May 28, 2003
Bush Administration Targets Iran (3:54)
After Iran’s announcements yesterday that they had arrested certain al-Qaeda suspects, Washington hit back immediately saying Tehran’s actions were “insufficient” to curb terrorism. This as it now appears more likely that Iran may be the Bush Administration’s next target, as Iraq-like evidence is put forth about Iran. Simin Royanian, an economist and co-founder of Women for Peace and Justice in Iran speaks with Deepa Fernandes.
Chaos at Baghdad’s Universities (3:45)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld today backtracked from the Administration’s line that Iraq had WMD warranting an attack on the country by admitting that Iraq may not have had WMD when the US began the war. Rumsfeld told the Council on Foreign Relations in NY that Iraq probably destroyed the weapons right before the war. This as in Iraq, the U.S. civilian occupation administration is barring former Ba’ath party, army and secret-service officials from current state employment as part of its proposed de-Ba’athification process. The U.S. says the move will assure the Iraqi people that Saddam Hussein’s regime will not return to power. As part of this de-Ba’athification process the US government expelled all Ba’ath party professors at Mustansiriya University. Students are now left with only 30 percent of their teachers. Nadem Hamed Al Azawi reports from Baghdad.
Supreme Court on Miranda Rights (2:34)
The supreme court yesterday disposed of the oldest undecided case on its docket, ruling that a California man denied his Miranda rights can bring suit against the police for civil damages, but only on limited grounds. Gareth Schweitzer reports from Washington.
Exxon Mobil Shareholders Meet (3:48)
The death toll in the Indonesian province of Aceh today climbed over 80, this figure coming from the Indonesian military for the number of rebels they have killed, human rights groups put the figure at much higher including civilians killed. The TNI has admitted it has been hard to know who they are killing as the Free Aceh Movement guerillas, the group the army say is to blame for the crisis in Aceh, are so well meshed with the civilian population. Human-rights groups are extremely concerned that casualties from this assault could run into the thousands. There’s mounting concern that the Indonesian action could create a huge refugee problem, with tens of thousands of Acehnese fleeing the army’s violence. Meanwhile investors of the multinational corporation Exxon Mobil also seemed concerned, though more for the prospect of the threat to Exxon’s $3 billion natural gas plant in Aceh. And at today’s annual gathering of Exxon Mobil shareholders in Irving, Texas, there was another demonstration of concern by shareholders and environmental activists that asked the world’s largest company to develop a progressive policy stance on global warming. Renee Feltz has this report.
FCC Special Series: Part 2 (3:19)
In the second of our four-part series this week on the proposed changes to the Federal Communication Commission’s media ownership rules, Josh Chaffin reports from DC that the controversy over media consolidation is uniting groups that might otherwise have little in common.
