BETWEEN THE LINES
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ACTIVIST RESOURCES
10,000 March on Wall St., April 4, 2009

Global social justice movement resources

Collection of interviews and Web sites with contacts for global social justice movement, economic crisis and more to come. (Audio files in MP3 and RealAudio.)


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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


Check out our
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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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
'A New Era of Responsibility'

"Push Obama to Follow Through on Peace Vows," by Amy Goodman, The Capital Times (Wisconsin), Jan. 22, 2009
"How to Push Obama," by John Nichols, The Nation, Jan. 12, 2009

"The Danger of Green Stimulus," Jesse Jenkins, Huffington Post, Jan. 5, 2009

"The First Hundred Days or the Last Hundred Days? Obama's Rendezvous with Destiny -- and Ours," by Ira Chernus, by TomDispatch.com, Dec. 10, 2008

"Who Will Seize the Moment?" Turning Crisis into Opportunity, by Ralph Nader, Counterpunch, Dec. 4, 2008

"Community Organizers Press Obama for Real Change," by CommonDreams.org, Dec. 3, 2008

Civil Liberties

"The effects of Obama's refusal to investigate Bush crimes," by Glen Greenwald, Salon.com, Jan. 20, 2009

"Binding U.S. law requires prosecutions for those who authorize torture, " by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Jan. 18, 2009

"Obama Has to Hold Bush Accountable for the Laws He Broke," by Elizabeth Holtzman, The Nation, Jan. 16, 2009

"Obama Must Restore the Constitution: Prosecuting Bush and Cheney," by Dave Lindoff, Counterpunch.org, Jan. 16-19, 2009

A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: Human Rights Solutions

"Single-Payer Health Care Would Stimulate Economy," by John Nichols, The Nation, Jan. 15, 2009

"Fulfilling the Promise of Human Rights: The Universal Declaration at 60," audio recordings from a Connecticut conference marking the 60th anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Conn., Dec. 6, 2008

A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: Converting Fossil Fuel/War Economy to Green, Renewable Energy/Peace Economy


"Green Jobs Should Top Our Economic Recovery List," by Juleyka Lantigua, Jan. 6, 2009

"Obama Must Get Afghanistan Right,"by Katrina Van Heuvel, The Nation, Jan. 9, 2009

"Nine Steps to Peace for Obama in the New Year," by Deepak Chopra, Alternet, Jan. 1, 2009

"Electric Cars Put Hawaii on The Road to Independence," by Times Online/UK, Dec. 4, 2008

"Weapons Come Second: Can Obama Take on the Pentagon?" by Frida Berrigan, TomDispatch.com, Nov. 25, 2008

The FY 2009 Pentagon Spending Request - Global Military Spending, by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Economic Crisis

"The Outcry Is Muted, But The Food Crisis Is Getting Worse," by Jayati Ghosh, The Guardian/UK, Jan. 9, 2009

"Ideas for Obama, "by Paul Krugman, by The New York Times, Jan. 12, 2009

"The Ponzi Scheme Presidency: Bush's Legacy of Destruction," by Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch.com, January/February, 2009

"Fiscal Therapy," by David Cay Johnston, Mother Jones, January/February, 2009

"A Look At Wall Street's Shadow Market: How Some Arcane Wall Street Financial Instruments Magnified Economic Crisis," 60 Minutes, Oct. 5, 2008

"Swapping Secrecy for Transparency," by Christopher Cox, SEC Chairman, The New York Times Op-Ed, Oct. 19, 2008

"The Bet That Blew Up Wall Street: Steve Kroft On Credit Default Swaps And Their Central Role In The Unfolding Economic Crisis," 60 Minutes, Oct. 26, 2008

Broken Government



"Broken Government: By The Numbers," 40 ways in which the federal government failed to perform under the administration of George W. Bush, 2001-2008

Class Warfare

"How the Rich Are Different From You and Me,"Places that went for Obama are richer and smarter than places that went for McCain, by Bill Bishop and Robert Cushing, Slate, Dec. 11, 2008

"Questions About the $700 Billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Funds, " First Report of the Congressional Oversight Panel for Economic Stabilization, Dec. 10, 2008

War And Profiteering

"This Is Change? Twenty Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to Watch for in Obama's White House," by Jeremy Scahill,Alternet, Nov. 20, 2008


"Don't Let Barack Obama Break Your Heart," Why Americans Shouldn't Go Home, by Tom Engelhardt, Nov. 12, 2008

"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

"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 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, November-December 2001

Between The Lines

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Posted April 29, 2009

Between The Lines
For The Week Ending May 8, 2009


Panel discussions from the Left Forum, April 18, 2009
at Pace University, New York City



