For Memorial Day we have complied a list of soldiers from the tri-state area who have lost their lives in Iraq.

Please see our extended entry.

Connecticut

Tyanna S. Avery-Felder
Avery-Felder died April 7, 2004, in Balad of injuries from an attack on her convoy April 4 in Mosul.
Age: 22 Hometown: Bridgeport, Conn.
Died: 04/07/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Jeff Braun
Braun died by a non-hostile gunshot wound Dec. 12, 2003, in Baghdad.
Age: 19 Hometown: Stafford Springs, Conn.
Died: 12/12/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne

Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse
Chanawongse died after his Camp Lejeune-based unit came under attack while attempting to secure a bridge; he was listed as missing until April 16, 2003.
Age: 22 Hometown: Waterford, Conn.
Died: 04/16/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Anthony D. D'Agostino
D'Agostino was among the soldiers killed when a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter was shot down by a missile on Nov. 2, 2003, in Al Fallujah, Iraq.
Age: 20 Hometown: Waterbury, Conn.
Died: 11/02/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 16th Signal Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas

Felix M. Delgreco
Delgreco was killed in Baghdad on April 9, 2004, when his patrol was attacked.
Age: 22 Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.
Died: 04/09/2004
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry, New Haven, Conn.

Richard S. Eaton Jr.
Eaton died in his sleep Aug. 12, 2003, in Iraq from what was believed to be fluid buildup in his lungs.
Age: 37 Hometown: Guilford, Conn.
Died: 08/12/2003
Service: Army Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, U.S. Army Reserves, based at Fort Meade, Md.

David Travis Friedrich
Friedrich was killed Sept. 20, 2003, in mortar attack in Abu Gareeb, Iraq.
Age: 26 Hometown: Naugatuck, Conn.
Died: 09/20/2003
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: B Company, 325th Military Intelligence Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve, Waterbury, Conn.

Phillip A. Jordan
Jordan was killed March 23 , 2003, when Marines were attacked by Iraqi troops who appeared to be surrendering.
Age: 42 Hometown: Brazoria, Texas
Died: 03/23/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Wilfredo Perez Jr.
Perez was among three soldiers killed July 26 , 2003, in a grenade attack as they guarded a hospital.
Age: 24 Hometown: Norwalk, Conn.
Died: 07/26/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas

New Jersey

Ryan T. Baker
Baker died Nov. 15, 2003, when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Mosul.
Age: 24 Hometown: Brown Mills, N.J.
Died: 11/15/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

Michael E. Curtin
Curtin died March 29, 2003, in a suicide bomber attack at an Army checkpoint.
Age: 23 Hometown: Howell, N.J.
Died: 03/29/2003
Service: Army Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 2-7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, Ft. Stewart, Ga.

Seth J. Dvorin
Dvorin was killed Feb. 3, 2004, in Iskandariyah, Iraq, while clearing explosive devices along a supply route
Age: 24 Hometown: East Brunswick, N.J.
Died: 02/03/2004
Service: Army Rank: 2nd Lt.
Unit: Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Adam D. Froehlich
Froehlich died March 25, 2004, in Baqubah, Iraq, from injuries sustained when his patrol came under an homemade bomb attack.
Age: 21 Hometown: Pine Hill, N. J.
Died: 03/25/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit:

Kyle Griffin
Griffin was killed May 30 , 2003, in a truck accident.
Age: 20 Hometown: Emerson, N.J.
Died: 05/30/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Terry Hemingway
Hemingway was killed April 10 , 2003, when a car next to one of his Bradleys exploded.
Age: 39 Hometown: Willingboro, N.J.
Died: 04/10/2003
Service: Army Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: C Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, Ft. Benning, Ga.

Simeon Hunte
Hunte was killed on Oct. 1, 2003, in Al Khadra, Iraq. Hunte was on patrol when an Iraqi citizen approached and shot him.
Age: 23 Hometown: Essex, N.J.
Died: 10/01/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kansas

Marlon P. Jackson
Jackson died Nov. 11, 2003, in Tampa, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a roadway explosion.
Age: 25 Hometown: Jersey City, N.J.
Died: 11/11/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: A Company, 94th Engineer Battalion (Combat)(Heavy), 130th Engineer Brigade, Vilseck, Germany

Zachariah Long
Long died May 30, 2003, in a vehicle accident that also killed two fellow soldiers.
Age: 20 Hometown: Milton, Pa.
Died: 05/30/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 519th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Gil Mercado
Mercado was killed April 13, 2003, by a non-combat weapon discharge.
Age: 25 Hometown: Paterson, N.J.
Died: 04/13/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Bruce Miller Jr.
Miller died March 22, 2004, in Mosul, Iraq, of non-combat related injuries.
Age: 23 Hometown: Orange, N.J.
Died: 03/22/2004
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 2nd Infantry Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash.

Gladimir Philippe
Philippe was reported missing June 25; his body, along with that of another soldier, were discovered June 28 near Baghdad.
Age: 37 Hometown: Roselle, N.J.
Died: 06/28/2003
Service: Army Rank: Sgt. 1st Class
Unit: Battery B, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Okla.

Marc S. Seiden
Seiden died Jan. 3, 2004, in Baghdad when the convoy he was in was ambushed.
Age: 26 Hometown: Brigantine, N.J.
Died: 01/03/2004
Service: Army Rank: Specialist
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division; Fort Bragg, N.C.

