April 30, 2003
Rumsfeld in Baghdad (1:34)
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad today, nearly six weeks after the Washington-led military coalition invaded that country to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein. He is the most senior U.S. official to visit Iraq since the war began. In a broadcast from one of Hussein’s palaces Rumsfeld told the Iraqi people that the U.S.-led coalition is committed to leaving Iraq as soon as it has assured Iraqis democratic control over their own country. Voice in the Wilderness Director, Kathy Kelly, who has just returned from Baghdad says Iraqis have little faith in US motives.
Who will Control Iraqi Oil? (4:01)
Speaking after a meeting of eight regional states on post-Saddam Hussein Iraq Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that the US-led forces that invaded Iraq had no right to exploit its oil and UN sanctions on Iraq should end only when it has a legitimate government. This as OPEC decided last week to cut down oil production by 2 million barrels per day in anticipation of Iraq’s return to the oil scene. An old-new debate about the sanction-hit, war-torn country’s ability to flip the picture was given ammunition. Oil, which one American army official called the central bank of Iraq will definitely pay for the reconstruction of the country, yet the question being asked is: who will control Iraqi oil? Oula Farawati has this report from the Persian Gulf.
Supreme Court Update (3:26)
The U.S. Supreme Court this morning heard the case of a Virginia man barred from seeing his family in a public housing development. Virginia says Kevin Hicks is a danger to the community.Hicks says it’s a free speech issue, and that the state can’t keep him off public land. This week the high court sided with the White House in allowing the government to hold legal immigrants who committed serious crimes, even after they’ve served their sentence. From the Supreme Court, Josh Chaffin has a look at those and other recent cases.
“Road Map to Peace” (3:25)
Hours after the Cabinet appointees of the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas were approved by 51-18 in the Palestinian Legislative Council, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a Tel Aviv nightclub, killing three and injuring 60. According to the Israeli daily, Ha’aretz, the bomber allegedly came from Gaza, but was a British citizen. This as today, Israeli and Palestinian officials received the Bush Administrations blueprint for Middle East peace, the so called “Road Map to Peace.” Awad Duaibes has more from Ramallah where sits the new Palestinian cabinet of Mahmoud Abbas.
Rocket Fuel in Lettuce (2:33)
Rocket fuel may be contaminating lettuce grown in California. A new study indicates that 18% of heads of lettuce have detectable levels of perchlorate, an explosive ingredient in rocket and missile fuel. The chemical has been linked to disruptions in thyroid hormone levels which can retard child development. Mitch Jeserich reports.
France Deporting Senegalese (3:52)
The war in Iraq and the Ivory Coast crisis have made the headlines for many weeks, hiding the increasing world-wide war on immigrants. France is coming under fire for its recently implemented policy of zero immigration and has, in the last few weeks begun regular charter flights full of those which France says are ‘illegal’ immigrants, back to Africa. Nicholas Sarkozy, the French Interior Minister launched his Immigration Zero policy in early march, and since then one hundred and ten Senegalese have been deported. The Senegalese government has responded by expelling 20 French people from Senegal last Tuesday. And as Ndiaga Seck reports from Senegal, this deportation exchange is a new experience between France and its former colony.
