Flashpoints Dec 18: Kristin Schurr in Rafah Camp; Arkansas judge attacked; Star Wars

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2002 - Start Audio
-00:00 Dennis Bernstein: introduction: the Israeli military killing machine keeps on killing in illegally occupied Gaza, interview with Kristin Schurr in Rafah Camp.. a black judge in Arkansas attacked for speaking out about racial diversity.. Bush decides to deploy the 'Star Wars' system despite major flaws
-00:43 Robert Knight and the Knight Report.. Robert: Contra forces converge on Iraq and Venezuela.. British ships depart for the Gulf.. Iraqi dissidents pledge to enter northern Iraq on January 15.. Turkey bases in use.. Hungary joining coalition.. CIA officers with cash laden suitcases in southern Iraq courting Sunni Muslims.. White House closer to claiming Iraqi arms document fatally flawed, but not flawed enough for the US to release the names of the US and European firms that provided most of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.. French troops enroute to coco farm region of Ivory Coast.. in Venezuela a judge returns control to the mayor of Caracus.. the 'opposition' calling for yet another march on the capitol, like the one presaged the April coup attempt.. about the CIA run, so-called 'National Endowment for Democracy' funding of the oppostion..
-04:30 Dennis: Israeli war machine continues killing Palestinians in Gaza.. now w Kristin Schurr (link2) of International Solidarity Movement (ISM) (link2) (link3) in Rafah Camp, illegally occupied Gaza.. Dennis: a killing during lunch today?.. Kristin: the Israelis have been shooting into the camp.. people killed almost everyday.. home demolitions increasing.. soldiers firing on the residents of the houses to get them to flee.. taking the homes to build a security wall, and to expand the surrounding illegal settlements.. exploding bombs in the ground to simulate earthquakes, to destroy any tunnels.. and destroying sewer lines.. contaminating the ground water supply.. the only good well, under Israeli fire if people try to use it.. people living in tents.. their homes destroyed..all their agriculture destroyed as well.. Dennis: about the person killed today?.. Kristin: just someone walking along.. recently an 80 year old woman killed, and two small children.. and five men seeking employment, trying to pass through a checkpoint.. all five were killed.. Israel targeting all infrastructure, factories, fields, farms, processing plants.. to destroy the Palestinian economy, and the Palestinian people as well.. Dennis: Israel says the five men were terrorists, on a wanted list.. Kristin: it's becoming a common occurrence, after the Israelis kill some Palestinians, they put them on the *wanted list* to garner international support for their crimes.. people here know this is part of an ethnic cleansing.. psychological, economic warfare.. abetted by the silence of the international community.. 61% of children suffering from anemia.. 50% wet their beds.. most can't sleep through the night, have nightmares.. the Israeli strategy starting to work.. the Palestinians are starting to give up.. but also some have a renewed sense of struggle.. one man told me he has 'a deepened understanding of struggle'.. and the people in the tents say they will not leave.. the Israelis targeting agriculture.. the Palestinians say if they just have one international standing beside them, they are ready to stand in their homes and confront the bulldozers.. many times the Israelis do kill the residents.. the people dare not flee, because right of return is not honored by Israel.. Dennis: about the house you sat in?.. Kristin: a house in 'Block O' near the border with Egypt.. the third house this woman had.. the son's house across the street demolished.. then the mother's house flooded with sewage.. she refused to leave.. as the bulldozers came, she tried to get away, fell and hurt her leg, very old.. a man in north Gaza, lived in a five story apartment building.. the man was deaf, the Israeli bullhorns warned the residents.. but the man didn't hear, and was blown up with the building.. a gross human rights violation.. we're starting up a campaign (link2) (link3) to bring more internationals to Gaza.. to show the Israelis there are some people in the world who are watching.. hoping to help some people get back into one area.. ringed by illegal Israeli settlements.. more info: International Solidarity Movement.. (photos of Rafah Camp: source)
-19:00 music break