Between The Lines recorded and posted the following Left Forum discussion panels (in MP3):
  • "Long-term Strategies for the Left"
  • "On the Brink of Depression: Turning Point in World Capitalism?"
  • "The Obama Campaign & Presidency: Lesson for the Left"
Others Forthcoming:

Please email btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
to receive panel discussions as they become available

obamairanlede

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

 RealAudio (full-length) |  MP3 (full-length)
RSS broadcast-quality MP3 RSS near-broadcast quality MP3


This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:


Iran Responds with Mixed Signals
to Obama's Offer of a "New Beginning"


 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with Chris Toensing,
editor of the Middle East Report,
conducted by Scott Harris


obamairan

During his campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama pledged to conduct a new foreign policy with an emphasis on diplomacy rather than war and a willingness to talk with America's adversaries. Since taking office, President Obama has toured the world where he acknowledged America's past mistakes and expressed his intention to listen to other points of view.

Perhaps the biggest test of the president's new approach is reducing tensions with Iran. In March, Obama released a holiday television greeting to the people of Iran where he spoke of his hope for a "new beginning" in U.S.-Iranian relations. The effort was greeted with a mixed response from Iran's government and religious leaders.

The Iranian government's arrest and conviction of Roxana Saberi for spying, sentencing the journalist with dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship to eight years in prison, could derail the Obama administration attempts to restart international talks on Iran's nuclear research program. Iran denies it is working to develop atomic weapons. Even as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that he is preparing to offer the U.S. and European nations a new framework for talks about its nuclear program, newly-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to do everything necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Chris Toensing, editor of Middle East Report, who assesses the results of Obama's attempt to open a new dialogue with Iran, which will be holding its presidential election on June 12.

Chris Toensing is executive director of Middle East Research and Information Project and editor of their publication Middle East Report, contact Middle East Report by calling (202) 223-3677 or visit their website at www.merip.org



Disinformation Campaign Attempts to Discredit
UN Anti-Racism Conference


 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with Cecile Surasky,
communications director with Jewish Voice for Peace,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus


racismconference

A United Nations conference on racism in Geneva was convened in late April to review progress since the original U.N. sponsored-Conference on Racism and other forms of discrimination was held in Durban, South Africa in September 2001. The U.S. and a handful of other nations boycotted this year's conference, claiming that its agenda was to bash Israel. That decision was based on the 2001 conference document, in which the Israel/Palestine conflict was the only international dispute mentioned by name, even though it was framed in an impartial way. At the earlier conference, a number of Arab nations had attempted to define Zionism as racism.

A controversial speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad given at this year's anti-racism gathering, was widely interpreted as anti-Semitic, playing right into the hands of those who charged that the conference had an anti-Israel bias. Despite the boycott and international press attention on Ahmadinejad's speech, conference delegates adopted a resolution against racism, which covered issues such as xenophobia and intolerance.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Cecilie Surasky, communications director with the American organization Jewish Voice for Peace, who attended the Geneva conference. She said that even though Israel and others boycotted the conference, its many supporters were there in force. And Surasky noted that many either ignored legitimate Palestinian claims of discrimination or demonized the United Nations, Muslims and Palestinians.

Contact Jewish Voice for Peace at (510) 465-1777 or visit their website at jewishvoiceforpeace.org

Obama Embraces Bush Rationale
on Warrantless Surveillance of Americans


 RealAudio  MP3

Interview with Kevin Bankston,
senior staff attorney with
the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
conducted by Scott Harris



wiretap

Despite his many campaign pledges to uphold transparency and ensure government officials are held accountable for their violations of the public trust, President Barack Obama has embraced the identical position espoused by President Bush and his administration as it relates to warrantless surveillance on U.S citizens.

On April 3, the Obama administration took the position that federal courts cannot judge the legality of the National Security Agency's massive data-mining program, as it moved to dismiss the Jewel vs. NSA lawsuit. The case, filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is challenging the NSA's warrantless monitoring of millions of American citizens' phone and email communications. However, the Obama Justice Department insists that a review of the NSA program, begun under President Bush, would require the disclosure of privileged "state secrets."

An illustration of the dangers of unchecked government power to wiretap citizens could be seen in press reports which revealed that Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., had been overheard by a court-approved wiretap, as she discussed what appeared to be an illegal deal with an Israeli agent working with the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, a lobby group. Because Harman was seen by the Bush administration as an ally on issues such as warrantless surveillance, an investigation into her activities was halted. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Kevin Bankston, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who examines President Obama's broken promises on reigning in the government's power to spy on Americans and hold government officials and corporations accountable for violating the law.

