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RESPONDING TO PROTESTS, GADHAFIMAKES BLOODY APPEAL
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
In Libya, there are reports of heavy fighting in parts of the country and joyous celebration in
others. In the west near Tripoli, pro-democracy demonstrators clashed with security forces loyal
to Moammar Gadhafi. In the east, opponents of Gadhafi claim to be gaining ground.
NPR's Jason Beaubien is following the situation from Cairo. As he tells us, today, Libya's
longtime ruler once again called on his people to beat back the protestors.
JASON BEAUBIEN: Moammar Gadhafi, in a speech today, blasted the anti-government forces
that are steadily grabbing control of his country. Speaking by telephone from an undisclosed
location over Libyan state TV, Colonel Gadhafi declared that he doesn't rule Libya, the people
rule Libya. And he called on the people to arrest the vandals who he says are destroying the
nation.
Colonel MOAMMAR GADHAFI (Leader, Libya): (Speaking foreign language)
BEAUBIEN: If you destroy your own country, Gadhafi said, well, that's it.
The speech veered from one topic to another. Defending his four decades in power, thestrongman pointed out that Queen Elizabeth has ruled England for 57 years. He blamed the
Libyan uprising on al-Qaeda and said the protesters are on drugs.
NPR received reports today of a brutal fight for control of the city of Zaouia, 30 miles west of
Tripoli. A Libyan newspaper reported that 23 people were killed and 44 injured in the clashes.
Gadhafi directly addressed the people of Zaouia, saying they must take the protesters' weapons
away.
Col. GADHAFI: (Speaking foreign language)
BEAUBIEN: My people of Zaouia, cut the ties with your sons, Gadhafi said. Chase the criminals,bring them to court, bring back your children. They were brainwashed. Cure them of the drugs
they are taking.
Gadhafi has unleashed the bloodiest response yet to the recent wave of pro-democracy protests
that are sweeping the Arab world. The Libyan government puts the death toll at 300 lives over
the last week. But human rights activists say the number is probably much higher.
(Soundbite of airport)
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BEAUBIEN: Thousands of foreigners are attempting to flee Libya as the chaos grows. At the
Cairo airport, people arriving on a flight from Tripoli say people are desperate to get out of the
Libyan capital. Among them was 27-year-old Egyptian Hamda Saad(ph).
(Soundbite of airport)
Mr. HAMDA SAAD: (Speaking foreign language)
BEAUBIEN: In the airport we were afraid and we were afraid that thugs would come after us,
Saad says. Returnees say that Tripoli is gripped with fear right now. Most people are staying in
their houses and people who do go out are carrying pictures of Gadhafi as a form of protection.
This contrasts sharply with the reports we're getting from the east of Libya. A man in the eastern
city of Benghazi, who was still afraid to give his name, says people have been dancing in the
streets, celebrating the ouster of Gadhafi's security forces.
(Soundbite of report)
Unidentified Man: Old people, young people, families, small children, everywhere, everyone was
there.
BEAUBIEN: Libya has become the focus of the pro-democracy movement right now in the Arab
world. Here in Cairo, young men and women are loading medicine, food and other supplies onto
a truck bound for eastern Libya.
(Soundbite of street)
Mr. MOHAMMED ADEL (Architect): We are not donating food. We are sharing your case. We
are by your side.
BEAUBIEN: Thirty-year-old Mohammed Adel, who's an architect by day, says the supplies they
are sending are not nearly as important as the act of showing solidarity with the activists in Libya.(Soundbite of street)
Mr. ADEL: This is the real message we want to send to the Libyans. This is what they really
need, you know. People can survive without food, can survive without, you know, medication.
They can still, you know, keep alive. But the support, you know, the spiritual, this is what they
really need.
BEAUBIEN: He says they'll keep supporting their brothers in Libya until Gadhafi finally leaves.
Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Cairo.
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PROFESSOR EVACUATES FROM LIBYA
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
We just heard briefly about the chaotic and scary scene for people trying to evacuate Libya.