Philip I. Spakosky
Spakosky died May 14, 2004, of injuries sustained when he was shot Thursday in Karbala, Iraq.
Age: 25 Hometown: Browns Mill, N.J.
Died: 05/14/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 37th Armor, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany

Narson B. Sullivan
Sullivan died April 25 , 2003, in Iraq when his gun accidentally discharged.
Age: 21 Hometown: North Brunswick, N.J.
Died: 04/25/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 411th Military Police Co., Fort Hood, Texas

John T. Wroblewski
Wroblewski was killed April 6, 2004, in fighting in Anbar province.
Age: 25 Hometown: Oak Ridge, N.J.
Died: 04/06/2004
Service: Marine Rank: 2nd Lt.
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine

New York

Nathan Brown
Brown died April 11, 2004, when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle in Samarra.
Age: 21 Hometown: South Glens Falls, N.Y.
Died: 04/11/2004
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry, 1st Armored Division, Glens Falls, N.Y.

Nathan B. Bruckenthal
Bruckenthal was one of three killed April 24, 2004, when a small boat they were boarding exploded near an Iraqi oil terminal.
Age: 24 Hometown: Smithtown, N.Y.
Died: 04/24/2004
Service: Coast Guard Rank: Petty Officer 3rd Class
Unit: USS Firebolt

Tamario D. Burkett
Burkett was killed in combat March 23, 2003.
Age: 21 Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Died: 03/23/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Charles E. Bush Jr.
Bush was killed on Dec. 19, 2003, in Balad, Iraq, when his vehicle was hit by a homemade bomb.
Age: 43 Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Died: 12/19/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit:

Doron Chan
Chan died March 18, 2004, near Balad, Iraq, in a vehicle accident.
Age: 20 Hometown: Highland, N.Y.
Died: 03/18/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spec.
Unit: Army Reserve's 411th Engineer Brigade, New Windsor, N.Y.

Jason L. Dunham
Dunham was killed April 22, 2004, by hostile action in Iraq's Anbar province.
Age: 22 Hometown: Allegany, N.Y.
Died: 04/22/2004
Service: Marine Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force; Twentynine Palms, Calif.

David Evans Jr.
Evans was killed May 25, 2003, in an explosion at a munitions site he was guarding.
Age: 18 Hometown: Buffalo
Died: 05/25/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pvt.
Unit: 977th Military Police Company, Fort Riley, Kansas

Jacob S. Fletcher
Fletcher was killed on Nov. 13, 2003, in Samara, Iraq, when explosives struck a bus he was on in Iraq.
Age: 28 Hometown: Bay Shore, N.Y.
Died: 11/13/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: Company C, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, Camp Ederle, Italy

Bernard G. Gooden
Gooden was killed during a firefight April 4, 2003.
Age: 22 Hometown: Mount Vernon, N.Y.
Died: 04/04/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Rahseen Tyson Heighter
Heighter was one of three soldiers killed July 24, 2003, when their convoy was ambushed.
Age: 22 Hometown: Bay Shore, N.Y.
Died: 07/24/2003
Service: Army Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 2/320th Field Artillery, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Gregory P. Huxley Jr.
Huxley died in combat April 6, 2003.
Age: 19 Hometown: Forestport, N.Y.
Died: 04/06/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: B Company, 3rd Battalion, 17th Engineer Battalion, Fort Benning, Ga.

Linda C. Jimenez
Jimenez died Nov. 8, 2003, in Washington of injuries from a fall in Baghdad.
Age: 39 Hometown: New York
Died: 11/08/2003
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: 2nd Squadron Combat Support Aviation (Maintenance), 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Polk, La.

Rayshawn S. Johnson
Johnson was killed Nov. 3, 2003, by a landmine in Tikrit.
Age: 20 Hometown: New York
Died: 11/03/2003
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: 299th Engineer Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas

Kevin C. Kimmerly
Kimmerly died Sept. 15, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq, after his patrol vehicle was hit by a grenade.
Age: 31 Hometown: North Creek, N.Y.
Died: 09/15/2003
Service: Army Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: B Battery, 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, based in Baumholder, Germany.

Kevin T. Kolm
Kolm died April 13, 2004, from hostile fire in Anbar province.
Age: 23 Hometown: Hicksville, N.Y.
Died: 04/13/2004
Service: Marine Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Roger G. Ling
Ling was killed Feb. 19, 2004, in an attack in Khaldiyah, Iraq.
Age: 20 Hometown: Douglaston, N.Y.
Died: 02/19/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: Company C, 1st Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kan.

David M. McKeever
McKeever died Monday in a grenade attack in Baghdad.
Age: 25 Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Died: 04/05/2004
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Giessen, Germany

Heath A. McMillin
McMillin was killed July 27, 2003, in an attack south of Baghdad.
Age: 29 Hometown: Canandaigua, N.Y.
Died: 07/27/2003
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: 105th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, Buffalo, N.Y.

Irving Medina
Medina died Nov. 14, 2003, in Baghdad, Iraq, when his convoy hit an explosive.
Age: 22 Hometown: Middletown, N.Y.
Died: 11/14/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

Luis A. Moreno
Moreno died Jan. 29, 2004, of wounds sustained in a shooting Jan. 23 in Baghdad.
Age: 19 Hometown: Bronx, N.Y.
Died: 01/29/2004
Service: Army Rank: Pfc.
Unit: Battery A, 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery, Fort Riley, Kan.

Isaac Michael Nieves
Nieves died Thursday in an attack in Bani Saad, Iraq.
Age: 20 Hometown: Unadilla, N.Y.
Died: 04/08/2004
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 82nd Engineer Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Bamberg, Germany

Eric Orlowski
Orlowski was killed March 22, 2003, in an accidental discharge of a machine gun.
Age: 26 Hometown: Buffalo,
Died: 03/22/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Michael J. Pernaselli
Pernaselli was one of three killed April 24, 2004, when a small boat they were boarding exploded near an Iraqi oil terminal.
Age: 27 Hometown: Monroe, N.Y.
Died: 04/24/2004
Service: Navy Rank: Petty Officer 1st Class
Unit: USS Firebolt

Thomas D. Robbins
Robbins was killed Feb. 9, 2004, in Sinjar, Iraq, when munitions exploded.
Age: 27 Hometown: Schenectady, N.Y.
Died: 02/09/2004
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: Troop A, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment (Stryker), Fort Lewis, Wash.

