Flashpoints Radio Oct 10: Robert Fisk; Rider beaten; Andrea Buffer; WBAI

Wednesday Oct 10, 2001 - Start Audio
brief technical interruption ..-00:00 Dennis Bernstein w Robert Fisk, a regular reporter for the London Independent, from Beruit, Lebanon.. Fisk: a constant questioning going on here.. saying, hold on, let\'s make a difference between terrorism and national liberation movements.. the great fear for the Lebanese, is that the American \'war on terrorism\' becomes an Israeli war against its enemies in the Mid East.. Dennis: Paul Wolfowitz suggests bombing the Bakka Valley.. Fisk: preposterous.. if one want to set fire to the whole region.. infantile.. if there were to be U.S. strikes against the Bakka Valley.. Lebanon would not fracture, so much as solidify.. very bad news for Israel.. probably very bad news for the United States.. many people in the State Department don\'t believe Hezballah is a terrorist organization.. a resistance organization.. Dennis: Israel to teach U.S. how to conduct assassinations? Fisk: Israeli intelligence.. is third rate.. most of these outfits.. including the FBI and CIA [obviously] not worth what they\'re paid.. if they spent more time considering how to put right the appalling political injustices of the area.. Dennis: Tom Friedman cheering the hope for democracy represented by Aljazeera TV of Qatar.. Fisk: Tom my old friend, although I disagree with about everything he says.. Aljazeera TV tweaking the hair and beard of corrupt Arab leaders.. but Colin Powell accused Aljazeera TV of inciting anti-Americanism.. coded messages?.. Fisk: I suppose it is possible, but I doubt it.. the real reason Aljazeera TV a little bit too free.. the Emir of Qatar sticking to his guns.. the key issue: when Osama bin Laden gave his address.. achieved an enormous resonance in the Mid East.. it seemed to me.. he was effectively taking responsibility for 9-11.. complained about Israel tanks in (Palestine).. Arabs saying, why is America attacking this man.. at university north of Cairo.. students saying to leaders of Eqypt: why aren\'t you speaking up?.. are the Americans telling you what to say?.. Aljazeera TV opening the door to free discussion.. Dennis: about the United Front alliance.. Fisk: this is the kind of material that comes out of the rear end of a bull.. undemocratic, human rights abusers.. these are our coalition partners? ridiculous!
-16:45 Dennis w Yost Hilterman(sp?) of the arms division of Human Rights Watch.. Yost: after the Taliban, what? about the history of the Northern Alliance.. General Moussoud.. reduced most of West Kabul to rubble.. massive attack on a civilian population.. (not related to Taliban).. in 1997 scene of mass execution of Taliban fighters (3000).. led to a reciprocal atrocity.. different factions.. own leadership.. own bad records.. another leader.. lives in Washington, DC.. some of these commanders have dismal record in regard to human rights.. held accountable?.. no.. we can not accept that.. torture, disappearances.. people in Kabul do NOT want to see a return of the Northern Alliance
-28:00 Noelle Hanrahan: INS detaining hundreds of persons.. w attorney Mary Howell and Hastin Javed (sp?) second year student at New York University.. Hastin: I was taken off a bus in Mississippi Sept 19.. taken to jail.. beat up very badly.. guy came up to me, said you can not survive in here.. started beating me up.. other guy too.. I rang the intercom.. told them.. nobody came.. beat me at five minute intervals.. pinned my head to the floor.. smacking me.. I saw four officers standing there.. I was hurt.. I ran to them.. I said get me out of here, they\'re going to kill me.. they called me bin Laden.. not given any medical attention.. I was taken to a nurse.. gave me an icebag.. gave me 2 Motrin tablets.. taken to a separate cell.. mentally I am very disturbed.. too afraid.. too scared.. now w attorney Mary Howell: violations of state and federal law.. we\'ve complainted to the justice department, to the FBI.. Dennis: was there any complicity by employees?.. other immigration detainees there.. (discussion of injuries).. (discussion of followup legal actions).. Dennis: now w Alisa Soloman of the Village Voice.. Dennis: 600 immigrants detained.. is this an isolated incident? Alisa: the detention of immigrants did not begin Sept 11.. in the past I have interviewed 100\'s of detainees.. but no interviews of detainees available since Sept 11.. Hastin has no record.. has good family in the U.S... a fine young man.. charged with overstaying his visa.. about the jail \'contractor\'..
-48:00 Noelle with Andrea Buffer of Pacifica Campaign, formerly of Media Alliance.. KPFA one of the only media outlets for peace.. airing diverse views.. now w Dennis Monohan from Houston.. Dennis: Houston Pacifica a jukebox now.. not much news coverage.. no local news.. refuse to carry Democracy Now in exile.. do carry Pacifica news.. Ahmed Rasheed.. scab broadcast.. about Bob Henley and Don Rush.. AFTRA supports Amy Goodman.. Dennis Monohan: we are encouraging listeners to withhold money from Pacifica..
-55:30 End today\'s show.. today\'s review by john lionheart

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