We're going to talk now with someone who did manage to leave the country. Helena Sheehan
had gone to Tripoli last week to give a lecture. She's 66 years old and professor emeritus at
Dublin City University in Ireland. And just this afternoon, she made it back home safely to Dublin.
Professor HELENA SHEEHAN (Dublin City University): I'm delighted to be home. I don't know
when I've ever been so delighted to be home.
NORRIS: How long did it actually take you to get home?
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Prof. SHEEHAN: Oh, I went to the airport early yesterday morning and got home here this
afternoon.
NORRIS: How long had you been in Tripoli before the chaos started?
Prof. SHEEHAN: Six days.
NORRIS: And you were there to deliver a lecture?
Prof. SHEEHAN: I was there to give a lecture and the lecture was postponed and postponed
again. And then my hosts abandoned me.
NORRIS: Who were your hosts and why did they abandon you?
Prof. SHEEHAN: Well, it was Sunday night that they abandoned me. Tripoli, it seemed to be
totally pro-Gadhafi city and from Sunday night it all shifted. The anti-government people started
coming out and the pro-Gadhafi forces fought back and so all night there was gunfire and
burning buildings. So that -everything shifted.
And then I got a call from reception saying the hotel was being evacuated. So I said, I have no
place to go, I know nobody here. And so she got me a booking at my own expense at another
hotel, which was even closer to the action, actually, in the very center of Tripoli near Green
Square. So I moved there. Then I found out that my flight home was cancelled. And the situation
kept deteriorating.
NORRIS: How did you actually get to the airport?
Prof. SHEEHAN: Oh, to leave, oh - Tuesday night I got a call from the Department of Foreign
Affairs here in Ireland saying that they were sending a small jet to Malta that would hopefully get
permission to land in Tripoli to evacuate us. So, you know, there was a thread of hope. And they
said, go to the airport in the morning. So I did.NORRIS: So what was the scene like when you actually got to the airport? What happened?
How did you actually get on a flight?
Prof. SHEEHAN: Well, that's the story. I mean, the Tripoli airport is real airport hell. First of all,
before you get into the airport, I was stunned by, you know - the way into the airport, there were
all of these people camped out in the rain, I don't know for how long, hundreds of people camped
out in the rain. I think mostly Egyptians and Tunisians.
And then as you came closer to the airport, just these heaving masses of people trying to get in
the airport, hundreds of people trying to get in the airport. And then when you get in the airport,
there are thousands of thousands of people in the airport. And to get in there and to try to find
who you would ask or what you would do or to whom you could speak, I felt absolutely lost.
And then at some stage, a young Italian woman came up to me and said, where are you from?
And I told her. And she said, oh, over there there's a - I hadn't even noticed, there's a group of
Irish and British people. And some of them were Irish people, teachers that worked in Libya who
were being evacuated in the same flight as me.
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So we got through the morass of the airport and got onto the tarmac, got onto one of those
buses and circled around for three-quarters of an hour and they couldn't find the plane. And then
they brought us back to where we had gone out and they said that it's left without you. You know,
an evacuation that didn't evacuate.
NORRIS: Oh my goodness. I can't - I just am trying to imagine what that must've been like for
you.
Prof. SHEEHAN: However, the British foreign office people said that they would take us onto
their evacuation flight, which would be in some hours.
NORRIS: Now, before, I want to take you back. I want you to describe something for me and for
all of our listeners, the feeling when you sat back in that plane and put your seatbelt on and you
felt the wheels of that jet leave the ground.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Prof. SHEEHAN: And then it lifted off. It was fantastic. Fantastic.
NORRIS: Helena Sheehan, I have to make an observation. You sound remarkably calm giveneverything that you've just been through.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Prof. SHEEHAN: I'm not. I'm not. Well, of course, I'm calmer now that I'm out than I was then.
But, I mean, I'm very apprehensive about the people of Libya. I think it's horrendous. It's
horrendous.