Joseph E. Robsky Jr.
Robsky died Sept. 10, 2003, in Baghdad attempting to disable a bomb.
Age: 31 Hometown: Elizaville, N.Y.
Died: 09/10/2003
Service: Army Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: 759th Ordnance Company, Fort Irwin, Calif.

Robert M. Rodriguez
Rodriguez was killed March 25, 2003, when the tank he was in plunged off a bridge.
Age: 21 Hometown: New York
Died: 03/25/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Cpl.
Unit: 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Rasheed Sahib
Sahib was killed May 18, 2003, in Iraq when another soldier's gun discharged while he was cleaning it.
Age: 22 Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Died: 05/18/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 20th Field Artillery Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas

Eric A. Smith
Smith was killed April 2, 2003, when the helicopter he was in went down.
Age: 42 Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
Died: 04/02/2003
Service: Air Force Rank: Chief Warrant Officer
Unit: 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

Riayan A. Tejeda
Tejeda was killed April 11, 2003, in combat.
Age: 26 Hometown: New York
Died: 04/11/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Staff Sgt.
Unit: 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Timothy Toney
Toney died March 27, 2004, due to a non-combat related incident at Camp Wolverine, Kuwait.
Age: 37 Hometown: Manhattan
Died: 03/27/2004
Service: Army Rank: Master Sgt.
Unit: Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

William W. White
White died March 29, 2003, when his military vehicle rolled into a canal.
Age: 24 Hometown: Brooklyn
Died: 03/29/2003
Service: Marines Rank: Lance Cpl.
Unit: 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Eugene Williams
Williams was killed March 29, 2003, when a car exploded at a checkpoint.
Age: 24 Hometown: Highland, N.Y.
Died: 03/29/2003
Service: Army Rank: Sgt.
Unit: 2-7th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Michael Williams
Williams was killed Oct. 16, 2003, when his vehicle ran over an explosive while returning to a camp near Baghdad.
Age: 46 Hometown: Buffalo
Died: 10/16/2003
Service: Army Rank: Spc.
Unit: 105th Military Police Company, Army National Guard, based in New York.

George A. Wood
Wood was killed on Nov. 20, 2003, in Baqubah, Iraq, when his tank rolled over an improvised explosive device.
Age: 33 Hometown: New York
Died: 11/20/2003
Service: Army Rank: Capt.
Unit: B Company, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division (Mech), based in Fort Hood, Texas

List compiled from Department of Defense

Posted by leboheme at 10:44 AM

These links are related to our discussion with Michael Massing about his articles in the New York Review of Books about the New York Times prewar coverage of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

New York Times Editor's Note on their prewar Iraq coverage
(free registration required)

New York Times Public Editor's column
(free registration required)

Guest Michael Massing's New York Review of Books article

Former NYT Executive Editor Howell Raines' letter to the Los Angeles Times

Posted by leboheme at 09:33 AM

It's Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and if you haven't got any plans yet and don't mind profanity, a trip to the cinema to see Mario Van Peebles' "Baadasssss!" may be in order. It's a dramatization of the making of "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song", his father Melvin's 1971 landmark blaxpoitation film (in which the thirteen year-old Mario starred as a young man having his first sexual experience with an older woman).

Today on the program, the younger van Peebles shared his thoughts on making a movie about the making of the movie:

"everybody said, 'you've gotta make your dad more likeable.' And my dad's one note to me was, 'whoever plays me, don't worry about making me too damn likeable.' He's a tough guy, and in 'Baadasssss!' I show that."

Never underestimate the power of competition between son and father: Mario also revealed that it took just eighteen days to make "Baadasssss!", one day less than it took to make "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song".

Posted by leboheme at 03:27 PM

Tomorrow’s show will feature a segment on the Henry Kissinger transcripts released this week. They cover his conversations while he was Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor and were released over Kissinger’s objections. Among other revelations, they include an incident where Nixon was too drunk to speak to then-British PM, Edward Heath. They also depict the administration’s attempt to block photographs of victims of the My Lai massacre. Elizabeth Becker of The New York Times (and author of a book on post-war Cambodia) will dissect the 20,000 page transcripts. In the meantime, send us your reactions and we might read a few on the air.

Posted by lehrer at 04:43 PM

After yesterday's interview with Joshua Foer on the political orientation of college students (see yesterday's entry), we received an interesting email from a listener.

I graduated from college five years ago and am a little irritated by the expectation of many people in my parents' generation that college students should be vanguard of liberal protest movements in this country. I'm a pretty liberal guy, but I think this idea that it's traditional and only right for college students to hugely activist is just plain wrong. As far as I know, the only period in which that was the case was the 60s and 70s, and the issues facing our country were hugely different from the ones we face today. Rather than complain about how apathetic college students are these days, people should accept and engage their ideas on their own terms. The constant comparison to past generations gets us nowhere.

So we followed up today with a call-in today for students on whether they agreed with the sentiments expressed by our emailer.

Click below to read a selection of comments from listeners who emailed during the show.

The 60's anti-war movement didn't really jump-off until a draft was instated. Wait until these middle class kids get drafted, then you'll see strong activism
---------------------------------------

I am a relatively recent college graduate, and i believe that "activism" evolves, as does everything else. i am a little frustrated with this concept that being active requires membership to an organization or participation with a mob. my biggest beef is with the women of my parents' generation, who seem to feel that women of my generation are not paying our dues by burning brassieres and publicly challenging the establishment. i consider myself a feminist, and an active one at that, though i didn't attend the rally in washington and i don't make a habit of wearing t-shirts with cheeky propoganda. i work in an industry rife with machismo and gender obstructions, every day i make it clear that i will not use sexual currency to buy success or compromise my values, and i do not--as many "activists" do--have the luxury of working among like-minded people. but i feel that my presence among those i disagree with tempers some of their prejudices, which is my small contribution to progress.
---------------------------------------------------------

The difference between college students now and then that allows current
college students today to be less affected by current events is the lack of a draft. Perhaps we should bring it back so they can feel a little more involved.

