Democracy Now! Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Headlines for October 24, 2007

- California Wildfires Displace 500,000
- Lt. Gov., Sen. Boxer: Iraq War Hindering Relief
- At Least Six Iraqi Civilians killed in US Airstrike
- State Rejects Legal Oversight, Role-Reduction for Security Firms
- Private Security Contracts Quadruple to $4B/Year
- Iraq, Afghan War Cost Estimated at $2.4 Trillion
- Bush: “Urgent” Need for East Europe Missile System
- Admin Censors Top Official’s Testimony on Global Warming Health Risks
- Bush to Intensify Isolation of Cuba
Los Titulares de Hoy: Democracy Now!'s daily news summary translated into Spanish

Bush Admin Prosecution of Largest Muslim Charity in U.S. Ends in Mistrial

The now-defunct Holy Land Foundation was once the largest Muslim charity in the United States. It collected donations for local committees providing humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The government had accused it of providing “material support” to a foreign terrorist organization. But jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict and the US district judge declared a mistrial on most of the charges. We speak to David Cole, Professor of Law at Georgetown University and Khalil Meek, President of the Muslim Legal Fund of America. [includes rush transcript]


Testifying Before Congress, Rendition Victim Maher Arar Gets Apology from Bipartisan Lawmakers but None from White House

A bipartisan group of Congress members have personally apologized to Maher Arar, the Canadian citizen seized by U.S. officials, secretly flown to Syria, where he was tortured. Arar testified last week before a House panel, the first time he has had a chance to tell his story to U.S. lawmakers. But he couldn’t testify in person. Even though the Canadian government has cleared his name, Arar remains barred from the U.S. because the Bush administration says he poses a national security threat. [includes rush transcript]


Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler on Maher Arar, Rendition, Voting Rights Chair John Tanner, and Seeking Justice for the Jena 6

Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York joins us from Capitol Hill to talk about why he thinks the Bush administration should compensate and apologize to Maher Arar. Rep. Nadler also addresses recent controversies around John Tanner of the Voting Rights section and birth control foe Susan Orr, the newly appointed Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs. And Nadler talks about congressional efforts to intervene in the case of the Jena 6. [includes rush transcript]


Kurdish Human Rights Activist Kerim Yildiz Speaks Out on Escalating Turkish-Kurdish Clashes on Iraq Border

Turkish warplanes and ground troops have attacked Kurdish militant positions inside northern Iraq, killing 34 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. The strikes follow a cross-border raid from Kurdish militants that killed 17 Turkish troops. We speak with Kurdish human rights activist Kerim Yildiz, executive director and co-founder of the London-based Kurdish Human Rights Project. He was a former Amnesty Prisoner of Conscience and fled Turkey in 1986. [includes rush transcript]