Hi there,

There has never been a more urgent time for courageous, daily, independent news. Media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society. Can you support Democracy Now! with $15 donation today? With your contribution, we can continue to go to where the silence is, to bring you the voices of the silenced majority – those calling for peace in a time of war, demanding action on the climate catastrophe and advocating for racial and economic justice. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much!

Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

HeadlinesApril 19, 2005

Watch Headlines
Listen
Media Options
Listen

Suicide Car Bombing Kills Six in Baghdad

Apr 19, 2005

In Iraq, a series of assassinations and bombings have been reported across the country over the past day. In Baghdad, a suicide car bomb exploded outside one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces. Six Iraqis died and another 30 people were injured.

String of Assassinations Target Top Iraqi Officials & Academics

Apr 19, 2005

Gunmen dressed in army uniforms raided the Baghdad home of a senior defense advisor killing him and his son. Meanwhile in southern Iraq, the inspector general responsible for southern provinces was shot dead in his car. A top academic in Baghdad was also assassinated earlier today. The head of the German language department at Baghdad University was shot dead outside his west Baghdad home.

Filipino Gov’t Calls on Its Citizens to Leave Iraq

Apr 19, 2005

As a sign of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq, the Filipino government has called on all of its citizens to leave the country. Some 6,000 Filipinos work in Iraq, many for the US military. Two Filipinos died in Iraq last week.

Iraqi Lawmaker Accuses U.S. Troops of Abusing Him

Apr 19, 2005

A member of the newly formed Iraqi National Assembly has accused U.S. soldiers of abusing him at a U.S.-run checkpoint. The Shiite lawmaker Fattah al-Sheik said a U.S. soldier kicked his car, mocked the legislature, handcuffed him and held him by the neck. Al-Sheik said “This shows that the democracy we are enjoying is fake. Through such incidents, the U.S. Army tries to show that they are the real controlling power in the country, not the new Iraqi government, and that they can impose their rules on every Iraqi.” U.S. forces said they were investigating the incident.

Army Asked For 'Wish List' on Interrogation Techniques

Apr 19, 2005

The Washington Post is reporting that in August 2003 Army intelligence officials in Iraq began discussing different types of harsh interrogation techniques that they wished could be permitted in US-run Iraqi jails. In one email Capt. William Ponce asked interrogators to submit wish lists of different types of interrogation techniques that could be used. In the email Ponce wrote “the gloves are coming off.” Techniques submitted included low-voltage electrocution, blows with phone books and the use of dogs and snakes around detainees. Two specific cases of abuse in Iraq occurred soon after including one where a man died.

Democrats Attempt to Put Off John Bolton Vote

Apr 19, 2005

On Capitol Hill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to vote today on the nomination of John Bolton to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. The New York Times reports the top Democrat on the Committee — Joseph Biden of Delaware–is planning to ask for the vote to be delayed. A series of new allegations on Bolton abusing his power at the State Department have emerged since the committee last met.

Colin Powell’s Ex-Aide: Bolton “Would be an Abysmal Ambassador”

Apr 19, 2005

On Monday, Secretary of State Colin Powell’s former chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson spoke out in opposition to Bolton. He told the New York Times “He is incapable of listening to people and taking into account their views. He would be an abysmal ambassador.” Powell has not publicly commented on Bolton’s nomination.

Report: Zacarias Moussaoui Plans To Plead Guilty

Apr 19, 2005

The Washington Post is reporting that Zacarias Moussaoui has notified the government that he intends to plead guilty to his alleged role in the Sept. 11 attacks. Moussaoui’s plan to plead guilty reportedly comes over his attorneys’ objections. A judge will be meeting with Moussaoui later this week to determine if he is mentally competent to enter a plea. Moussaoui entered a guilty plea in 2002 and then rescinded it a week later. His trial has been delayed numerous times in the 40 months since he was indicted. Moussaoui was arrested a month before the Sept. 11 attacks — after a flight instructor in Minnesota alerted the FBI to what appeared to be suspicious behavior. At one point the government had concluded Moussaoui was meant to be the 20th hijacker. But officials have since concluded that the planners of the Sept. 11th attacks ended up leaving Moussoui out of the final plan because they viewed him as too unstable. Moussoui will likely face the death penalty if he pleads guilty.