Posted by lehrer at 05:48 PM

It’s that time of year again, commencement across college campuses. What makes this year different is that this year is an election year. And with the country at such a divisive point, the tension is palpable. Case in point, E.L. Doctorow’s anti-war speech this weekend at Hofstra University was met with boos and protests by both the students and parents (our sources indicate that the parents were more vocal than their graduating children, who silently got up from their seats and walked to the side).

Our guest this morning was Joshua Foer who graduated from Yale just yesterday. He authored an op-ed in the New York Times indicating that his fellow graduates have been torn between liberal social values and a conservative view of America’s place in the world. With comparisons being made between 2004 and 1968, it may well be that the same people who marched back then will be marching again. Their children will be at home watching on television.

Posted by leboheme at 04:43 PM

On tomorrow's show, we get reaction to the President's speech at the Army War college with a wide range of viewpoints, including an Iraqi, a liberal and a conservative. In the meantime, here is a transcript of the speech. send us your comments.

Transcript from President George W Bush's address at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pa:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thank you and good evening. I'm honored to visit the Army War College. Generations of officers have come here to study the strategies and history of warfare. I've come here tonight to report to all Americans, and to the Iraqi people, on the strategy our nation is pursuing in Iraq, and the specific steps were taking to achieve our goals.
The actions of our enemies over the last few weeks have been brutal, calculating, and instructive. We've seen a car bombing take the life of a 61-year-old Iraqi named Izzedin Saleem, who was serving as President of the Governing Council. This crime shows our enemy's intention to prevent Iraqi self-government, even if that means killing a lifelong Iraqi patriot and a faithful Muslim. Mr. Saleem was assassinated by terrorists seeking the return of tyranny and the death of democracy.
We've also seen images of a young American facing decapitation. This vile display shows a contempt for all the rules of warfare, and all the bounds of civilized behavior. It reveals a fanaticism that was not caused by any action of ours, and would not be appeased by any concession. We suspect that the man with the knife was an al Qaeda associate named Zarqawi. He and other terrorists know that Iraq is now the central front in the war on terror. And we must understand that, as well. The return of tyranny to Iraq would be an unprecedented terrorist victory, and a cause for killers to rejoice. It would also embolden the terrorists, leading to more bombings, more beheadings, and more murders of the innocent around the world.
The rise of a free and self-governing Iraq will deny terrorists a base of operation, discredit their narrow ideology, and give momentum to reformers across the region. This will be a decisive blow to terrorism at the heart of its power, and a victory for the security of America and the civilized world.
Our work in Iraq has been hard. Our coalition has faced changing conditions of war, and that has required perseverance, sacrifice, and an ability to adapt. The swift removal of Saddam Hussein's regime last spring had an unintended effect: Instead of being killed or captured on the battlefield, some of Saddam's elite guards shed their uniforms and melted into the civilian population. These elements of Saddam's repressive regime and secret police have reorganized, rearmed, and adopted sophisticated terrorist tactics. They've linked up with foreign fighters and terrorists. In a few cities, extremists have tried to sow chaos and seize regional power for themselves. These groups and individuals have conflicting ambitions, but they share a goal: They hope to wear out the patience of Americans, our coalition, and Iraqis before the arrival of effective self-government, and before Iraqis have the capability to defend their freedom.
Iraq now faces a critical moment. As the Iraqi people move closer to governing themselves, the terrorists are likely to become more active and more brutal. There are difficult days ahead, and the way forward may sometimes appear chaotic. Yet our coalition is strong, our efforts are focused and unrelenting, and no power of the enemy will stop Iraq's progress. (Applause.)
Helping construct a stable democracy after decades of dictatorship is a massive undertaking. Yet we have a great advantage. Whenever people are given a choice in the matter, they prefer lives of freedom to lives of fear. Our enemies in Iraq are good at filling hospitals, but they do not build any. They can incite men to murder and suicide, but they cannot inspire men to live, and hope, and add to the progress of their country. The terrorists' only influence is violence, and their only agenda is death.
Our agenda, in contrast, is freedom and independence, security and prosperity for the Iraqi people. And by removing a source of terrorist violence and instability in the Middle East, we also make our own country more secure.
Our coalition has a clear goal, understood by all -- to see the Iraqi people in charge of Iraq for the first time in generations. America's task in Iraq is not only to defeat an enemy, it is to give strength to a friend - a free, representative government that serves its people and fights on their behalf. And the sooner this goal is achieved, the sooner our job will be done.
There are five steps in our plan to help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom. We will hand over authority to a sovereign Iraqi government, help establish security, continue rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure, encourage more international support, and move toward a national election that will bring forward new leaders empowered by the Iraqi people.
The first of these steps will occur next month, when our coalition will transfer full sovereignty to a government of Iraqi citizens who will prepare the way for national elections. On June 30th, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, and will not be replaced. The occupation will end, and Iraqis will govern their own affairs. America's ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, will present his credentials to the new president of Iraq. Our embassy in Baghdad will have the same purpose as any other American embassy, to assure good relations with a sovereign nation. America and other countries will continue to provide technical experts to help Iraq's ministries of government, but these ministries will report to Iraq's new prime minister.
The United Nations Special Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, is now consulting with a broad spectrum of Iraqis to determine the composition of this interim government. The special envoy intends to put forward the names of interim government officials this week. In addition to a president, two vice presidents, and a prime minister, 26 Iraqi ministers will oversee government departments, from health to justice to defense. This new government will be advised by a national council, which will be chosen in July by Iraqis representing their country's diversity. This interim government will exercise full sovereignty until national elections are held. America fully supports Mr. Brahimi's efforts, and I have instructed the Coalition Provisional Authority to assist him in every way possible.
In preparation for sovereignty, many functions of government have already been transferred. Twelve government ministries are currently under the direct control of Iraqis. The Ministry of Education, for example, is out of the propaganda business, and is now concerned with educating Iraqi children. Under the direction of Dr. Ala'din al-Alwan, the Ministry has trained more than 30,000 teachers and supervisors for the schools of a new Iraq.