Contact the Electronic Frontier Foundation by calling (415) 436-9333 or visit their website at www.eff.org

This week's summary
of under-reported news


 RealAudio  MP3

Compiled by Bob Nixon

  • Facing an imminent humanitarian disaster, the Sri Lankan Army has declared it will stop using heavy weapons, artillery and air strikes in a combat zone where thousands of civilians are trapped between the army and the Tamil Tiger rebel group. ("Sri Lanka to Halt Heavy Weapons Attacks on Rebels," New York Times, April 28, 2009; "From Sandy Strip of Sri Lanka, Tales of Suffering of War Traps Thousands," New York Times, April 26, 2009; "Day of Reckoning in Sri Lanka," Foreign Policy, April 20, 2009)
  • On Capitol Hill, progressives are pushing hard for a public option to compete with private insurance in overhauling the failed $2.2 trillion U.S. health care system. ("Health Care Dialogue Alarms Obama's Allies," Washington Post, April 21, 2009)
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art security guards stand a better chance of winning better wages and benefits with passage of the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow union recognition if the majority of workers sign union cards. ("Labor Limbo," In These Times, April 22, 2009)


Credits:
Executive producer: Scott Harris
Segment producers: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader: Indu Anand
Copy editor: Chris Ferrio
Senior web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
Web producer: Jeffrey P. Yates
Web consultant: Gary Trujillo
Newswire editor: Hank Hoffman
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
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Wednesdays, 8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
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Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 5/1/09

Between The Lines' Blog

"Reading Between The Lines"

U.S. Politics

"What Specter's switch says about him, the Democrats and our political spectrum," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 28, 2009

"No Left Excuses for Obama," by Paul Street, ZNet, Apr. 28, 2009

"Republicans Acting Like Swine," by Matthew Yglesias, The Daily Beast, Apr. 28, 2009

"Political Pandemic: While Obey Acts, Collins Spins," by John Nichols, The Nation, Apr. 28, 2009

"More Thoughts on Specter," by Christopher Hayes, The Nation, Apr. 28, 2009

"The Far Right's Plot to Capture New Hampshire," by Pam Martens, Counterpunch, Apr. 27, 2009

"GOP Know-Nothings Fought Pandemic Preparedness," by John Nichols, The Nation, Apr. 27, 2009

"Obama and the Housing Crisis," by Anthony DiMaggio, Counterpunch, Apr. 24-26, 2009

More newswire ...

Economy

"As Good as Their Word" by Nicholas von Hoffman, The Nation, Apr. 28, 2009

"As Long As We're Talking About Socialism," by Mark Harris, Common Dreams, Apr. 28, 2009

"The Perfect Gift for Wall Street: A Financial Transactions Tax," by Dean Baker, Counterpunch, Apr. 28, 2009

"The Wall Street Whine: Goldman Sachs Edition," by Dean Baker, Truthout, Apr. 27, 2009

"Time to put 'wealth on trial' again?," by Michael Winship, Salon, Apr. 27, 2009

"A Tsunami of Hunger: Is New York City About to Be Overwhelmed?," by Tom Engelhardt & Nick Turse, TomDispatch, Apr. 26, 2009

"A Housing Crash Update," by Mike Whitney, Counterpunch, Apr. 24-26, 2009

More newswire ...

Bush Accountability

"What if Instead of the Nuremberg Trials There Was Only a Truth Commission?," by Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports, Apr. 28, 2009

"We Can Debate the Nuances, But Torture Is Immoral-And Illegal," by William Pfaff, TruthDig, Apr. 28, 2009

"Why a Criminal Investigation does not mean the OLC Lawyers are Scapegoats on Torture," by Brian Tamanaha, Balkinization, Apr. 28, 2009

"The Stomach-Turning Truth About Bush's Torture Programs," by Scott Horton, The Daily Beast, Apr. 28, 2009

"Waterboarding the Rule of Law," by Steve Weissman, Truthout, Apr. 28, 2009

"The Case for Prosecuting Bush," by David R. Henderson, Antiwar.com, Apr. 28, 2009

"Truth commission to proceed despite Obama's wishes," Raw Story, Apr. 28, 2009

"We are all torturers in America," by Naomi Wolf, Guardian/UK, Apr. 28, 2009

"Democrats Pushing Bybee Impeachment, Special Prosecutors," ABC News, Apr. 28, 2009

"Broder for the Defense," by Scott Horton, Harper's, Apr. 27, 2009

"Follow the Evidence," by David Bromwich, Huffington Post, Apr. 26, 2009

by digby, Hullabaloo, Apr. 26, 2009

"Democrats push for interrogation investigations," Associated Press, Apr. 26, 2009

"If Everyone Knew, Who's to Blame?," by Mark Danner, Washington Post, Apr. 26, 2009

"Transcript: Interview with U.N. torture official Manfred Novak," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 25, 2009

by Jeremy Scahill, Counterpunch, Apr. 24-26, 2009

"Who Ordered the Torture of Abu Zubaydah?," by Andy Worthington, Counterpunch, Apr. 24-26, 2009

"What They Craved: Torture Used to Try to Link Saddam with 9/11," by Marjorie Cohn, Counterpunch, Apr. 24-26, 2009

"Straight to the Top," by Scott Horton, Harper's, Apr. 24, 2009

" What We Know So Far: A Torture Timeline (Updated)," by DanK Is Back, Daily Kos, Apr. 23, 2009

More newswire ...

