CIA Sponsored Terror, Civil Liberties, FBI Intrusion, Human Rights, U.S. Militarism, Violations of U.S. and International Law, War Resister
– A Message From The Law and Disorder Hosts
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Julian Assange and Press Freedom
Facing the possibility of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange’s imminent extradition to the United States, Reporters Without Borders recently launched a week of advocacy meetings and a mobile truck through the streets of Washington DC to urgently call for his release.
The actions were organized after UK High Court Judge Jonathan Swift in June rejected Assange’s appeal against the UK’s order of extradition to the United States. Assange, who is being targeted for revealing evidence of U.S. war crimes, is the first publisher prosecuted under the Espionage Act for disclosing government secrets. He faces a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison.
Rebecca Vincent, Director of Campaigns for Reporters Without Borders said: “US policymakers still have the power and the opportunity to make a difference in this case and take a stand for the protection of journalism and press freedom. Our call on the Biden administration is more urgent than ever before: drop the charges, close this case, and free Assange!”
Reporters Without Borders is the only non-governmental organization to have monitored Assange’s entire extradition proceedings despite extensive barriers to observation. In April 2023, its Secretary-General Christophe Deloire and Rebecca Vincent were arbitrarily barred from visiting Assange in Belmarsh prison where he’s been held for more than four years. Reporters Without Borders continues to seek access to the prison and campaign globally for Assange’s release.
Guest – Clayton Weimers, executive director of the US office of Reporters Without Borders. Clayton was previously the organization’s Washington-Based Deputy Director for Advocacy.
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Agent Orange Day: 63rd Anniversary
Although the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Vietnamese people today continue to suffer the debilitating effects of Agent Orange. That’s the deadly dioxin-containing chemical weapon that the U.S. military sprayed over 12 percent of South Vietnam from 1961-1971. Agent Orange poisoned both the people and the land of Vietnam. On August 10, “Agent Orange Day,” we mark the 63rd anniversary of the first spraying of the toxic chemical on Vietnam.
Descendants of the roughly 2 to 4 million Vietnamese people, hundreds of thousands of U.S. Vietnam veterans, and Vietnamese-Americans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxins still suffer. They register disproportionate rates of congenital disabilities and higher rates of several diseases. U.S. veterans receive some limited compensation from the U.S. government, but very little if any assistance has been given to the Vietnamese people, the intended victims targets of the defoliant Agent Orange.
The Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2023 will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California). If passed, the bill would increase benefits to children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange. It would also expand research about Agent Orange and its effects on the health of exposed individuals; and provide medical, housing and poverty reduction aid to Vietnamese people, and their children, affected by exposure. And it would help to clean up the many remaining dioxin “hot spots” in Vietnam.
Guest – Paul Cox served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War. He now serves on the board of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign, a project of Veterans for Peace (on whose board Paul also sits). We are fortunate to have Paul with us today to discuss the horrific legacy of what the Vietnamese people call “The American War” and the campaign to provide compensation for the victims of Agent Orange. HR3518 Victims Of Agent Orange Relief Act 2021 / VN-agentorange.org
Hosted by attorneys Heidi Boghosian, Marjorie Cohn, and Julie Hurwitz
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Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Violations of U.S. and International Law
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The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
In 2012, journalist Michael Scott Moore went to Somalia to research a book on piracy. He was abducted by a gang of Somali pirates, who demanded $20 million from the US government. After protracted negotiations, and a payment of $1.6 million dollars, Moore was released—two and a half years later. His international bestseller, The Desert and the Sea, chronicles his 977 days in captivity.
More than a decade later, this past February, two men were convicted in federal court for helping to carry out his kidnapping.
On April 1, Michael sailed with a German rescue ship The Humanity I to write about migration across the central Mediterranean. In a recent piece published in Foreign Policy, Michael makes the connection between human trafficking and migration/asylum-seeking and pirating.
Guest – Michael Scott Moore, in addition to The Desert and the Sea, he has written the highly acclaimed book, Sweetness and Blood, about the history of surfing. He serves on the board of Hostage US, an organization that supports American hostages and their families.