All along, some have questioned whether the Iraqi people are ready for self-government, or even want it. And all along, the Iraqi people have given their answer. In settings where Iraqis have met to discuss their country's future, they have endorsed representative government. And they are practicing representative government. Many of Iraq's cities and towns now have elected town councils or city governments - and beyond the violence, a civil society is emerging.
The June 30th transfer of sovereignty is an essential commitment of our strategy. Iraqis are proud people who resent foreign control of their affairs, just as we would. After decades under the tyrant, they are also reluctant to trust authority. By keeping our promise on June 30th, the coalition will demonstrate that we have no interest in occupation. And full sovereignty will give Iraqis a direct interest in the success of their own government. Iraqis will know that when they build a school or repair a bridge, they're not working for the Coalition Provisional Authority, they are working for themselves. And when they patrol the streets of Baghdad, or engage radical militias, they will be fighting for their own country.
The second step in the plan for Iraqi democracy is to help establish the stability and security that democracy requires. Coalition forces and the Iraqi people have the same enemies -- the terrorists, illegal militia, and Saddam loyalists who stand between the Iraqi people and their future as a free nation. Working as allies, we will defend Iraq and defeat these enemies.
America will provide forces and support necessary for achieving these goals. Our commanders had estimated that a troop level below 115,000 would be sufficient at this point in the conflict. Given the recent increase in violence, we'll maintain our troop level at the current 138,000 as long as necessary. This has required extended duty for the 1st Armored Division and the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment -- 20,000 men and women who were scheduled to leave Iraq in April. Our nation appreciates their hard work and sacrifice, and they can know that they will be heading home soon. General Abizaid and other commanders in Iraq are constantly assessing the level of troops they need to fulfill the mission. If they need more troops, I will send them. The mission of our forces in Iraq is demanding and dangerous. Our troops are showing exceptional skill and courage. I thank them for their sacrifices and their duty. (Applause.)
In the city of Fallujah, there's been considerable violence by Saddam loyalists and foreign fighters, including the murder of four American contractors. American soldiers and Marines could have used overwhelming force. Our commanders, however, consulted with Iraq's Governing Council and local officials, and determined that massive strikes against the enemy would alienate the local population, and increase support for the insurgency. So we have pursued a different approach. We're making security a shared responsibility in Fallujah. Coalition commanders have worked with local leaders to create an all-Iraqi security force, which is now patrolling the city. Our soldiers and Marines will continue to disrupt enemy attacks on our supply routes, conduct joint patrols with Iraqis to destroy bomb factories and safe houses, and kill or capture any enemy.
We want Iraqi forces to gain experience and confidence in dealing with their country's enemies. We want the Iraqi people to know that we trust their growing capabilities, even as we help build them. At the same time, Fallujah must cease to be a sanctuary for the enemy, and those responsible for terrorism will be held to account.
In the cities of Najaf and Karbala and Kufa, most of the violence has been incited by a young, radical cleric who commands an illegal militia. These enemies have been hiding behind an innocent civilian population, storing arms and ammunition in mosques, and launching attacks from holy shrines. Our soldiers have treated religious sites with respect, while systematically dismantling the illegal militia. We're also seeing Iraqis, themselves, take more responsibility for restoring order. In recent weeks, Iraqi forces have ejected elements of this militia from the governor's office in Najaf. Yesterday, an elite Iraqi unit cleared out a weapons cache from a large mosque in Kufa. Respected Shia leaders have called on the militia to withdraw from these towns. Ordinary Iraqis have marched in protest against the militants.
As challenges arise in Fallujah, Najaf, and elsewhere, the tactics of our military will be flexible. Commanders on the ground will pay close attention to local conditions. And we will do all that is necessary -- by measured force or overwhelming force -- to achieve a stable Iraq.
Iraq's military, police, and border forces have begun to take on broader responsibilities. Eventually, they must be the primary defenders of Iraqi security, as American and coalition forces are withdrawn. And we're helping them to prepare for this role. In some cases, the early performance of Iraqi forces fell short. Some refused orders to engage the enemy. We've learned from these failures, and we've taken steps to correct them. Successful fighting units need a sense of cohesion, so we've lengthened and intensified their training. Successful units need to know they are fighting for the future of their own country, not for any occupying power, so we are ensuring that Iraqi forces serve under an Iraqi chain of command. Successful fighting units need the best possible leadership, so we improved the vetting and training of Iraqi officers and senior enlisted men.
At my direction, and with the support of Iraqi authorities, we are accelerating our program to help train Iraqis to defend their country. A new team of senior military officers is now assessing every unit in Iraq's security forces. I've asked this team to oversee the training of a force of 260,000 Iraqi soldiers, police, and other security personnel. Five Iraqi army battalions are in the field now, with another eight battalions to join them by July the 1st. The eventual goal is an Iraqi army of 35,000 soldiers in 27 battalions, fully prepared to defend their country.
After June 30th, American and other forces will still have important duties. American military forces in Iraq will operate under American command as a part of a multinational force authorized by the United Nations. Iraq's new sovereign government will still face enormous security challenges, and our forces will be there to help.
The third step in the plan for Iraqi democracy is to continue rebuilding that nation's infrastructure, so that a free Iraq can quickly gain economic independence and a better quality of life. Our coalition has already helped Iraqis to rebuild schools and refurbish hospitals and health clinics, repair bridges, upgrade the electrical grid, and modernize the communications system. And now a growing private economy is taking shape. A new currency has been introduced. Iraq's Governing Council approved a new law that opens the country to foreign investment for the first time in decades. Iraq has liberalized its trade policy, and today an Iraqi observer attends meetings of the World Trade Organization. Iraqi oil production has reached more than two million barrels per day, bringing revenues of nearly $6 billion so far this year, which is being used to help the people of Iraq. And thanks in part to our efforts -- to the efforts of former Secretary of State James Baker, many of Iraq's largest creditors have pledged to forgive or substantially reduce Iraqi debt incurred by the former regime.
