June 15, 2004
Headlines
Abu Ghraib Guards Told to Treat Prisoners “Like Dogs”
In an interview with the BBC, Brigadier General Janis Karpinski said the military officer now managing the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told her that all prisoners should be treated like dogs. Major General Geoffrey Miller, who managed the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, met with Karpinski prior to his transfer. (SOUND) A military spokesman said Miller never made the statements. Yet, the Army is investigating the deaths of 127 prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. Evidence compiled by military and congressional investigators indicates that top civilian and military leaders issued contradictory orders regarding how far to push the limits of the law on torture and whether all people being held by the U.S. government were to be protected by international law.
…. the Scandal In England
Now the scandal moves to coalition partner England. Naomi Fowler reports from London.
9-11 Commission Investigations Flawed?
The group CitizenWatch says the September 11th commission is not asking the right questions. Nicolas Ferreyros has more from D.C.
New Checkpoint Divides the Gaza Strip
The Israeli military has re-instituted a checkpoint along the Gaza strip, essentially cutting the small piece of occupied territory in half. Laila El-haddad reports from Rafah.
Delay Charged with Ethics Violations
TX Republican Tom Delay is facing a rare inquest from a member of his own party on charges of ethics violations. Renee Feltz reports from KPFT. Ethics complaints were filed today against House Majority Leader Tom Delay. The complaint came from a a fellow Texas Congressman. Renee Feltz reports from KPFT in Houston.
Features
Karzai Speaks to a Joint Session of Congress
Hamid Karzai, interim president of the Afghan transitional administration, began a two-day high profile visit to Washington, DC today meeting with of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Selina Musuta reports from Washington DC that tomorrow Karzai will meet with President Bush.
Nader’s Conflict of Interest With Citizen Works?
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is coming under fire from campaign watchdog groups and finance experts for the appearance of a conflict of interest between his campaign and a public charity he created. Sunday’s Washington Post reported that Nader’s campaign has been using the same downtown Washington, D.C. offices that until recently housed the charity Citizen Works. The campaign moved into those offices in October. Ben Adler reports.
Electronic Voting Machines – More Controversy
The League of Women Voters rescinded its support of paperless voting machines yesterday after hundreds of angry members voiced concern that paper ballots were the only way to safeguard elections from fraud, hackers or computer malfunctions. Last year in a move that threatened to split the non-partisan political education group, leaders had endorsed paperless terminals as reliable alternatives to punch card and lever systems. Also yesterday California approved touch screen voting machines for Santa Clara County after officials agreed to stock paper ballots and the manufacturer of the machines, Sequoia Voting Systems, agreed to hand over the source code for review. Last month California de-certified electronic voting machines statewide until counties take specific security – Santa Clara is only the third to do so. Resistance to the controversial Diebold voting machines is intensifying the company’s home state of Ohio as Ohio’s secretary of state has ordered at least one county to lease Diebold units for the November elections over the objections of that county’s board of elections. Evan Davis has more from Ohio.
Kashmir Elections Revisited
Last month’s elections in India removed from power the BJP led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Congress- led by Sonia Ghandi – emerged the winner – but Ghandi refused the post of Prime Minister amid outrage that she was not born in India. The Congress ultimaty elected Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms and a respected consensus builder. As part of the parliamentary elections, polls were also held in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir or the Indian administered Kashmir – where violence dominated the elections. Elections in Kashmir assume significance as the separatists groups asking for independence from India boycott the polls. India claims the participation of Kashmiri people in elections as evidence of their faith in Indian democracy, but violence and allegations of coercion and fraudulent voting are the norm. Shahnawaz Khan files this report.
12,000 New York City 3rd Graders Held Back – NYC Students Talk About Standardized Tests
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg took over the New York City public school system in an attempt to show he could improve public education ion the city. Last Friday, nearly 12,000 third grade students received “hold-back” notices indicating they failed the “one test determines promotion” standardized test. Yesterday, the New York City Council announced that Harlem has the cities lowest performing eighth grade students. The Radio Rootz collective of 8th grade students from Harlem tell us of their experience with the test, the shortcomings of the exam and alternative ways to evaluate student performance. Ana Gelman reports.
