Death Penalty
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The Trial of Sami Al-Arian
Al-Arian Case – The trial of Sami Al-Arian has drawn national and international attention. A professor at the University of South Florida, Al-Arian was arrested in 2003 and charged with providing material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad under the cover of various charities. Yet, the prosecution failed to prove that the money was sent for any purpose other than charity. US attorneys have denied that they are pursuing Al-Arian, along with three other defendants, for political reasons.
Guest – Attorney Bill Moffet
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Death Penalty – Mumia Abu-Jamal
The US Court of Appeals of the Third Circuit had decided to hold hearings on three claims by Abu-Jamal that his 1982 trial, overseen by Judge Albert Sabo, and a subsequent hearing were tainted by constitutional violations.
Guest – Attorney Jeff Mackler, National Lawyers Guild
Guest – Attorney Robert Bryan, Mumia Abu Jamal’s Attorney
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ERROR NOTE: In our segment on Mumia Abu-Jamal, we mistakenly described guest Jeff Mackler as National Coordinator for the Defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Jeff is an activist who has long been involved in the campaign to free Mumia. In addition, his interview contained some inaccuracies about the pending legal issues. The companion segment with Robert R. Bryan, Mumia’s lead attorney, contains an accurate description of recent legal updates. That segment alone should be relied on for an overview of the procedural aspects of Mumia’s case.
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Olivia Greer – Actions Speak Louder Than Bumper Stickers
Singer/songwriter and co-author of the book Actions Speak Louder Than Bumper Stickers – 96 pages of the funniest political bumper stickers, speaking to today’s hot-button issues ? from Bush bashing to economics, abortion to the military. Olivia Greer also performs regularly around New York City venues including CB’s Gallery, The C-Note, The Cutting Room and The Knitting Factory.
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Extraordinary Rendition, Guantanamo, Torture, Truth to Power
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Letters from Young Activists
In letters addressed to their parents, to past generations, to each other, to the youth of tomorrow and to their future selves, the authors articulate their vision for the world as they work towards racial, economic, gender, environmental and global justice. As the editors write in their introduction: “From globalization to the war on terrorism and beyond, our generation is impelled to action in the midst of a rapidly changing and unique political moment. Our challenge, and yours, is to live our lives in a way that does not make a mockery of our values.
Guest – Chesa Boudin – a Rhodes Scholar, is a student at Yale Law School and author of Gringo: A Coming-of-Age in Latin America (Scribner)
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Recent Ruling In Jose Padilla’s Case
Guest – Attorney Andy Patel, Padilla’s lawyer.
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Anatomy of a Dirty Bomb
“According to Dr. Thomas Cochran, in order to shield a 130 gram cobalt 60 source — the size needed to simulate Sandia’s worst case Manhattan scenario — to make it safe for human handling would require a one-and-a-half to two metric ton lead shield. Not exactly carry-on luggage.”….
Guest – Dr. Thomas Cochran, a physicist at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
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Abu Ali Case – Reverse Rendition
– Follow up – Exchange student who traveled to Saudi Arabia – was held and tortured at the request of the U.S. He confessed to having a plan to single handedly free all the GTMO detainees and shoot President Bush on the sidewalk while being tortured.
Guest – Attorney Khurrum Wahid
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Witness To Torture
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice at a press conference from her European tour that focused on US torture and abuse. Rice’s visit drew protests across Europe. The story deepened last week with reports of a revealed US Defense Department memo that proves an explicit policy of rendition for torture.
Last week a group of 25 US Christians called Witness Against Torture illegally entered Cuba and embarked on a 4-5 day hike intent on arriving to the US Naval Base at Guant?namo to visit the prisoners are on the doorstep of the base.
We go now to hear excerpts from a Witness Against Torture press conference held last week. Among the speakers are the Center for Constitutional Rights attorney Gita Guiterezz and CCR president and co-host Michael Ratner.
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Civil Liberties, Torture
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FBI Keeping Records On 100 Thousand People
Guest – Amir Sulaiman, Muslim of African decent born in America. Amir is a 26 year old, poet, writer, teacher, husband and father. He was afeatured poet on HBO Def Poetry Jam. The episode aired in August 2004. Within six days of the performance airing, four FBI agents came to his mother-in-law’s home in San Francisco.Though he lived in Atlanta, Georgia, the agents came looking for him there. They asked about his “anti-American” poetry.
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Torture in Chicago
Guest – Attorney Flint Taylor an attorney with the People’s Law Office in Chicago had exposed the torture in Chicago of 130 Black men, whose confessions were extorted, and who served prison sentences.
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Haymarket
The Alchemy Theatre Company of Manhattan, Inc. presents the New York premiere of “Haymarket” by Zayd Dohrn, Off Broadway at The Beckett Theatre. We talk with playwright Zayd Dohrn.
An excerpt from one review: On the evening of May 4, 1886, anarchist-socialist organizers called a meeting in the Haymarket Square in Chicago to demand an eight-hour day for the city’s workers. When police attempted to disperse the meeting, somebody in the crowd hurled an iron sphere filled with dynamite into the ranks of officers. The bomb exploded, the police opened fire into the crowd, and in the ensuing riot, seven policemen and several workers were killed. At the time, it was one of the most deadly acts of terrorism that had ever taken place on American soil. While the bomb-thrower was never caught, seven anarchist leaders were arrested and convicted of conspiracy. Five of them were hanged. Read full review here.
Guest – Playwright and activist Zayd Dohrn.
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Civil Liberties, Surveillance
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Updates:
- Graham Amendment and the McCain Amendment
- Intelligent Design Debate
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CFC – Combined Federal Campaign –
Small victory announcement – Government Asking Charities to Check Donors With Terrorist List Without Consent.
Guest – Chicago Attorney Gary A. Isaac -Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw
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Orleans Parish Prison Update – In legal papers filed late last week by the American Civil Liberties Union, 45 men and women formerly detained at Orleans Parish Prison recount disturbing details of being abandoned without food or water and abused by guards after Hurricane Katrina struck.
The ACLU said that the scores of testimonials it has obtained from prisoners contradict public statements made by Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman that the prisoners had food and water and that the evacuation went as planned.
Guest – Eric Balaban – staff counsel representing all prisoners in the Orleans Parrish prison in a longstanding class action lawsuit.
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Dr Rafil Dhafir Selectively Prosecuted Because of His Muslim Faith and Arab Descent
Guest – Barrie Gewanter – Executive director of the Central New York Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
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Surveillance, Torture
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A Chicago man of Palestinian extraction is being prosecuted in Chicago for conspiracy to aid Hamas.
The prosecution is based on a confession extracted by torture by the Israeli’s when he was in Palestine. NY Times “journalist” Judith Miller in her stories supported tortured statements.
Guest – Michael Deutsch, of the Peoples Law Office and former Litigation Director at the CCR.
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Activists Arrested For Demonstrations At Universities: Dressing As Guantanamo Detainees.
Guest – Joey Steel, demonstrator with WorldCantWait.net
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Joan Mellen, author of the book on “Jim Garrison and the JFK Assassination.”
Joan Mellen has interviewed over 1000 people. She bases her book on papers secured by Oliver Stone thru an FOIA request subsequent to his movie JFK.. Mellen is giving lecutures in NYC at the Century Club and probably at the Ethical Culture Society.
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