this critical juncture in history:
  • Make a donation. As a thank you gift for your contribution in support of Between The Lines, one of the gifts we are offering is video DVD: "Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Dependency on Foreign Petroleum," a Media Education Foundation documentary featuring renowned energy and security expert Michael T. Klare, who unearths declassified documents and highlights forgotten passages in prominent presidential doctrines to show how concerns about oil have been at the core of American foreign policy for more than 60 years - rendering our contemporary energy and military policies virtually indistinguishable.

    Get more details including video and audio samples of this and other exciting thank you gifts, such as books, DVDs and CDs from historian Howard Zinn, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Chris Hedges, Physicians for a National Health Program Co-Founder Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler and Unite Here President John Wilhelm on universal health care, and award-winning documentary filmmaker Danny Schechter, at www.squeakywheel.net


THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

 RealAudio (full-length) |  MP3 (full-length)
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This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:

Guantanamo Hamdan Trial
a Betrayal of American Values

 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with ACLU attorney Hina Shamsi,
conducted by Scott Harris


hamdan

On Aug. 6th, a jury of American military officers found Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden's former driver, guilty of providing material support for terrorism. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of conspiracy. Hamdan, a father of two daughters from Yemen, was sentenced to a five-and-one-half years prison term the day after his conviction. With time already served in the U.S. Guantanamo Bay detention camp and elsewhere, Hamdan could complete his sentence in 5 months. But the Bush administration maintains that even after he completes his sentence, the U.S. has the authority to hold Hamdan indefinitely until the end of the war on terror. President Bush wants to conduct 80 more trials of Guantanamo detainees.

Human rights groups from around the world have condemned the Bush administration's military commission process at Guantanamo, citing the system's use of secret evidence, hearsay evidence, and evidence obtained through torture. Col. Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor for Guantanamo's military commissions who resigned in protest in October 2007, says that he had been pressured by political appointees at the Pentagon to pursue cases deemed "sexy" and of "high interest," such as defendants charged with being involved in the 9/11 plot, in advance of the 2008 elections. Davis, once a staunch defender of the military commissions process, wrote in a Los Angeles Times editorial, "I concluded that full, fair and open trials were not possible under the current system." ... "I felt that the system had become deeply politicized and that I could no longer do my job effectively."

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Hina Shamsi, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project who observed Hamdan's hearings at Guantanamo in December. She describes the constitutional flaws and lack of fundamental legal safeguards she sees in the military commission process.

Contact the ACLU at (202) 457-0800 or visit their website at aclu.org



Activists Prepare to Challenge Israeli Gaza Blockade
 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with Jeff Halper,
founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus


boat

Sometime during the week of Aug. 11, two boats with 40 activists on board will try to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, imposed in June of last year when the Palestinian faction Hamas took control of the territory and its 1.5 million inhabitants. The blockade has meant collective punishment for Gazans, which has taken many forms. The population in the most heavily populated area in the world, has been deprived of fuel to operate hospitals and other essential services; malnutrition has increased and college students have been prevented from leaving to attend foreign universities.

The boats and volunteers aboard the small flotilla are part of the Free Gaza Movement, which includes former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's sister-in-law, Lauren Booth, Palestinians, Americans -- including a Holocaust survivor -- people from several other nations, and one Israeli Jew, Jeff Halper. Halper is a university professor and founder of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, an organization that rebuilds Palestinian homes that have been destroyed by Israel.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Halper as he was preparing to leave the Greek island of Crete, en route to Gaza. He describes the origin of the project, the dire situation in Gaza, and what his group hopes to accomplish.

Contact the Free Gaza Movement in California at (510) 232-2500, or visit their website www.freeGaza.org.



Book Asserts Bush Ordered CIA Forgery
Linking Saddam and al Qaeda

 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with author and journalist Dave Lindorff,
conducted by Scott Harris


bush

Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind reports in his new book, "The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism," that the Bush White House had ordered the CIA to forge a handwritten letter from the head of Iraqi Intelligence Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, "backdated to July 1, 2001," which stated that Mohammad Atta, the alleged coordinator of the 9/11 attacks, had trained in Iraq. According to CIA and other officials interviewed by Suskind, the order was a Bush administration attempt to portray a false link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda in order to justify the Iraq war.

The forged letter was passed to a London Sunday Telegraph reporter in Baghdad who wrote an article about it on the paper's front page of Dec. 14, 2003, under the headline, "Terrorist behind September 11th strike 'was trained by Saddam.'" Suskind also claims in the book that the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official "that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion."

The author maintains that such a covert operation to plant false information would constitute illegal White House use of the CIA to influence a domestic audience, an impeachable offense. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with journalist Dave Lindorff, who, along with attorney Barbara Olshansky, co-authored the book, "The Case for Impeachment, The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office." Lindorff assesses the new information in Suskind's book and the chances that the Bush administration will be held accountable for what many critics believe are abuses of power and violations of the U.S. Constitution.