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Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs and Trolls.
In January 2019 New York State passed a bill to outlaw “revenge porn,” joining 41 other states that have passed similar laws. Revenge Porn is the term for the non-consensual sharing on the Internet of sexually explicit photographs or videos. Victims say it can be as damaging as any other form of abuse, but without the legal protections.
Private images can follow victims for years, turning up when employers or romantic partners search for their names on the Internet.
But in New York, victims have experienced years of helplessness in the courts. Prosecutors could not charge offenders for a practice that was not illegal, and judges turned down appeals for help on the grounds of free speech, even while other states were enacting protections. Under New York’s new law, offenders can be punished by up to one year in jail.
The law also allows victims to sue the person who shared the revenge porn, which about a dozen other states also allow. And it would be the first in the nation to allow judges to order websites or social media platforms — in addition to the original poster — to take down the photos or videos.
Most have heard about high-profile instances of sexual images as blackmail or revenge have involving the rich and famous, such as singer Rihanna and actor Jennifer Lawrence. But it affects millions of people, from middle school students to Marines. As many as 10 million Americans have been victims of revenge porn.
Guest – New York Attorney Carrie Goldberg started a law firm to focus on defending victims of the practices. She has just come out with her first book titled Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs and Trolls.
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Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Targeting Muslims, U.S. Militarism, Violations of U.S. and International Law, War Resister
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War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of its Military Machine
From Afghanistan to Iraq and Syria and on to little known deployments in a range of countries worldwide, the United States has been at perpetual war for at least the past two decades. Yet many of these foreign wars remain off the radar of average Americans.
We speak today with author and political analyst Norman Solomon about his new book War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of its Military Machine.
Solomon writes that since the attacks on 9/11, more than 20 years ago, first in the war in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, a hugely consequential shift in (United States) American foreign-policy was set in motion: a perpetual state of war that is almost entirely invisible to the public. Solomon exposes how this happened and what the consequences are, for military and civilian casualties, and the draining of resources at home.
Compliant journalist add to the smokescreen by providing narrow coverage of military engagements, and by repeating the military’s talking points. Meanwhile, the increased use of high technology, air power, and remote drones has put distance between soldiers and the civilians killed in action. Back home, Solomon shows, the cloak of invisibility masks massive Pentagon budgets and receive bi-partisan support even as housing, medical care, education, and infrastructure goes abegging.
Guest – Norman Solomon is cofounder of RootsAction.org executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He’s written many books, but “ War Made Invisible“, is his first one in 15 years. Solomon founded the Institute for Public Accuracy in 1997 and is its executive director. Immersed in anti-war, social justice and environmental movements since the late 1960s, he is the author of a dozen books including “War Made Easy” and “Made Love, Got War.”
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Israel Attacks West Bank City of Jenin
On fourth of July, as we in the US heard fireworks, people in the Palestinian city of Jenin heard real gunfire and fled from real explosions. On July 3, a thousand Israeli Defense Force soldiers descended on the city, with helicopters, drones and bulldozers, to execute a two day bombardment that leveled the city, reduced its buildings to rubble, damaged hospitals, knocked out utilities, and left at least 13 people dead: 12 Palestinians and 1 Israeli soldier. At least 100 were wounded, and now thousands – about 80% of those living in the camp – are without shelter, water or electricity.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres immediately condemned Israel for using excessive force and harming civilians. He’s refused to retract his statement even under enormous pressure from Israel’s UN Ambassador, who called Mr. Guterres’ criticism, “shameful, far-fetched and completely detached from reality.”
A handful of Arab countries and a European Union envoy have also criticized Israel. But others… like the US? Well…. its silence speaks volumes.
Guest – Sandra Tamari is a Palestinian organizer and the Executive Director of Adalah Justice Project, a Palestinian advocacy organization that builds toward collective liberation through labor, cultural, and legislative campaigns. She holds a Master’s degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University. In May 2012, she was jailed and denied entry into Palestine by Israel because of her work to encourage U.S. churches to divest from the occupation.
