Jason Leopold exposes human medical experiments on detainees. Leopold is a regular contributor to the PBC Show, and an editor at Truthout.org. His chilling report is based on a study just released by Physicians for Human Rights. The medical experiments were linked to the legal memos from Yoo and Bybee trying to re-define torture and game the Geneva conventions. The experiments on early captive Abu Zubayda (2002) predated the legal memos, and they tested sleep deprivation and waterboarding–determining that 11 days of no sleep would be OK, and suggesting that saline solution be used in waterboarding. Kinder, gentler barbaric torture. We also talk about Obama’s refusal to investigate–a coverup–even as Bush brags about approving torture.
Category: Blog
Info on Podcast #138
Dr. Paul Larudee on Israel’s assault on Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Larudee has been on this show numerous times, most recently in March. He is a founder of the Free Palestine Movement and over the past two years has been on some of the boats that have made 10 attempts to penetrate the Israeli blockade of Gaza’s port. Larudee gives a chilling first-person account of the events of May 31, when Israeli choppers and gunboats accosted the flotilla in international waters. Larudee was aboard the Sfendoni which was boarded before the larger ship, Mavi Marmara; he explains the sequence of events, and his own nonviolent resistance–including taking a plunge in the sea–which enraged the soldiers who beat him and treated him roughly. Larudee responds to lies and spin delivered by the Israeli Defense Ministry, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the US media echo chamber. While 9 Turks (including a US dual citizen) were killed in the Israeli assault, Larudee says the Israeli commandos fired as they landed on the ship, before some passengers attacked with sticks and tossed an invading soldier into the sea. Larudee feels that their efforts are producing a shift in the policies of Israel and neighbors like Egypt, which has re-opened the Rafah border with Gaza. After our conversation, Larudee left for a meeting in Beirut to plan next steps, and he urges you to contact members of Congress to support an end to the lockdown of Gaza. PBC opens the show in honor of Helen Thomas, the intrepid White House reporter. Tech note: due to a computer glitch, there are some audio dropouts in the file, but you should be able to follow without missing much.
Back from the Midwest
I spent a week in Ohio and Michigan, went to the Heekin family reunion in Cincinnati. More than 500 attended, and I got to connect and re-connect with some great people. But one cousin reminded me why I left there–he told me his favorite radio host is Michael Savage, and worries that liberals will take him off the air with a new Fairness Doctrine. Only there is no proposed FCC rule or bill in Congress to revive the Fairness Doctrine. It’s a phantom menace created by right wing radio nuts and eagerly embraced by their listeners.
In Cincinnati, I met with David Krikorian, who lost his primary election bid to take on one of the worst Republicans in Congress, “Mean Jean” Schmidt. Just one week before election day, Schmidt attacked Krikorian for a comment he says he never made, regarding his opponent in the Democratic primary; the smear was front page the next day on the GOP house organ, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and then got 2 days of TV coverage. Krikorian produced witnesses from the event where he didn’t say what she says he said, but the TV stations weren’t too interested and the newspaper ran a story in the middle of the local section. Krikorian, whose polls said he would win by 10% or more, lost by 2 points, and Schmidt will coast to re-election in November.
After two cross-country airline adventures within a month, I gotta say that flying really sucks now. Landing at Dulles, we were told by our captain not to be alarmed by the fire trucks on the runway, but the brake light is on–we landed safely and he told us 3 wheels had deflated. On the return, we were delayed for 30 minutes at the TSA checkpoint and almost missed our flight–there was no security breach, just dinnertime for the TSA crew. And you can’t complain because they have arbitrary authority to block you from your flight or even detain you. Between the deterioration of airline service and the prison setting of the post-9/11 security theatrics at airports, they’ve taken all the fun out of air travel.
Info on Podcast #137
Jeffrey Kaye on immigration. Kaye is the former correspondent for the PBS Newshour and author of Moving Millions: How Coyote Capitalism Fuels Global Immigration. The book takes a thoughtful look at the complex set of factors that cause people to cross borders for work, the history of waves of migration and American xenophobia, starting with the anti-Chinese actions dating to the late 1800’s. You’ll hear Meg Whitman’s anti-immigrant screed in the current California governor’s race (with a bad cameo from former Gov. Pete Wilson), a discussion of H1-B visas and their abuse by US corporations, and the recent legislation in Arizona. Kaye offers history, economics and context for the so-called “debate” on immigration in the US today, along with rational analysis–all the things that are missing from the mainstream media’s coverage.
