Friday News Roundup - Hour 2
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-06-17/friday-news-roundup-hour-2
Greece's prime minister reshuffled his cabinet today amid political and financial crises. The move follows mass protests over austerity measures. Syria's violent crackdown against dissent caused hundreds more terrified residents to flee across the border to Turkey. Security forces have killed an estimated 1,400 people during the past three months of unrest. NATO resumed daytime airstrikes in Libya today. And Al Qaida announced that a deputy of Osama bin Laden has become the new leader of the terrorist group. A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.
Guests
Yochi Dreazen
senior national security correspondent, National Journal magazine.
Jill Dougherty
foreign affairs correspondent, CNN.
Jeffrey Goldberg
national correspondent, The Atlantic Magazine, and author of "Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror."
Comments
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monte? Where are you buddy? I want a dose of your crazy. C'mon post something about freedom and militias. Please?
Big gov't bad!
Big guns good!
US to GAZA
Letter to President Obama
On June 14, the passengers on The Audacity of Hope sent this letter to Pres. Obama. Copies went to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and 12 members of the Administration and Congressional leadership. Call the White House – 202-456-1111 – and tell them you agree with the letter and expect the U.S. to take action to uphold the rights of peaceful citizens to safe passage on the seas.
Dear Mr. Obama:
We are writing to inform you that 50 unarmed Americans will soon be sailing in a U.S. flagged ship called The Audacity of Hope as part of an international flotilla to Gaza.
Our peaceful demonstration will challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, which has effectively imprisoned 1.6 million civilians, almost half of whom are under the age of 16. The blockade has impoverished the people of Gaza, deprived them of needed materials and supplies to rebuild their lives after the Israeli attack of late 2008 – early 2009, impeded those who are ill or infirm from seeking outside medical aid, and prevented students from seeking education outside of Gaza. 45% of the working age population is unemployed.
In addition to 36 passengers, 4 crew, and 10 members of the press, our boat will carry thousands of letters of support and friendship from people throughout the U.S. to the women, children and men of Gaza. There will be no weapons of any sort on board. We will carry no goods of any kind for delivery in Gaza. Our mission is from American civil society to the civil society of Gaza. We do not serve the agenda of any political leadership, government or group. We are engaged solely in non-violent action in support of the Palestinian people and their human rights.
http://ustogaza.org/
Will Diane and the Rehm Team let another International round up hour go by without mentioning ongoing expansion of Israeli illegal settlements and illegal housing in e Jerusalem, more destruction of Palestinian homes, and olive groves expulsion of Bedoins etc. Last Friday was the same thing. One can see how the MSM is complicit in not informing the American public about this critical issue.
Hope you folks will refuse to be status quo and cover the US Boat to Gaza which is in preparation in Greece for their departure for the Gaza on June 25th. Hope the Rehm Team will cover this from beginning to end. They are unarmed and committed. Coverage could help divert any potential violence.
Come to this site if you want to know what is going on in the I/P conflict
http://mondoweiss.net/
As you can hear on the Diane Rehm show they are covering protest in Syria, Libya etc. No go on on Palestinian protest.
AT the Netroots Nation conference happening right now a blogger Lamees Dhaif from Bahrain said, "We expected that Americans would stand by us. We thought that when five armies came into our country, America would give a definite No No No, this should not happen. We were shocked by Hillary Clinton's statement. She gave the green light for the people who are crushing us. If Iran was coming to Bahrain, we wouldn't mind [the Saudi and Emirates armies entering Bahrain]. But nobody is there but us."
Dhaif, who is on an American tour with 20 other bloggers sponsored by the Washington Foreign Press Center, a branch of the State Department, said she had confronted State Department officials in Washington with details of human rights violations, but these officials already knew the information and said they couldn't come out against Bahrain.
The above is from host Phillip Weiss's blog Mondoweiss
http://mondoweiss.net/
Syria is on its way to war, whether they acknowledge it or not. There can be no tolerence in the developed world for this kind of behavior.
http://michaelmaczesty.blogspot.com/2011/06/syria-youre-blowing-it.html
I am with you kathleen. Mrs. Rehm does not discuss Palestine because it will lead to disagreements. Her show strives to be conflict free.
Eventually her format will change into having four guests on any topic- two neo-con's, a religious-right fanatic and a 'center-right moderate.' Then the only conflict will be over how awesome and supremely perfect the US is.
(The only listener will be crazy monte- who will write about conspiracies and how fluoride in the water is a communist plot).
Have Secretary of Clinton and President Obama crushed protesters in Bahrains hopes by saying "one size does not fit all" in regard to US responses to protesters in different countries. Can any of your guest explain this use of "one size does not fit all" That statement makes it seem like human rights issues are like fitting people for a pair of shoes. It is dismissive and oh so hypocritical.
Sorry, I was away from my computer on Friday and just now heard the show.
My husband and I live in Greece (he's Greek-American) and I can tell you what the austerity program is here.
First, the tax rate is now 23% on all items except food. Food is taxed at 13%. The new austerity plan currently being debated in the Greek parliament raises the tax on food to 23% and the VAT (or sales tax) to 33%. Not to mention car registration, etc. etc.
But it is the same game - when the banks fail, they want the taxpayers (it doesn't matter of what country) to pay them. But when our investments fail, we are expected to accept the loss. Why are bank investors so different.
Anyway, that's what's happening in Greece and you bet there would be riots in the US if there was a 23% tax on everything!
DREAZEN
11:50:19
I would not be surprised at all, just given -- I mean, the Tea Party as a movement is obviously -- it's not extremist across the board, it's not racist across the board obviously. But there's an element on its fringe, which is. And that element is angry and that element, as we've seen in the Giffords' case and other cases, that element is perfectly willing to use violence.
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I see you continue to push that idea long after it has been shown that the shooter was an apolitical nut, obessessed by Giffords and uninfluenced by the left or right. And Rehm just lets a statement like that go unchallenged! Some moderator. Please provide documentation of violence promoted or endorsed by the Tea Party. The only violence perpetrated at Tea Party rallies has been by union thugs (e.g. - SEIU beating of Gladney on video).