Hosted by attorneys Michael Smith and Maria Hall
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Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Supreme Court
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How Affirmative Action Programs In Colleges and Universities Were Overturned
On June 28, the Supreme Court made front page headlines for gutting race-based affirmative action in colleges and universities. The decision rejected race-conscious admissions at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina. The Court’s conservative supermajority ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit founded in 2014, that sued Harvard and the University of North Carolina over their admissions programs. The group, headed by right-wing activist Edward Blum, alleged that the programs violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Asian American applicants in favor of white applicants.
Paving the way for overturning 40-years of legal precedent was one group that we’ve covered for years on Law and Disorder: The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies. This conservative, libertarian organization advocates for a textualist and originalist interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Over several decades, until recently working under the radar, the Federalist Society has dramatically altered the legal landscape in this country.
Guest – civil rights attorney Michael Avery, co-author with Danielle McLaughlin of the 2013 book, The Federalist Society: How Conservatives Took the Law Back from Liberals, and a recent article in Truthout co-authored with Prof. Mark Brodin on the Federalist Society’s attacks on affirmative action. Professor Emeritus at Suffolk University Law School, Michael was president of the National Lawyers Guild and served as president of the board of the National Police Accountability Project.
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Here’s What “Moore v. Harper” Means for Voting Rights Going Forward
On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court decided a case that protected voting rights from an obscure theory that could have eliminated the right of state courts to review new voting provisions enacted by state legislatures.
In Moore v. Harper, a 6-member majority of the high court rejected the “independent state legislature” doctrine. Conservative legislators in North Carolina had sought to maintain an extreme gerrymandered congressional map they had drawn that favored Republicans.
Although Chief Justice John Roberts has a track record of decisions that weakened the right to vote, he wrote the Court’s opinion in Moore, as well as in Allen v. Milligan on June 8, both of which strengthen voting rights.
Guest – Marjorie Cohn wrote the article titled, Here’s What “Moore v. Harper” Means for Voting Rights Going Forward, that was published by Truthout. Marjorie is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, former president of the National Lawyers Guild, and a member of the Bureau of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers. She is also on the advisory boards of Veterans for Peace, Assange Defense, and the American Association of Jurists. She writes frequent articles and provides commentary about legal and political issues. Marjorie’s most recent book is Drones and Targeted Killing: Legal, Moral, and Geopolitical Issues.
Hosted by attorneys Heidi Boghosian and Marjorie Cohn
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Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Human Rights, Iraq War, NSA Spying, Political Prisoner, U.S. Militarism, War Resister
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Indictments Unsealed Against Julian Assange
Press freedom is under constant attack both in the US and across the world. One of the highest profile battles on this front has been the one waged against award-winning Australian journalist, publisher, and founder of the nonprofit media organization, Wikileaks: Julian Assange.
In 2010, in partnership with five newspapers, Wikileaks published a series of documents and other media provided by US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, including classified documents evidencing war crimes committed by US forces during its war in Iraq. The US has since unsealed indictments against Assange, charging him with a number of crimes that we’ll be discussing today.
Contact: Vinnie De Stefano
National Organizing Director
Assange Defense
580 N. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Pasadena, CA. 91107
Currently, Assange is languishing in a maximum-security prison in London, struggling to maintain his physical health, his sanity, and his connections with loved ones. And in the meantime, an international movement of human rights and press freedom advocates are desperately fighting for his freedom, and against his potential extradition to the United States.
Guest – Stephen Rohde is a constitutional law scholar, author and past Chair of the ACLU of Southern California. He’s also founder and Chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace and a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Review of Books, TruthDig and LA Progressive.
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Weaponizing Antisemitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn
Asa Winstanley has written an important book titled Weaponizing Antisemitism: How the Israel Lobby Brought Down Jeremy Corbyn. His book has a lessons for those working for social justice in the United States.
Corbyn and the socialists in the Labor party in England were crushed by the mounting of a massive campaign cynically labeling Corbyn as an antisemite. It was a preposterous charge that stuck. The neo- liberal Labor party changed after the influx of several hundred thousand young people and elected long time socialist activist, Jeremy Corbyn as its leader in 2015.