International Affairs

"Farewell, the American Century: Rewriting the Past by Adding In What's Been Left Out," by Tom Engelhardt & Andrew J. Bacevich, TomDispatch, Apr. 28, 2009

"Unclenching the American Fist Toward Iran," by John Tirman, AlterNet, Apr. 28, 2009

"Pelosi the Hawk," by Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus, Apr. 27, 2009

"Clinton's Mideast Pirouette," by Roger Cohen, The New York Times, Apr. 26, 2009

"Obama's sins of omission," by Andrew J. Bacevich, Boston Globe, Apr. 25, 2009

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan

"Obama's Iraq: The Picture of Dorian Gray," by Jeremy Scahill, Counterpunch, Apr. 28, 2009

"Taliban: 60 Miles from Islamabad," by Ru Freeman, Common Dreams, Apr. 28, 2009

"Obama's Afghan Plan: Fracturing the Antiwar Movement," by Vijay Prashad, ZNet, Apr. 27, 2009

"Torture? It Probably Killed More Americans Than 9/11," by Patrick Cockburn, Counterpunch, Apr. 27, 2009

"Killing Civilians: How Safe Do You Actually Want to Be?," by Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch, Apr. 23, 2009

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties/ Human Rights

"Major defeat for Bush/Obama position on secrecy," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 28, 2009

"Fed Court Revives Rendition Lawsuit Against Boeing," Associated Press, Apr. 28, 2009

"Court rebuffs feds, reinstates torture suit," San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 28, 2009

"CIA Torture Began In Afghanistan 8 Months Before DOJ Approval," by Andy Worthington, Common Dreams, Apr. 28, 2009

"Bracing for New Prisoner Abuse Photos," by William Fisher, Inter Press Service, Apr. 27, 2009

"The CIA Almost Killed Both Zubaydah and al-Nashiri," by drational, Daily Kos, Apr. 27, 2009

"Real World Reasons Against Torture," by Coleen Rowley, Consortium News, Apr. 24, 2009

"The Psychologists of Torture," by Frederick Clarkson, In These Times, Apr. 23, 2009

"Bush's Lingering Blacklist," by David Cole, The Nation, Apr. 22, 2009

More newswire ...

Environment and Sustainability

"Planet Earth: Too Big to Fail," by Philip Radford, The Nation, Apr. 28, 2009

"Poaching, Human Encroachment Force Elephants to Abandon Troubled Zimbabwe," Telegraph/UK, Apr. 28, 2009

"Swine Flu a Potential Pandemic, Mexico, U.S. Declare Emergencies," Environment News Service, Apr. 27, 2009

"US Seeks to End Bush Mountaintop Coal Mining Rule," Reuters, Apr. 27, 2009

"E-waste: America's Electronics Feed the Global Digital Dump," by Michelle Chen, The WIP, Apr. 26, 2009

"Wildfires add to speed of global warming," San Francisco Chronicle, Apr. 24, 2009

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"Brian Ross spread the same falsehoods about the Khalid Sheik Mohammed interrogation," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 28, 2009

"How '07 ABC Interview Tilted a Torture Debate," The New York Times, Apr. 27, 2009

"Jon Meacham's subservient defense of monarchical power," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 27, 2009

"David Broder and media culpability for Bush crimes," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 26, 2009

"Newsweek's Holly Bailey with a moment of unintended candor," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Apr. 26, 2009

"Nobody Said This Was Going To be Pretty," by digby, Hullabaloo, Apr. 24, 2009

"Has the 'Journal' Lost Its Soul?" by Scott Sherman, The Nation, Apr. 22, 2009

More newswire ...

Activism

"22 Arrested at Blackwater's Illinois Compound," by Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports, Apr. 28, 2009

"Beyond MoveOn: Using the Internet for Real Change," by John Stauber, PR Watch, Apr. 28, 2009

"Activists Serve Blackwater With 'Statement of Foreclosure for Moral Bankruptcy,'" by Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports, Apr. 27, 2009

"Non-violent protests against West Bank barrier turn increasingly dangerous," Guardian/UK, Apr. 27, 2009

"Exit, Stage Left," by Richard Byrne, The American Prospect, Apr. 24, 2009

"Beehive Design Collective Shares Stories of Activists," the Daily Vidette (Illinois State University), Apr. 24, 2009

More newswire ...



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