We're making progress. Yet there still is much work to do. Over the decades of Saddam's rule, Iraq's infrastructure was allowed to crumble, while money was diverted to palaces, and to wars, and to weapons programs. We're urging other nations to contribute to Iraqi reconstruction -- and 37 countries and the IMF and the World Bank have so far pledged $13.5 billion in aid. America has dedicated more than $20 billion to reconstruction and development projects in Iraq. To ensure our money is spent wisely and effectively, our new embassy in Iraq will have regional offices in several key cities. These offices will work closely with Iraqis at all levels of government to help make sure projects are completed on time and on budget.
A new Iraq will also need a humane, well-supervised prison system. Under the dictator, prisons like Abu Ghraib were symbols of death and torture. That same prison became a symbol of disgraceful conduct by a few American troops who dishonored our country and disregarded our values. America will fund the construction of a modern, maximum security prison. When that prison is completed, detainees at Abu Ghraib will be relocated. Then, with the approval of the Iraqi government, we will demolish the Abu Ghraib prison, as a fitting symbol of Iraq's new beginning. (Applause.)
The fourth step in our plan is to enlist additional international support for Iraq's transition. At every stage, the United States has gone to the United Nations -- to confront Saddam Hussein, to promise serious consequences for his actions, and to begin Iraqi reconstruction. Today, the United States and Great Britain presented a new resolution in the Security Council to help move Iraq toward self-government. I've directed Secretary Powell to work with fellow members of the Council to endorse the timetable the Iraqis have adopted, to express international support for Iraq's interim government, to reaffirm the world's security commitment to the Iraqi people, and to encourage other U.N. members to join in the effort. Despite past disagreements, most nations have indicated strong support for the success of a free Iraq. And I'm confident they will share in the responsibility of assuring that success.
Next month, at the NATO summit in Istanbul, I will thank our 15 NATO allies who together have more than 17,000 troops on the ground in Iraq. Great Britain and Poland are each leading a multinational division that is securing important parts of the country. And NATO, itself, is giving helpful intelligence, communications, and logistical support to the Polish-led division. At the summit, we will discuss NATO's role in helping Iraq build and secure its democracy.
The fifth and most important step is free, national elections, to be held no later than next January. A United Nations team, headed by Carina Perelli, is now in Iraq, helping form an independent election commission that will oversee an orderly, accurate national election. In that election, the Iraqi people will choose a transitional national assembly, the first freely-elected, truly representative national governing body in Iraq's history. This assembly will serve as Iraq's legislature, and it will choose a transitional government with executive powers. The transitional national assembly will also draft a new constitution, which will be presented to the Iraqi people in a referendum scheduled for the fall of 2005. Under this new constitution, Iraq will elect a permanent government by the end of next year.
In this time of war and liberation and rebuilding, American soldiers and civilians on the ground have come to know and respect the citizens of Iraq. They're a proud people who hold strong and diverse opinions. Yet Iraqis are united in a broad and deep conviction: They're determined never again to live at the mercy of a dictator. And they believe that a national election will put that dark time behind them. A representative government that protects basic rights, elected by Iraqis, is the best defense against the return of tyranny -- and that election is coming. (Applause.)
Completing the five steps to Iraqi elected self-government will not be easy. There's likely to be more violence before the transfer of sovereignty, and after the transfer of sovereignty. The terrorists and Saddam loyalists would rather see many Iraqis die than have any live in freedom. But terrorists will not determine the future of Iraq. (Applause.)
That nation is moving every week toward free elections and a permanent place among free nations. Like every nation that has made the journey to democracy, Iraqis will raise up a government that reflects their own culture and values. I sent American troops to Iraq to defend our security, not to stay as an occupying power. I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free, not to make them American. Iraqis will write their own history, and find their own way. As they do, Iraqis can be certain, a free Iraq will always have a friend in the United States of America. (Applause.)
In the last 32 months, history has placed great demands on our country, and events have come quickly. Americans have seen the flames of September the 11th, followed battles in the mountains of Afghanistan, and learned new terms like "orange alert" and "ricin" and "dirty bomb." We've seen killers at work on trains in Madrid, in a bank in Istanbul, at a synagogue in Tunis, and at a nightclub in Bali. And now the families of our soldiers and civilian workers pray for their sons and daughters in Mosul and Karbala and Baghdad.
We did not seek this war on terror, but this is the world as we find it. We must keep our focus. We must do our duty. History is moving, and it will tend toward hope, or tend toward tragedy. Our terrorist enemies have a vision that guides and explains all their varied acts of murder. They seek to impose Taliban-like rule, country by country, across the greater Middle East. They seek the total control of every person, and mind, and soul, a harsh society in which women are voiceless and brutalized. They seek bases of operation to train more killers and export more violence. They commit dramatic acts of murder to shock, frighten and demoralize civilized nations, hoping we will retreat from the world and give them free rein. They seek weapons of mass destruction, to impose their will through blackmail and catastrophic attacks. None of this is the expression of a religion. It is a totalitarian political ideology, pursued with consuming zeal, and without conscience.
Our actions, too, are guided by a vision. We believe that freedom can advance and change lives in the greater Middle East, as it has advanced and changed lives in Asia, and Latin America, and Eastern Europe, and Africa. We believe it is a tragedy of history that in the Middle East -- which gave the world great gifts of law and science and faith -- so many have been held back by lawless tyranny and fanaticism. We believe that when all Middle Eastern peoples are finally allowed to live and think and work and worship as free men and women, they will reclaim the greatness of their own heritage. And when that day comes, the bitterness and burning hatreds that feed terrorism will fade and die away. America and all the world will be safer when hope has returned to the Middle East.
These two visions -- one of tyranny and murder, the other of liberty and life -- clashed in Afghanistan. And thanks to brave U.S. and coalition forces and to Afghan patriots, the nightmare of the Taliban is over, and that nation is coming to life again. These two visions have now met in Iraq, and are contending for the future of that country. The failure of freedom would only mark the beginning of peril and violence. But, my fellow Americans, we will not fail. We will persevere, and defeat this enemy, and hold this hard-won ground for the realm of liberty.
May God bless our country. (Applause.)