Despite the huge campaign against him, led by the Israeli lobby, Corbyn was almost elected as the Prime Minister in 2017. Had he won, the history, not only of England, but of the world would’ve been different. Over the years Corbyn became popular especially among hundreds of thousands of young people who had recently joined the labor party.
He got his start in the trade union movement. He spoke out against racism and fascism and for immigrant rights. He opposed privatization cuts, and austerity. He campaigned against wars and military occupations. Asa Winstanley writes that “probably more than anything else, Corbyn was known among activists for his involvement in the Palestine, solidarity movement.“
The possibility of Corbyn being elected terrified the right and its allies. The Israeli lobby’s campaign against Corbyn got help from British intelligence, the entire British media, the right wing of the Labor party and even the CIA.
The most powerful, well-healed part of the American pro-Israeli Lobby is AIPAC, The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee. “Justice Democrats” wrote that it is a sinister right wing group. They supported Donald Trump, endorsed 106 insurrection Republicans, and spent millions to defeat progressives targeting and trying to intimidate black and brown women candidates across the country, threatening to spend against them if they even slightly criticize Israel’s far right apartheid policies.“ They conflate criticism of the Israeli apartheid state of with antisemitism.
How Jeremy Corbin Was Ousted By The Israeli Lobby – Michael Smith
Guest – Asa Winstanley is an investigative journalist and author who writes primarily about Palestine and the Israeli lobby. He lives in London. He is an associate editor with “The Electronic Intifada”, the worlds’ leading Palestinian news site in the English language. Asa Winstanley is cohost of The Electronic Intifada.
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Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Human Rights, U.S. Militarism, Violations of U.S. and International Law, War Resister
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Peace Plan? Biden Administration Continues Full Support Of Escalation In Ukraine War
Sixteen months ago, Russia launched an illegal invasion of Ukraine, albeit in the context of a history of threats to its security by NATO countries. It is estimated that as of February, Russia has suffered 189,500 to 223,000 casualties and Ukraine has suffered 124,500 to 131,000 casualties.
Meanwhile, the United States and its allies continue to provide Ukraine with all the weapons it requests and impose increasingly harsh sanctions on Russia. But there appears to be little appetite in the U.S. for a ceasefire and negotiations to end the bloodshed.
Guest – Phyllis Bennis is a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies, where she is the director of the New Internationalism Project and works on anti-war, US foreign policy and Palestinian rights issues. She has worked as an informal adviser to several key UN officials on Palestinian issues. Her books including Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today’s UN, and Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
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Peace In Ukraine: Peace Groups Convene In Vienna Austria To End Ukraine War
For the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, peace groups from around the world convened — on June 10 and 11 in Vienna, Austria. Their mission was to discuss creative solutions and to promote negotiations to the Russia-Ukraine war. Groups included the International Peace Bureau, CODEPINK, Europe for Peace, International Fellowship of Reconciliation, Peace in Ukraine Coalition, Campaign for Peace Disarmament and Common Security, and several Austrian peace groups. Conference attendees grappled with controversial issues related to Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine.
Representatives discussed the devastating consequences of this war on their countries. The conference concluded with an urgent global appeal, the “Vienna Declaration for Peace,” calling on all sides to work toward a ceasefire and negotiations. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright noted, “For those of us in the U.S., it is important to remind our elected leaders that we want peace in our world, not war, and for them to get moving on peace talks.” The former U.S. diplomat added, “The U.S. is a belligerent in this war, just like Russia and Ukraine, and our taxes are funding the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians.”
Guest – Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the international antiwar organization CODEPINK. She is the author of several books, including, with Nicholas J.S. Davies, War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict. She has been an advocate for social justice for more than 40 years. Described as “one of America’s most committed — and most effective — fighters for human rights” by New York Newsday, and “one of the high profile leaders of the peace movement” by the Los Angeles Times, she was one of 1,000 exemplary women from 140 countries nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the millions of women who do the essential work of peace worldwide.
Hosted by Attorneys Heidi Boghosian and Marjorie Cohn
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