NORRIS: Helena Sheehan just arrived home in Dublin, Ireland, after evacuating from Tripoli,
Libya. Helena Sheehan, thank you very much for speaking with us.
Prof. SHEEHAN: You're welcome. Nice to talk to you.
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BRITISH JUDGE: WIKILEAKS FOUNDER CAN BE EXTRADITED
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
A British judge ruled today that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden.
There he would face questioning and possible prosecution over allegations of sexual assault.
Assange insists he will appeal, but Vicki Barker reports from London that he faces an uphill
battle.
(Soundbite of reporters)
Unidentified Man #1: Julian. Julian.
Unidentified Man #2: Julian.
Unidentified Woman: (Speaking foreign language)
VICKI BARKER: Julian Assange has accused Swedish prosecutors of mounting a politically
motivated attempt to silence him and his free speech cause.
(Soundbite of reporters)
BARKER: He shouldn't be sent back to Sweden, he's told the International Press Corps, because
he won't get a fair trial there. Today, a British judge rejected all of the defense arguments.
Assange's lawyer, Mark Stevens, immediately said he'll appeal.
Mr. MARK STEVENS (Attorney): It reaffirms the concerns that we have about the form of tickbox
justice that is the European arrest warrant.
BARKER: Assange himself said he'd been expecting the ruling. Ninety-five percent of all
attempts to challenge the Europe-wide warrant are rejected, he said.
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Mr. STEVENS: It comes as no surprise, but is nonetheless wrong, a rubber-stamping process
that is a result of a European arrest warrant system run amuck.
BARKER: Although he denied ever implying American intelligence was behind the initial
accusations against him, Assange said he does continue to believe political pressure is being
exerted from unseen quarters.
Mr. JULIAN ASSANGE (Founder, WikiLeaks): Why is it that I am subject, a nonprofit free speechactivist, to a $360,000 bail? Why is it that I am kept under electronic house arrest when I have
not even been charged in any country?
BARKER: The system didn't allow him to rebut the allegations against him, he said. Instead, it
allows bureaucrats to, in his words, use the coercive power of another state to drag people off to
an uncertain destiny. But the judge ruled that the allegations of sexual coercion and the single
accusation of rape are extraditable offenses.
The judge also said the warrant itself had been properly issued. Assange now has seven days to
launch his appeal. If he loses that, he can take his case to Britain's Supreme Court. But
extradition expert Michael Caplan says it's likely all that will buy him is time.
Mr. MICHAEL CAPLAN (Extradition Expert): He does face an uphill tussle because there are
very limited grounds upon which you can appeal against his extradition warrants.
BARKER: And the judge, Caplan says, addressed all of those grounds in his ruling. Many of
Assange's supporters fear that the Swedes might hand him over to the Americans to be tried on
espionage charges. Not so, says extradition lawyer Julian Knowles. He's a colleague of the
British prosecutor who represented the Swedes in this case.
Mr. JULIAN KNOWLES (Extradition Attorney): The Swedes would not be able to extradite him
without the consent of the United Kingdom. That's a fundamental rule in extradition law.BARKER: Both Sweden and the U.K. refuse to extradite suspects to countries that might apply
the death penalty. If the Americans were to file less serious charges, Knowles says, then any
decision to extradite would be made by Britain's home secretary. But Assange could still take his
legal battle all the way to the European court of human rights.
For NPR News, I'm Vicki Barker in London.
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GM Posts $4.7 Billion In Profits Last YearbySonari Glinton
February 24, 2011
Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered
[2 min 27 sec] Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
General Motorshas had a banner year from its stock offering in November to the triumphant
debut of the Chevy Volt. Now the company has reported earnings of $4.7 billion for last year. Butit still has a way to go before it's independent of the government.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
General Motors is making money again - and a lot of it. After reinventing itself in bankruptcy with
a big assist from taxpayers, GM reported annual profits of $4.7 billion today. It's the company's
first profitable year since 2004.