(from Whitehouse.gov)

Posted by lehrer at 09:50 PM

Irshad Manji has been under a constant barrage for her views on Islam, her subversive idea -- simply question authority. This has lead to an assault from within the religion culminating with death threats. While it is easy to see how her views are menacing to the conservative wing of Islam, we received an email from a listener calling himself a moderate Muslim who told us she was washing "dirty linens" for all to see. Reform, this listener said, had to come from within, and Manji’s book was being heavily promoted to westerners- Jews and Christians, therefore not helping her cause.

Email us your thoughts

Posted by leboheme at 03:03 PM

A: Until yesterday, the consensus would probably have been for Richard Ben-Veniste. Last month, he made the ordinarily unflappable Condoleezza Rice squirm as he demanded the name of the August 6, 2001 President's Daily Briefing (it was "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.")

But asked to explain the Commission's genial get-together with former Mayor Giuliani yesterday, Ben-Veniste said this:

"Mayor Giuliani exhibited extraordinary leadership on the day of 9/11 and on the aftermath. The incredible bravery of New York's finest--both firefighters and police, Port Authority and NYPD--was extraordinary, and it needed to be showcased, if you will, in a public hearing once again.”

Non-Sequitur: Russertgate
check out the BL mention in today's Daily News (also picked up by Drudge and Romenesko.)

Posted by lehrer at 03:04 PM

Is the gigantic new glass-and-brick entrance to the Brooklyn Museum a fitting frontispiece? If you attended the BL special "Culture Storm" at the Museum two weeks ago, you may have already formed an opinion.

If you haven't had time to go there yourself, why not adopt someone else's opinon? A listener called Quinton called in today and described the new facade as "seventies sci-fi glass bleachers". Francis Morrone, author of The Architectural Guidebook to New York City (and something of a traditionalist) said this:

"There was a consensus a few years ago that when we added to old buildings we should do so in like style... Nowadays, however, the consensus in the architectural world is that new additions should clash with the old building. That they shouldn't simply be in a modern style, but they should be brutally disjunctive. This is a phase we're going through."

for more opinion and a pic of the new facade: Gothamist

Posted by lehrer at 03:46 PM

Joseph Darby, the whistleblower who first alerted the world to the abuses taking place at Abu Ghraib prison, is an extremely unpopular man in the Western Maryland town he calls home. According to the May 17 Washington Post, many locals believe Darby's actions imperilled his fellow servicemen and can't forgive him for the damage done to the armed forces' reputation. As it happens, Jeremy Sivits, the first military police officer to be court-martialed in the incident, grew up a short distance away from Darby.

So what impels certain people to blow the whistle, and risk their home and welfare? And why are there so few Sherron Watkinses, Colleen Rowleys, and Joseph Darbys? On today's show, Human Rights Watch's Caroll Bogert reflected that the Abu Ghraib scandal "reveals something I think Americans don't like to think about themselves--which is that Americans are not more moral than other people. We are all human beings, and we all carry within ourselves the germ of evil."

Posted by lehrer at 04:27 PM

As every news outlet mentioned, today marked the first day of legally recognized gay weddings in the US. But if blogger Andrew Sullivan gets his wish, the “gay” part of that phrase will be banished from common parlance. On today’s show, Sullivan drew parallels with Brown V Board of Education in explaining its significance. Though it’s a first for the US, three years have passed since the Netherlands became the first country to legalize it. It’s interesting to see the difference in gay marriage laws throughout the world.

On the show, Sullivan also reiterated his second thoughts about the war in Iraq, saying he “went in with his eyes wide shut” to some extent.
...Email us your thoughts

Posted by lehrer at 03:52 PM

Today we got a preview of summer movies from the New York Times' Jodi Kantor. She told us that about 500 movies will get cinematic release this summer, more than twice the normal crop of 200. Her tip: if you see just one Harry Potter flick, make it 2004's Prisoner of Azkaban (dir. Alfonso Cuaron).

The New York Times' 2004 Summer Movie Guide

Coming up Monday: conservative ex-New Republic Editor Andrew Sullivan, who has been sounding increasingly frustrated with the Bush Administration over gay marriage, the conduct of the war in Iraq, and a whole host of other issues. Monday is also the first day gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to marry in Massachusetts.

Posted by lehrer at 03:26 PM

Last weekend, pollster John Zogby declared the 2004 presidential race Kerry's to lose. On our show this morning, Gallup's Frank Newport agreed that Bush should be worried. He found this week that 47% of Americans now favor a reduction in the number of troops in Iraq, an increase of ten percent in just one month.