Catholic Cardinals Start Voting on Pope

Apr 19, 2005

At the Vatican, Catholic cardinals have entered a second day of voting to elect a new pope. Votes taken Monday afternoon and this morning were both inconclusive. 115 Cardinals have isolated themselves inside the Sistine Chapel during the process known as the conclave. The Cardinals will cast as many as four ballots a day. Twice a day, the ballots will be burned–black smoke signals an inconclusive vote; white smoke indicates a new pope has been choosen.

Catholic Feminists Launch “Open Conclave” Online

Apr 19, 2005

Meanwhile a group of Catholic women are holding a conclave of their own to protest the church’s stance blocking women from becoming priests or from allowing women any role in selecting the new pope. A group called Women-Church Convergence launched an online Open Conclave to allow “the entire community of faith [to] make their views known about important issues in the church’s life.”

500 Citizen Nuclear Weapons 'Inspectors' Arrested in Belgium

Apr 19, 2005

In Belgium police have arrested some 500 activists taking part in a citizens nuclear weapons inspection at a NATO airbase. Organized by Greenpeace and the group Bombspotting, the protest called on NATO to become a nuclear free alliance and for the US to pull its nuclear weapons from all NATO countries. Greenpeace estimates 480 nuclear weapons are now housed in six European nations: Italy, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Turkey and the Netherlands. Activists from all six countries took part in the so-called citizen inspections.

Israel Orders Mortecai Vanunu to Stay in Country for Next Year

Apr 19, 2005

The Israeli government announced today former nuclear whistleblower Mortecai Vanunu will be barred for another year from leaving the country. Vanunu was released from jail last April after serving 18 years behind bars for exposing Israel’s secret nuclear weapons program. Under the original conditions of his prison release, Vanunu was going to be allowed to leave Israel within a year. But Israel has cracked down on Vanunu’s rights after he conducted a series on interviews with the international press including Democracy Now. Israel’s Interior Minister said today the country fears Vanunu will continue to speak about Israel’s nuclear program. Vanunu has maintained that he has no more secrets and has repeatedly called on Israel to allow him to leave the country.

Iran Bans Al Jazeera Over Protest Coverage

Apr 19, 2005

The government of Iran has temporarily banned Al Jazeera from operating inside the country. The satellite tv station has been accused of inflaming protests by the country’s Arab minority in southwestern Iran. The network was the first media outlet to report on the demonstrations that have left at least three people dead.

Calif. Family Sues Fresno & Taser Over Shooting

Apr 19, 2005

Stun gun manufacturer Taser is back in the news. In California, the family of a 40-year-old killed in a Taser shooting has sued the city of Fresno and the Taser company for $25 million. Meanwhile in Orlando, Florida, a police officer is now facing criminal charges for shooting a handcuffed man with a Taser gun in order to force him to give a urine sample.

California Student Sentenced to 8 Years For SUV Arson

Apr 19, 2005

In California a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology named Billy Cottrell was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for setting fire to an SUV dealership. The fire destroyed about 125 SUVs causing over $2 million in damage. In addition to the jail sentence, Cottrell was ordered to pay $3.5 million in retribution. Last year Cottrell told the Los Angeles Times by email that he was affiliated with the Earth Liberation Front. Four years ago, Jeffrey Luers was sentenced to nearly 23 years in prison for the burning of three SUVs in Eugene Oregon.

Teaching Assistants at Yale & Columbia Go On Strike

Apr 19, 2005

In labor news, graduate teaching assistants at Yale and Columbia universities launched a five-day strike Monday. The striking workers are hoping to force administrators to recognize them as a union. The work action has been described as the first multi-campus Ivy League strike. Last year the National Labor Relations Board dealt graduate student teaching assistants a setback when it ruled that they are students and not workers, meaning they can not form unions.

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top