Thousands of activists came to Washington D.C. Sept. 27 through the 30 to protest the policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund -- but many also came to demonstrate their opposition to the Bush administration's drive for a new war against Iraq. Expecting civil disobedience actions, police presence in the nation's capitol was high. On the first day of protests more than 600 were arrested for doing little more than congregating in a park. Scott Harris files this report on the weekend of protests and the state of the anti-corporate globalization movement.

Related links:

• Mobilization for Global Justice, www.globalizethis.org
• 50 Years Is Enough Network, www.50years.org
• Anticapitalist Convergence, www.abolishthebank.org

While the nation's attention is on President Bush as he continues to plan a new attack against Iraq, a National Summit on Cuba was recently held in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to make peace between Cuba and the United States. The summit came at a critical time in the embargo debate as members of Congress are preparing to vote this fall on whether to lift current restrictions on Americans' freedom to travel to Cuba and create a more sensible policy toward the island nation.

The summit showcased delegations from each state, comprised of corporate, government, religious, labor, medical, Cuban American, and other community leaders. Co-sponsors of the event included the Farm Bureau Federation, America's largest grassroots farm organization comprised of over 5 million members nationwide and Americans for Humanitarian Trade with Cuba, which worked to increase the participation of Cuban Americans and focused on lifting trade and travel restrictions.

While the National Summit on Cuba was taking place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Cuban-American National Foundation, the right-wing, and vehemently anti-Castro group based in Miami, was holding its own meeting next door, claiming there is actually more support to continue the U.S. blockade against Cuba with all its restrictions, including the Helms-Burton legislation.

Between The Lines' Denise Manzari spoke with Lissa Weinmann, executive director of Americans for Humanitarian Trade with Cuba and Dennis Hays, who is executive vice president of the Cuban American National Foundation's Washington, D.C. office.

• Unions at Yale, www.yaleunions.org
  This week's summary
  of under-reported news
  Compiled by Bob Nixon
  • Two hundred 'loose nukes' said to be unaccounted for in the Ukraine. ("Fail Safe Report," The Nation magazine, Sept. 24, 2002)
  • Small turnout for "Millions for Reparations" rally in Washington, D.C. ("Not Quite Millions," The Nation, Sept. 30, 2002)
  • Pentagon media officers often see early drafts of news articles, a practice condemned as a violation of professional ethics. ("The Pentagon's Sneak Previews," Extra, September/October 2002)

  Credits:
  Senior news editor/writer: Bob Nixon
  Program narration: Denise Manzari
  News reader: Sasha Summer Cousineau
  Segment producer: Denise Manzari
  Distribution: Anna Manzo, Harry Minot, Jeff Yates
  Web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
  Executive producer: Scott Harris