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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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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Guantanamo, Torture
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Guantanamo Hunger Strike
An under-reported story, hundreds of detainees are not eating and some are being force fed, intravenously or through nasal passages.
Guest – Gitanjali Gutierrez, cooperating counsel with CCR’s Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative.
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Constance Baker Motely
Host Michael Ratner remembers moments with first Afro-American New York Federal Judge who recently passed away.
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Filiberto Ojeda Rios
Puerto Rican nationalist Filiberto Ojeda Rios was assasinated by the FBI in his home last week.
Guest – Rafael Cruz – FBI Murders a Legend 3:15pm confirmed
Guest – Linda Backiel – family lawyer for Filiberto Ojeda Rios
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Brecht Forum Lecture – Al McCoy – Torture
Al McCoy – Excerpts from his lecture on the CIA and the history of torture. Al McCoy is the author of “THE POLITICS OF HEROIN: C.I.A. COMPLICITY IN THE GLOBAL DRUG TRADE”
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Extraordinary Rendition, Surveillance, Torture
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COURAGE TO RESIST : Soldiers Reject Deployment to Iraq
A recent CNN-USA-Today-Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans now think that going to war was a mistake and that the war has made the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism.
This as more “Gold Star” families join Cindy Sheehan’s protest in to Crawford, Texas. Cindy has been in Crawford since August 5th, demanding a meeting with the President and is among many groups that speak out about the meaningless death of soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Now, a new group of concerned community members, veterans and military families have organized support for military objectors to illegal war and occupation and the underlying policies of empire. The National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force assists those working on military law issues as well as military law counselors working directly with GIs. It trains and mentors counselors and beginning military law attorneys in all aspects of military law through training materials and direct communication. It updates changes in military law and policy.
Guest-Marti Hiken co-chair of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild.
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The GI Rights Hotline (800) 394-9544
Sgt. Kevin Benderman, a soldier who refused to deploy to Iraq last January and who was just sentenced to 15 months in prison. He claimed that one of his commanders gave him permission to miss the flight to Iraq. Benderman was acquitted of the more serious charge of desertion. CourageToResist.org
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Amnesty International Report – Torture and Secret Detention: Testimony of the ‘Disappeared’ In the ‘War on Terror’
More secretive than Guantánamo, two Yemeni detainees who were transferred from Guantanamo prison appear to have been victims of the US administration’s policy of secret detentions around the world. For over a year and a half they had effectively “disappeared”
Guest- Curt Goering – senior deputy executive director with Amnesty International
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READ THE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT
Colorado: Evidence That the FBI Is Spying On Peaceful Demonstrators
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado released new documents this week that it says confirm that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) is inappropriately treating peaceful protest as potential terrorism. The ACLU of Colorado has been investigating and calling public attention to activities of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force aimed at intimidating dissenters rather than investigating criminal or terrorist activity.
Guest: Mark Silverstein with the ACLU of Colorado.
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Breaking News : The Cuban 5 Receive New Trial
Notes from Attorney Len Weinglass: During the trial, the attorneys for the Five requested a change of venue from Miami to another city five times. The judge denied each request. In December 2001, two of the Five were sentenced to life in prison, one to 19 years, and one, to 15 years. Gerardo Hernandez received two life terms. Why is it not possible for Cuban nationals like the Five to receive a fair trial in Miami ? What role do anti-Cuban terrorists play? Read Background on Cuban Five Story Here
Guest Attorney Len Weinglass – lead counsel on the Cuban Five case.
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London Shooting Update
Brazilian Jean Charles De Menezes, 27, Was Shot Seven Times in the Head and Once in the Shoulder, at Stockwell Tube Station, South London, a few weeks ago. Security Sources Said Mr Menezes Had an Out-of-date Visa, but His Family Denied This. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Said He Believed He Was Legally in the Uk.
Guest – Richard Harvey, London Attorney with the National Lawyers Guild and Chair of the the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers
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Extraordinary Rendition, Guantanamo, Torture
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Anniversary Rachel Corrie/More Renditions/Torture
Hosts Michael Ratner and Dalia Hashad discuss the anniversary of activist Rachel Corrie’s death in Gaza and the lawsuit filed against Caterpillar bulldozer.
Guest : Maria LaHood Lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights
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Guantanamo Prisoners Transferred
Guest: Barbara Olshansky – Lead attorney from the Center for Constitutional Rights
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More Renditions
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali who was believed to be kept in Saudi Arabia and tortured for information. He was brought back to the US by threatening the president through material aid to terrorism, the only witness is dead. Once he is brought back to the US, how is he treated?
Guest :Brad Adams from Human Rights Watch will join the show to discuss how two U.S. Pakistani citizens were picked up in Pakistan and are missing to this day.