Newport said that since 1956, five of eight incumbent presidents were re-elected, and all of those enjoyed an approval rate of 50% or more from February onwards to election day. "With the 46% approval, Bush is closer to the three who lost than to the five who won."

Posted by lehrer at 03:45 PM

Today the show focused on a week of events for New Yorkers without health insurance. It's called (aptly) Cover the Uninsured Week. We got a lot of questions and requests for more information from our listeners so to that end we decided to post links to organizations involved. The number for more information mentioned during the show is 1-888-538-4371 and the website is www.covertheuninsuredweek.org

The Commonwealth Fund has just released a report on the average costs of healthcare for a New York family and how it has changed in recent years. Click here to read it.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a study that showed that 1 in 4 city residents is without health insurance. Click here to read that study.

The United Hospital Fund has researched the issue of healthcare insurance in relation to New York. Click here to read their findings.

Posted by lehrer at 04:57 PM

This morning the show aired live hearings taking place before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the abuse of prisoners by US servicemen. The most compelling testimony came from the unflappable Major General Anthony Taguba, who authored the report that detailed abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. Click here to listen to General Taguba explain the failure of leadership.

Posted by lehrer at 04:06 PM

This week, we will be posting excerpts of selected listener emails in the blog. If you would like to comment on this (or anything else on the show for that matter), email us your thoughts. Today, listeners weigh in on the interview with journalist Anthony Lewis

It is clear that the prosecution for *picture taking* is a sanction for whistle blowing. Before the Senate, Rumsfeld himself said not that the torture documented would be worse, but that the *situation* would be when further photos came out.

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I fully agree with Anthony Lewis's column.

My first thoughts after seeing the photographs went in two directions: first to the prisoners in Guantanamo, for whom I have no sympathy and yet feel are deserving of being brought before the light of day and fully investigated and tried before a US court of law. The secrecy of their internment is counter to our best traditions, and gives our enemies fuel from our hypocrisy.

Secondly, I could not help thinking how tone deaf our leaders are to history to preserve the prison in the first place. I would say liberators would have bulldozed the prison, as France revolutionaries did the Bastille, as the symbol of tyranny. This goes to the same post victory lapses in protecting the oil ministry in Baghdad and letting all the cultural and social institutions to be looted.

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Bush's culpability in this fiasco stems from the lack of resources and planning that went into the post-war. Every description of the Army Reserve unit that oversaw the prison portrayed it as poorly trained and under-staffed. We know from the Woodward book that we spent over a year planning the war itself in meticulous detail, and yet we couldn't provide extra training for these soldiers before the war? The fact that the Abu Ghraib was overcrowded and being shelled on a regular basis stems directly from the absence of any realistic plan for the managing the transition to democracy, and from there simply not being enough troops to deal with the insurgency. It is these "facts on the ground" that set the conditions for the abuses at Abu Ghraib. And they are directly Bush's responsibility.

Posted by lehrer at 05:00 PM

This morning two community activists tangled—and sometimes tangoed—over plans to build a Nets arena in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Bertha Lewis, whose ACORN organization advocates for poor New Yorkers, is working with the developer to make plans for 900 new units of affordable housing. Joel Towers, a professor of urban design at Parsons and an area resident, said Bruce Ratner’s plans will mar the brownstone neighborhood with ugly high-rises.

There were some surprising points of agreement in the conversation: Towers praised Ratner’s pledge to make 50% of the new housing middle-and low-income, but warned that the development still might destroy the neighborhood’s character. Lewis agreed with Towers that the ‘no’ camp had not had a chance to have its voice properly heard at a recent hearing. She blamed Councilwoman Letitia James, who herself opposes the arena, and whom Lewis had supported for election last year. Lewis also acknowledged that ACORN received funding from Ratner’s organization five years ago.

for alternatives to the Ratner plan: Develop, Don't Destroy

Posted by lehrer at 03:58 PM

Tomorrow, former ambassador Joseph Wilson will talk about his impressions of the Bush administration and his thoughts on the outing of his CIA agent wife. In the meantime, tell us what you think about this excerpt from his book, “The Politics of Truth: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Exposed My Wife's CIA Identity--A Diplomat's Memoir:”

Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson on "Vice President Cheney's own parallel national security office.":

That particular little-known organization - not accountable to Congress and virtually unknown to the American people - should be completely dismantled. Never in the history of our democracy has there been established such an influential and pervasive center of power with the ability to circumvent long-standing and accepted reporting structures and to skew decision-making practices. It has been described to me chillingly by a former senior government official as a coup d'etat within the state.

Posted by lehrer at 12:50 PM

We began a conversation on the new culture wars on today's show with Kay Hymowitz but we're going to continue it tonight when we take our show to the Brooklyn Museum - here are the details - we hope to see you there. The show will be broadcast tomorrow morning at 10.

Posted by lehrer at 04:08 PM

Former Defense Sec’y Robert McNamara (who referred to himself as former Secretary of State) appeared with anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott (who said she’s not an anti-nuclear activist but a pediatrician and specialist in global preventive medicine). Strange bedfellows? Maybe, but they’re talking about the remaining threat from cold war nuclear weapons as few others are, as in their joint op-ed in the LA Times. But McNamara, who famously did not go public with his opposition to LBJ’s Vietnam escalation, says he feels it would be inappropriate for someone in his position to comment on a current administration’s war. We had hoped he would have learned the cost of silence.

Posted by lehrer at 04:52 PM

On today’s show, we play excerpts from John Kerry’s Westminster College speech Friday, his most specific yet about what he’d do differently in Iraq. Wonder why this was only on page A12 of Saturday’s NY Times. Here is a link to the full text. http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0430.html

And we talk to Seymour Hersh, on his New Yorker article revealing that the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq appears to go higher than just a few American sickos. Here’s the full text of that.
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040510fa_fact

Email us your comments

Posted by lehrer at 08:48 AM