Read Dave Lindorff's articles online at thiscantbehappening.net



This week's summary
of under-reported news


 RealAudio  MP3
Compiled by Bob Nixon and Denise Manzari

  • Child laborers in Africa are being exploited in copper and cobalt mining by Chinese companies, materials which end up in various products including cell phones. ("China Lets Child Workers Die Digging in Congo Mines for Copper," Bloomberg, July 23, 2008)
  • Indonesia's status as a petro-state is in rapid decline. The country became a net oil importer in 2004 and recently announced it is quitting OPEC. ("Indonesia Struggles to Capitalize on Its Oil," Christian Science Monitor, July 16, 2008; "Burying Indonesia's Millions: the Legacy of Suharto," Corp Watch, Feb. 15, 2008)
  • For 20 years, Pastors for Peace, headed by Rev. Lucius Walker, has defied the U.S. embargo by bringing humanitarian aid to Cuba without requisite license. On July 31, he appeared before a New York State judge on contempt of court charges regarding travel to Cuba with New York City high school students over the past two years. (Direct interview with Rev. Lucius Walker Aug. 4, 2008 and Aug. 12, 2008)


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


Between The Lines
Airs on WPKN 89.5 FM ET
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesdays, 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
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Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 8/15/08

Between The Lines' Blog

"Reading Between The Lines"

U.S. Politics

"Warrior John McCain: Far More Dangerous Than Bush," by Steve Weissman, Truthout, Aug. 12, 2008

"2008 Election Forecast: Virginia Now In Democratic Sights," Congressional Quarterly, Aug. 11, 2008

"McCain: Let's Compound The Georgian Blunder!," by Greg Djerejian, Belgravia Dispatch, Aug. 11, 2008

"The Two John Edwardse,s" by Eugene Robinson, TruthDig, Aug. 10, 2008

"Inside Obama's Fundraising Effort: Smoke And Mirrors," by Joshua Frank, Counterpunch, Aug. 9/10, 2008

"Big Business Is Making Sure it Wins The Presidency," by Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, Aug. 9, 2008

"Platform Fight: Activists Win Commitment To Guaranteed Care But Not Single-Payer," by John Nichols, The Nation, Aug. 9, 2008

"Corporate America Prepares For Battle Against Worker Campaign To Roll Back Assault On Middle Class," Joshua Holland, AlterNet, Aug. 8, 2008

"An Antichrist Obama In McCain Ad?," by Amy Sullivan, Time, Aug. 8, 2008

"Getting Georgia's War On: A Taste Of What To Expect From McCain Presidency," by Mark Ames, The Nation, Aug. 8, 2008

"Hard Times For Former Florida Boomtown," by Jonathan Franklin, Guardian/UK, Aug. 8, 2008

"Top McCain Adviser Lobbied For Nation Of Georgia," McClatchy Newspapers, Aug. 8, 2008

"When Identity Politics Backfires," by Adam Serwer, The American Prospect, Aug. 8, 2008

"Know-Nothing Politics," by Paul Krugman, The New York Times, Aug. 7, 2008

"A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To Denver," by David Sirota, TruthDig, Aug. 7, 2008

"Obama And The Empire: Breaking Young Hearts," by William Blum, Counterpunch, Aug. 7, 2008

"Duce Bags: Italy Leads Faxcist Revanche In Western Democracies," by Chris Floyd, Empire Burlesque, July 13, 2008

More newswire ...

Bush Regime

"The Battle For A Country's Soul," by Jane Mayer, New York Review of Books, Aug. 14, 2008

"Bush Plan Takes Scientists Out Of Decision Making on Endangered Species Status," MSNBC, Aug. 12, 2008

"Lonely Night In Georgia: The Bush Administration's Feckless Response To The Russian Invasion Of Georgia," by Fred Kaplan, Slate, Aug. 11, 2008

"How Tenet Betrayed The CIA On WMD In Iraq," by Gareth Proter, Inter Press Service, Aug. 9, 2008

"Judge Bates Slams The Bush White House's Claims Of Congressional Immunity: Why There May Be No Consequences For The White House, Despite The Clear Ruling," by John W. Dean, FindLaw, Aug. 8, 2008

"Suskind Releasing Transcript Of 'Forgery' Source," Raw Story, Aug. 8, 2008

"Bush Classifies $200 Million Cybersecurity Program, Redacts Questions About Contractors," Raw Story, Aug. 8, 2008

"New Evidence Suggests Suskind Was Right," by Joe Conason, Salon, Aug. 8, 2008

"U.S. Attorney Scandal Probe Enters White house Circle," by Murray Waas, Huffington Post, Aug. 7, 2008

"Follow This dime: Why Misgovernment Was No Accident In George W. Bush's Washington," by Tom Engelhardt & Thomas Frank , TomDispatch.com, Aug. 4, 2008

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"Use Of Iraq Contractors Costs Billions, Report Says," the New York Times, Aug. 12, 2008

"The real Aggressor: Georgian Invasion Of South Ossetia Sets Stage For Wider War," by Justin Raimondo, Antiwar.com, Aug. 11, 2008

