AUDIO: Scott Lipscomb of IraqBodycount.org on why the 8000 dead figure is conservative

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Today on Flashpoints: A look at American troops in Iraq and baby steps toward positive change at home. First, Amnesty International documents American forces inhumane treatment and sometimes torture of Iraqi citizens in US run prisons in Iraq. Also, after nearly 6000 deaths of civilians in Iraq, the death toll bodycount of non-combatants in Iraq continues to rise with increasingly indiscriminate violence perpetrated by tired , depressed and demoralized American troops. Two important votes in the House of Representatives regarding the revising parts of the Patriot Act and the surprising 400-21 vote to completely ignore the Powell Commission recommendations on allowing a 45% media ownership up from the current (gasp!) 35% which has already scuttled the free flow of information. And always leading off with The Knight Report.

01:14 The Knight Report with Robert Knight. On Wednesday afternoon at 2:08 PM EDT, James Davis, progressive NY City Councilman is shot in city hall by deranged political rival Othniel Askew. Bush rushes to publish a snuff video of the supposed deaths of Saddam's sons. The photos below show the bodies before and after US reconstructions, Believe it,... or not? Iraq is skeptical...




07:40 Baghdad Ground Report With Leslie Kean interviewing Curt Goering of Amnesty International on the recently released report on law and order arrested without charge, disappeared, and tortured --d'jour. A particularly egregious example mentioned in the interview: A twelve year old boy was shot while taking his bedding up to the roof of his dwelling to escape the heat of his home. After he was shot by US troops and bleeding the US troops stopped his vehicle (which was enroute to medical help) and said that it had to be searched.... It is probable that he could have received battle dressings from the US Army medics, but they did nothing and the child died.

27:00 Music Break "Fires Burning in Baghdad Tonight" Jane Moore



28:05 Iraqi Civilian Casualties, Christopher Sprinkle interviews Scott Lipscomb of Musicians Opposing War, and IraqBodycount.org . Explaining the statistical methods used at the Iraq Body Count project. Military personnel are not counted from either side, only civilians and only media reported deaths, no injuries, just deaths...a situation that spun out of control in January without any foundation of solid evidence but with plenty of industrial strength spin by the Bush Administration.

40:36 Music Break "George the 2nd" Mike Richards

42:15 Patriot Act II Christopher Sprinkle interviewing Phil Gutis, American Civil Liberties Union in Washington D.C., regarding the House vote last night limiting the US law enforcement from carrying out secret searches on people without notifying them. 114 Republicans voted against the measure...very surprising!

48:09 Music Break "God and the FBI" Janis Ian

42:15 House decision on Media Ownership Christopher Sprinkle, interviewing Norman Solomon, media analyst. "The Bush Administration is pushing the limits of corporate flackery..." The House of Reps vote shows the effect of grass roots organizing which set out to energize the country against the monopoly bent FCC. When William Safire, NOW and the NRA and the Consumers Union all think the Powell Commission ideas are very dangerous to the perpetuation of Democracy in the US, the grass roots were found and informed through the remnants of the public broadcasting system and listener supported radio. Major dalies in San Francisco (The Chronicle) were noticeably absent in covering the FCC Powell hearing. A Bush veto is possible so the grass roots effort needs to persist in keeping the Republicans who voted against the Powell Commission recommendations on the case for freedom of speech and freedom from secret searches.