Saturday, April 21, 2007

NYT: 1 article filed from Iraq

In this morning's New York Times, you get one story filed from Iraq. You also get the free floating, no dateline needed, Paul von Zielbauer. PvZ pops up on A6 (filing from where?) to tell us about William T. Kallp ("officer in immediate command of three marines accused of killing civilians in a house-to-house attack in Haditha, Iraq, in 2005") who has agreed to testify after being given immunity. He follows in the footsteps of Sanick P. Delta Cruz who also agreed this month to testify after he was promised immunity.

Turning Iraq, Edward Wong and David S. Cloud file "U.S. Erects Baghdad Wall To Keep Rival Sects Apart:"

American military commanders in Baghdad are trying a radical new strategy to quell the widening sectarian violence by building a 12-foot-high, three-mile-long wall separating a historic Sunni enclave from Shiite neighborhoods.

New? Like the majority of things implemented under Bully Boy, the "ideas" can be traced to the Israeli government. Other than that, the thing that stands out (at the end of the article) is a single sentence:

Hospital officials in Mosul said they were treating 130 Iraqi Army trainees suffering from stomach illness, in a possible case of mass poisoning at a training center north of the city.

That single sentence appears before the final article. With reporters in Iraq, you might think they'd offer a story on that (or even more). They don't. They do offer another front page story on Monday's shootings in Virginia as well as two stories inside the paper. The columns focus on other things. For instance, a male tells us what the Court's attack on reproductive rights mean. Isn't it great to hear a man tell women not to worry? (That was sarcasm.)

Billie was the first to note Margaret Kimberley's latest Freedom Rider this week. From Kimberley's "Black America and Palestine" (Black Agenda Report):

A nation that inflicts collective punishment on civilian populations, tortures minor children, uses civilians as human shields, and commits extra judicial killings ought to be condemned by all decent, civilized nations. It seems like a no-brainer. If that country is Israel, those common sense assumption no longer apply. The United States routinely vetoes any and all United Nations resolutions that condemn a variety of Israeli actions.
Israel's existence depends totally on America's largesse, yet Israel calls the shots. That nation receives $15 million aid every single day. In return Israel sends spies to the United States and effectively controls the Congress through its American allies.
Americans are participating by proxy in an ongoing atrocity against the Palestinian people. That is how millions of people around the world view the situation. If "they" hate "us" Israel is a significant cause of that hatred.
Israel's continued occupation of Palestine is in defiance of the wishes of every other nation on earth and causes it to be a danger to the American people. Its allies in this country are the biggest advocates for empire building, first encouraging the occupation of Iraq and now demanding an attack on Iran.


What does the weekend mean? New broadcasts of RadioNation with Laura Flanders (Saturdays and Sundays, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm EST) over the airwaves on Air America Radio, XM radio and online. Here's some of what's in store for the two weekend shows:

SATURDAY
We're broadcasting live from our Air America affiliate, 92.1 The Mic, Madison, Wisconsin’s Progressive Talk. We’ll be joined by Nation Magazine National Affairs correspondent JOHN NICHOLS, who'll give us his take on Alberto Gonzales's appearance in the Senate. We'll also welcome Nation writer LAWRENCE GOODWYN, who'll explain why a political realignment is coming, and progressives should be excited. And we'll discuss this week's Supreme Court decision on abortion with attorneys LYNN PALTROW and JANET BENSHOOF. Plus, Nigerian Journalist SUNDAY DARE tells us what life was like under military rule, and give us his thoughts on the Nigerian election.
SUNDAY
We're broadcasting live from the Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisconsin. I'll welcome award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author GREG PALAST to the Barrymore, and we'll find out what's stories he's working on. Plus we'll highlight the independent media movement that finds many of its roots here in Madison, when we talk to BOB MCCHESNEY from Free Press, DIANE FARSETTA from the Center for Media and Democracy, FRANK EMSPAK from Workers Independent News, and MOLLY STENTZ from the Independent Media Center. If you're in Madison, come on down. Otherwise, tune in!

In addition, Rachel notes two programs coming up on WBAI (over the airwaves in the NYC area -- and beyond -- as well as online streaming -- for free, no membership fee, no surveys):

Sunday, April 22, 11am-noon
THE NEXT HOUR
Actor/author/raconteur Malachy McCourt holds forth.

Monday, April 23, 2-3pm
CAT RADIO CAFE
Author and essayist Pankaj Mishra on "Temptations of the West: How to be Modern in India, Pakisatn, Tibet, and Beyond"; Preston Stahley on the Tribeca Music Festival now playing at The Flea; and, to commemorate Alcohol Awareness Week, the return of actors from "Bill W. and Dr. Bob," a dramatization of the origins of Alcoholics Anonymous. Hosted by Janet Coleman and David Dozer.

That's radio. Face to face? An e-mail to the public account notes the Record Online's "Nader to campaign for West Monday April 20, 2007:"

New Paltz -- Ralph Nader is coming to town to campaign for fellow Green Party member Jason West on Monday.
Nader, probably the country's best-known corporate critic and a former presidential candidate, is expected to attend a screening of "An Unreasonable Man," a documentary about himself at the Rosendale Theater at 6:30 p.m. He'll answer questions and sign his latest book afterward.
Nader's appearence marks the first time in living memory that a national political figure has come to campaign on behalf of a village of New Paltz candidate. West is running for a second four-year term as mayor against Terry Dungen, a current member of the village board. The election is May 1.
West said in a prepared statement that he was honored to have Nader campaign on his behalf.
Earlier Monday, Nader is scheduled to give an address at Vassar College.
Jeremiah Horrigan

That's this Monday. Jason West's site has information as does On The Wilder Side, specifically this post. So you can learn about Jason West, you can see the documentary An Unreasonable Man and you can participate in a q & a with Nader. (And before someone e-mails, no, I don't believe Nader is a member of the Green Party. He has topped their ticket, but I don't believe he's a member.)

The following community sites have updated since yesterday morning:

Rebecca's Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude;
Cedric's Cedric's Big Mix;
Kat's Kat's Korner;
Betty's Thomas Friedman is a Great Man;
Mike's Mikey Likes It!;
Elaine's Like Maria Said Paz;
Wally's The Daily Jot;
and Trina's Trina's Kitchen

Ruth's planning a brief report this weekend (possibly tonight). In addition, there are 17 e-mails suggesting a TV program that Ava and I should address at The Third Estate Sunday Review. We actually were hoping to review one, feeling obligated to review another and wondering whether to tackle a sitcom. But, Betty caught that program and had suggested it last night. We watched, we'll be addressing it. We noted Robert Parry's "Time for PBS to Go?" (Consortium News) on Thursday but, if you missed it, it would probably be a good idea to read it. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


























[C.I. note: Jason West link fixed and Cat Radio Cafe link added.]
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