"Success Of Attack On Iran's Nuclear Program Doubtful," by Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service, Aug. 9, 2008

"Redefining The War On Terror: Interview With Andrew J. Bacevich," by Greg Bruno, Council on Foreign Relations, Aug. 5, 2008

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan

"Iraq Demands 'Clear Timeline' For U.S. Withdrawal," Associated Press, Aug. 10, 2008

"Iraq's Nationalist Surge: 'Obama And Bush Are Two Faces On The Same Currency,'" by Patrick Cockburn, Counterpunch, Aug. 8, 2008

"'Surge' May Not Be Enough In Afghanistan, Commander Says," CNN, Aug. 8, 2008

"The tragic Last Moments Of Margaret Hassan," by Robert Fisk, Independent/UK, Aug. 7, 2008

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties/ Human Rights

"Torture Generates Turmoil At The APA," by Meteor Blades, Daily Kos, Aug. 12, 2008

"The End Of The Military Commissions?," by Alan Bock, Antiwar.com, Aug. 11, 2008

"Ending The Psychological Mind Games On Detainees," by Stephen Soldz, Boston Globe, Aug. 10, 2008

"Hamdan's Secret: Even Hitler's Driver Wasn't Charged With A Crime," by Bruce Jackson, Counterpunch, Aug. 9/10, 2008

"FBI To Newspapers: Sorry About Your Phone Records," Associated Press, Aug. 9, 2008

"Hamdan's Future Remains Unclear," by William Fisher, Inter Press Service, Aug. 9, 2008

"War Crimes System Still On Trial," by William Glaberson, The New York Times, Aug. 9, 2008

"Andre Thomas Is Dead. Why?," by Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 8, 2008

"China Unveils Frightening Futuristic Police State," by Naomi Klein, Huffington Post, Aug. 8, 2008

"Guantanamo Defendants Mostly Low-Level Figures," Associated Press, Aug. 8, 2008

"Lawsuit Demands Canada Bring Back Gitmo Detainee," Associated Press, Aug. 8, 2008

"Measure Seeks restrictions On Laptop Searches," Homeland Security Today, Aug. 8, 2008

"Guantanamo Detainee Petitions Rights Panel Over Torture," Agence France Presse, Aug. 7, 2008

"Human Rights In The Age Of Counter-Terrorism," by Shiraz Deen, Inter Press Service, Aug. 7, 2008

"Bin Laden's Driver Gets Light Sentence, Thanks Jury," McClatchy Newspapers, Aug. 7, 2008

"The One Country Where Torture Is So Likely That Even The United States Won't Transfer A Detainee There," by Marty Lederman, Balkinization, Aug. 7, 2008

"What Are The 'War Crimes' For Which Hamdan Was Convicted?," by Marty Lederman, Balkinization, Aug. 6, 2008

"ACLU Highlights Risk Of 'Fusion Centers,'" by Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, July 30, 2008

More newswire ...

Environment and Sustainability

"Rush To Arctic As Warming Opens Oil Deposits," San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 12, 2008

"Group Concerned About Climate Change Challenges Oil Sands Development," The Leader-Post/Saskatchewan, Canada, Aug. 12, 2008

"The Era Of Catastrophe? Geologists Name New Ear After Human Influence On Planet," by Mike Davis, TomDispatch.com, Aug. 11, 2008

"McCain's Michigan Meltdown Madness," by Harvey Wasserman, Common Dreams, Aug. 10, 2008

"Reclaiming An Eco-System: A California Success Story," by Louis Sahagun, Baltimore Sun, Aug. 10, 2008

"Pools Of Fire: Looming Nuclear Nightmare In North Carolina Backwoods," by Jeffrey St. Clair, Counterpunch, Aug. 9/10, 2008

"Climate Change: Prepare For Global Temperature Rise Of 4C, Warns Top Scientist," Guardian/UK, Aug. 7, 2008

"The Role Of Agribusiness In Our Food Crisis," by George Naylor & Irene Lin, AlterNet, Aug. 7, 2008

"Eating Meat Is Worse Than Driving A Truck...For the climate," by Frances Cerra Whittlesey, The Nation, Aug. 6, 2008

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Torture, TV And The Banality Of Scalia," by Werther, Antiwar.com, Aug. 9, 2008

"What's Sex Got To Do With It?," by Chris Hedges, TruthDig, Aug. 9, 2008

More newswire ...

Activism

"Are We Neglecting The Next Activist Generation?," by Courtney E. Martin, The American Prospect, Aug. 11, 2008

"The Big Voice," by by Kathy Kelly, Truthout, Aug. 11, 2008

"Justice For the Freightliner Five: Struggle For the Soul Of The UAW," by Lee Sustar, Counterpunch, Aug. 9/10, 2008

"Antiwar Activist Cindy Sheehan On Ballot Against Pelosi," San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 8, 2008

"Worldwide Protests On Eve Of China Olympics," Agence France Presse, Aug. 8, 2008

More newswire ...



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