-20:20 Dennis: the Arkansas Judicial Review Commission accused a black appeals court judge of misconduct.. the judge has filed a lawsuit in return.. now w Judge Wendell Griffen.. Judge: on March 18 I appeared at a black state legislature caucus.. to discuss racial disparity in higher education.. I have two degrees from University of Arkansas, as does my wife, brother, and sister.. I made comments somewhat critical of U of A.. in 2002, black freshmen enrollment had decresed below 1997 levels, no black department heads, deans, etc.. then an anonymous complaint filed with the Arkansas Judicial Review Commission.. Dennis: about Nolan Richardson (link2), the famous Arkansas basketball coach abruptly dismissed last season.. Judge Griffen: the most successful basketball coach in the history of the University, dismissed in mid-season.. about the complaint.. I read it, but I don't know where it came from.. was signed by an anonymous 'concerned citizen of Arkansas'.. the complaint goes through my public comments for years.. they alledge that I violated the Arkansas code of judicial conduct.. specifically for appearing at the black caucus to talk about racial diversity.. through my attorney, I asked the Commission to identify my accuser.. we were told it was anonymous.. and told that the Commission had made no effort to identify my accuser.. I have not been allowed to confront my accuser.. told I had no right to know.. judges in Arkansas are elected.. we depend on the goodwill of the voters.. an ethical accusation.. makes me much more vulnerable come election time.. damages my reputation.. Dennis: you have filed a lawsuit?.. Judge: yes, against the Commission.. they violated the first amendment to the US Constitution.. Dennis: this comes along as the same time as Trent Lott's comments.. Judge: ironic.. I'm attacked for talking about racial diversity.. while at the same time, the majority leader of the US Senate having trouble even understanding racial diversity.. Dennis: is this racially motivated?.. Judge: it chills comment about racial diversity.. concerns me that we are becoming less tolerant of reasonable discourse.. Dennis: the Supreme Court considering that cross burning (link1) (link2) could be protected speech.. Judge: we have all been following that case.. Judge Thomas's outburst hopefully raised some consciousness.. these kind of acts designed to intimidate, to terrorize.. the kind of terrorism that some of us know all too well.. terrorism didn't begin in this country on 9/11.. a long and painful history.. for blacks, Jews, Catholics.. [and Native Americans, labor unions, and many others].. we have thought of racism mainly in its overt forms.. we're maybe less sensitive to more suble racism, institutional racism.. one of the strenghts of our society, our ability to dialogue.. Dennis: some groups have picked up where the Klan left off?.. thinking about the attacks against US House rep Cynthia McKinney in Georgia.. Judge: if I had any doubt about someone keeping an eye on people like me, that was dispelled by this accusation.. a very sophisticated complaint.. obviously some effort to chill the exercise of freedom of speech, intimidate people whose speech is 'not favored'.. Dennis: are you feeling intimidated, chilled?.. Judge: I'm feeling that the people behind this want me to be chilled, intimidated.. but I have a right to speak about anything, except pending cases.. and I would think people would want me to speak my mind, expose my views.. the idea of a judge being 'neutral', having nothing in your head, is not accurate.. in the judicial context, neutrality means not being involved with any party to a lawsuit.. I can be a fair judge, and still have opinions about diversity.
-42:20 music break
-43:36 Dennis: Star Wars is back, it still doesn't work, but it's back anyway.. now w Bruce Gagney of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space.. Bruce: since 1999 eight tests.. at Vandenberg Air Force base.. all failures, or decoy tests.. the concept is still not working.. a massive, massive boondoggle.. Bush wants to deploy interceptors in Alaska before the 2004 election.. his so-called, Vision for 2020.. US wants to control and dominate space and deny other nations access to space.. a trojan horse to put offensive weapons into space.. last June we walked away from the ABM treaty.. Bush now saying we have to walk away from the INF treaty as well.. and saying we have to move even further to 'theater' missile defence.. US steadily moving away from treaties, international law, the UN.. a joint statement today from China and Russia, saying this is destabilizing.. will force China, which now has only 20 missiles capable of hitting the US, to build more.. a new arms race.. Dennis: how did this get through Congress?.. Bruce: the US has spent $120 billion so far.. started when the Nazi engineers, Werner Von Braun, etc. were brought to the US after WWII.. 'pyramids to the heavens'.. the corporations in the middle on this: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Boening, TRW.. and the Democrats have worked right along with the Republicans on this.. immediately after Bush sworn in.. Rumsfeld went to NATO.. brought three people with him, Henry Kissinger, and Senators John McCain and Joe Loserman, er.. Lieberman .. Joe stood up, pointed his finger at the Europeans and said "You *Will* Get On Board On This".. only US House maverick Dennis Kucinich pushing for no weapons in space.. a litmus test for the Democratic Party.. Bush telling NATO that they are spending too much on social services, need to spend more money on the Pentagon.. Dennis: an amazing commentary by Rumsfeld yesterday, admitting it doesn't work.. Bruce: it's political thing, they fear unless they rush it through, people will wake up and stop it.. the biggest industrial project in history.. We need the global support of people.. actively out there, challenging these systems.. more info: www.Space4Peace.org
-55:10 Mary Bishop: wrapup..
-55:52 End today's show. today's review by john lionheart