January 27, 2003
Iraq Says US Just Wants Oil (4:36)
The UN’s two top weapons inspectors today delivered to the security council a crucial assessment of the first 60 days of the resumed Iraqi inspections. As foreshadowed by U.S. media, their report praised Iraq’s cooperation on process, but not on substance. It listed a series of unresolved issues and difficulties encountered by the inspections teams. Both Hans Blix and Mohamed Elbaradei, however, portrayed their work as ongoing, and peaceful resolution as their goal. U.S. ambassador to the UN John Negroponte said the report shows Iraq isn’t cooperating and will never disarm voluntarily, but officials in Washington insist President Bush hasn’t made up his mind to invade. Baghdad accused the U.S of lying about it’s failure to cooperate and charged the U.S is using the inspections as an excuse to seize Iraq’s oil. Susan Wood reports from the United Nations.
France Opposes War In Iraq (4:22)
The Bush administration is expecting a tough time on the UN Security Council today, thanks to opposition to its war plans from some traditional allies. A major blow for Washington is the opposition of France and Germany to an immediate conflict, expressed during celebrations of the fortieth anniversary of a historic friendship treaty between the two countries last week. Tony Cross reports from Paris.
Jordan Gov. Cracks Down on Anti-War Sentiment (3:16)
Jordan’s King Abdullah says it will take a “diplomatic miracle” to prevent a war on Iraq. Speaking after Colin Powell said the United States is willing to go it alone for a war on Iraq, the Jordanian Monarch told a crowd at the a World Economic Forum in Switzerland Abdullah said its quote “too late” for a way out on Iraq. Meanwhile, as Aaron Glantz reports from Amman, the Jordanian government is cracking down hard on its people who overwhelmingly oppose the war.
World Social Forum Continues (2:50)
The World Social Forum weekend kicked off with a visit late Friday from Brazil’s new left-wing President Lula da Silva, to the delight of tens of thousands, waving banners of the workers party, the communist party, the Venezuelan and Argentine flags. One person in the crowd even flew the flag of Texas. Josh Chaffin reports from Porto Alegre.
Violence in Nepal (3:09)
For the past 14 months, Nepal is under National Emergency. In the name of dealing with Maoism, the Nepal Royal Army and Nepal Police are doing gross human rights violations. Nobody knows actually how many people are killed; what everybody knows is that 2 to 3 digit numbers of those killed are
appearing in media everyday. And this ideology of Maoism and communism, as elsewhere in the world, is facing much suppression in Nepal too. And now onward, it would be the American trained Royal Nepalese Army who would be killing people. Vinod Jose has the details.
Journalists Kidnapped in Colombia (2:04)
Last week when Colombia’s second largest guerilla group, kidnapped an American and British journalist they said that the American government and the Colombian state have declared war in Arauca. The state of Arauca is where the two journalists were detained and where 70 US soldiers recently arrived to train the Colombian Army to protect an oil pipeline, that is almost half owned by Los Angeles based Occidental Petroleum. In Bogota, Nicole Karsin reports on what the kidnapping means for the press in Colombia.
