Democracy Now! Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Today's Headlines

• Two US Reporters Freed from North Korea Jailing
• Post-Ouster Toll Hits Five; Honduran General Denies Coup
• Coup Regime Orders Closure of Radio Station
• Ahmadinejad Sworn-In as US Grants Recognition
• Fatah Holds First Conference in Two Decades
• Afghan Women Rally Ahead of Elections
• Five Killed at Penn. Health Club
• $75B Mortgage Program Aids Just 9% of Eligible Homeowners
• Nine Arrested in Iowa Single-Payer Protest
• California Ordered to Reduce Prison Population
• Senate Opens Debate on Sotomayor

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  In Explosive Allegations, Ex-Employees Link Blackwater Founder to Murder, Threats

  In sworn statements, two ex-employees claim Blackwater’s owner, Erik Prince, murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company. One also charged Prince “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe.” We speak with investigative journalist and bestselling author Jeremy Scahill, who broke the story for The Nation magazine. [includes rush transcript]

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  Hours Before Court-Martial, Army Resister Victor Agosto Speaks Out on Why He's Refusing to Fight in Afghanistan

  US Army Specialist Victor Agosto faces up to one month in jail for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan. After returning from thirteen months in Iraq, Agosto became a victim of the stop-loss program that has extended the tours of more than 140,000 troops beyond their contracts since 9/11. Just hours before his court-martial, Agosto speaks out from his military base at Fort Hood, Texas. [includes rush transcript]

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  Camilo Mejia, 1st GI to Publicly Resist Iraq War, Appeals Bad Conduct Discharge

  Camilo Mejia is the first GI who served in Iraq to have publicly resisted the war. He was imprisoned for refusing to return. Today, he is appealing his bad conduct discharge from the military. We speak to Mejia along with his attorney, Anjana Samant of the Center for Constitutional Rights. [includes rush transcript]

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  British Lawmaker David Davis Challenges US Threats to Suppress Evidence of CIA Torture

  A British court heard evidence last week that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to prevent the disclosure of details regarding the CIA’s role in the alleged torture of former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Binyam Mohamed. We hear from conservative British parliamentarian David Davis about the Obama administration’s attempts to suppress evidence in this case. [includes rush transcript]