Info on Podcast #136
California Special! PBC was asked by listener Ethan Knox to comment on the June 8 primary election. While he does not explicitly endorse candidates or tell you how to vote, your over-opinionated humble host is quite willing to tell you how he’s going to vote: Republican. That’s right, as an independent (decline-to-state) voter in California, Mr. Collins will be voting against the mega-wealthy corporate tools, Meg Whitman and Carlyfornication Fiorina. This podcast covers the races for governor, statewide constitutional offices, Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat, and 5 ballot measures, including 2 insidious initiatives openly written and promoted by corporations. And PBC apologizes for the reduced podcast schedule as he leaves for a week’s vacation; he pledges to deliver more podcasts starting in June.
Info on Podcast #135
Naomi Wolf, author and activist joins me and Sibel Edmonds for the next installment of the Boiling Frogs interview series. Wolf has been outspoken about the loss of civil liberties and our creeping police state. Wolf’s latest book is The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot.
Info on Podcast #134
Steven L. Pease, author of The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement. Pease, a retired CEO and venture capitalist, talks about his interest in Jewish culture that developed as he worked with many Jews in business. As a gentile, he has an outsider’s appreciation for the cultural and religious characteristics–especially the commitment to education–that have enabled Jews, especially Americans, to excel in numbers that are disproportional to the population. For example, Jews make up about 2/10ths of one per cent of the world population, but 31% of the Nobel Prize winners in medicine have been Jewish.
Info on Podcast #133
Journalist Paul Fitzgerald on US drone attacks; Nancy Talanian on adopting refugees from Guantanamo. Fitzgerald and his wife Elizabeth Gould first covered Afghanistan for CBS in 1981, later for PBS. We talk about their latest dispatch at Boiling Frogs about the negative impact of US drone strikes, which kill 50 civilians for each alleged terrorist assassinated. We talk about Karzai’s visit to Washington, the US efforts to undermine his peace feelers to the Taliban and other opponents, Gen. McChrystal’s spin on “progress” in the war, and much more. Fitzgerald refers listeners to an article by Nathan Freier linked here. Talanian is director of No More Guantanamos and talks about a Russian named Ravil Mingazov who was ordered released on May 13 by a federal judge, after 8 years at Guantanamo without charge or trial. The towns of Amherst and Levitt have offered to accept Mingazov and another prisoner. While Obama has pledged to close Gitmo, his Justice Dept. continues to hold men the courts have ordered released and to use legal maneuvers to continue to detain innocents. We also talk about the administration’s efforts to block legal action by Canadian Maher Arar to vindicate his rendition, torture and imprisonment by the US. The second segment starts at about 57:13
Info on Podcast #132
Outspoken Professor Francis Boyle discusses the October 2001 anthrax attacks, the technology behind the letter to Senator Daschle, and assesses the case based on his years of expertise with America’s bio-weapons programs, and as an expert who was responsible for drafting the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, which was passed unanimously by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. This is the next episode of the Boiling Frogs interview series, cohosted with Sibel Edmonds. Boyle discusses possible motivations behind the anthrax attacks, including those held by criminal elements within the US government to foment a police state, and the investigation that never was. Professor Boyle talks about Israeli war crimes as crimes against humanity, and more.
Boyle is a human rights lawyer and professor of law at the University of Illinois. As an internationally recognized expert, Professor Boyle serves as counsel to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the Provisional Government of the State of Palestine. He is the author of several books, including The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence published by Clarity Press.
Info on Podcast #131
War Correspondent Anand Gopal on Afghanistan/Pakistan; Veronique Raskin on organic wines. Gopal is an independent reporter who writes for The Nation, Wall Street Journal and Christian Science Monitor. He was our guest in January regarding his reporting on American night raids and secret detention centers in Afghanistan, and in this conversation he updates us on the US assaults on Marjah and Kandahar, Karzai’s efforts to engage Taliban leaders in peace talks (thwarted by the US), Taliban leader Zakir (former Gitmo prisoner) and other issues. He also confirms the comment made on MSNBC this week by NYT reporter and former Taliban hostage David Rodhe: Taliban members do not believe that al Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Veronique unveils the new Peter B. Collins Organic Wine Club–sign up and get 3 great bottles per month for just $49.99 plus shipping. She talks about her French origins, and her vision of organic wines that goes all the way back to 1980. Your wine purchases and/or club membership help support the PBC Show! The second segment starts at about 44:00