As NPR's Sonari Glinton reports, the numbers are so strong, they're prompting speculation that
GM's recovery is complete.
SONARI GLINTON: It's been a banner year for General Motors. But in this last year, GM and its
CEO, Dan Akerson, have made it a point of sounding humble.
Mr. DAN AKERSON (CEO, General Motors): We know what went wrong and I believe we've
learned a lot from that.
GLINTON: That's Akerson when the company went public in November. Here he is on this show
back in December.
Mr. AKERSON: On behalf of the company and all of its employees, I'd like to thank the American
public for their assistance.
GLINTON: And this morning...
http://www.npr.org/people/130330851/sonari-glintonhttp://www.npr.org/people/130330851/sonari-glintonhttp://www.npr.org/people/130330851/sonari-glintonhttp://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_04.mp3?dl=1http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_04.mp3?dl=1http://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:GMhttp://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:GMhttp://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:GMhttp://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_04.mp3?dl=1http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034835%2C%20134034811%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/people/130330851/sonari-glinton -
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Mr. AKERSON: We know we still have a lot to do and we plan to continue to build on our
progress.
GLINTON: GM's post-bankruptcy balance sheet is impressive. These are the best profits since
1999. But what about the company's culture?
Ms. REBECCA LINDLAND (Analyst, IHS Automotive): I think they still have more work to do
internally.
GLINTON: Rebecca Lindland is an analyst with IHS Automotive. She says GM has done
exceedingly well in the last year. But it's not time for a victory lap.
Ms. LINDLAND: I think that there is still some Detroit-centric thinking. There also is just - is some
idea that, you know, the worst is over and look how far we've come.
GLINTON: Despite how far GM has come, its stock took a hit today. Gary Bradshaw, an
investment analyst with Hodges Capital Management, says the thing that is hurting GM's stock is
far from Detroit.
Mr. GARY BRADSHAW (Investment Analyst, Hodges Capital Management): Here it is that, youknow, last week we had Egypt out there and this week it's Libya and next week it's, could it be
Saudi Arabia?
GLINTON: Bradshaw says fear of uncertainty in the Middle East and higher gas prices has a
direct effect on car sales and GM.
Mr. BRADSHAW: I think that person walking in the showroom, when he walks by a pump and it's
3.29 or 3.39, they're going to think, well, you know, maybe I ought to hold off and wait a little bit.
And so there's a little hesitation right now.
GLINTON: Bradshaw says if nature abhors a vacuum, then the car industry definitely abhorsinstability, especially in the Middle East.
Sonari Glinton, NPR News, Detroit.
Toyota Pledges To Recall 2.2 Million MoreVehiclesFebruary 24, 2011
Listen to the Story
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All Things Considered
[43 sec] Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
Toyotahas agreed to recall another 2.2 million vehicles in the U.S. to make sure the floor matsdon't interfere with the gas pedal. The agreement brings to a close the government's long-
running investigation of safety issues at Toyota.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
So, good news for GM, but some bad news today for Toyota. It agreed to recall another 2.2
million vehicles in the U.S. The company wants to make sure its floor mats aren't interfering with
the gas pedal. The announcement comes with a silver lining for the automaker. The agreement
brings to a close the government's long-running investigation of safety issues at Toyota.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
A rash of accidents involving runaway cars, including one that left four people dead led to
speculation that unintended acceleration had been caused by software issues or faulty
electronics. Earlier this month, government safety regulators issued a report that rejected those
claims. Toyota has long taken the position that accidents were caused either by the floor mats or
driver error.
A CALL TO SLOW DOWN CALIFORNIAS
HIGH-SPEED RAILCopyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
text sizeAAA
Heard on All Things Considered
February 24, 2011 - ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034839%2C%20134034812%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034839%2C%20134034812%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034839%2C%20134034812%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_05.mp3?dl=1http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_05.mp3?dl=1http://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:TMhttp://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:TMhttp://npr.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/export/v3/?frame=NPRTearsheet&action=getFrame&search=NYSE:TMhttp://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_05.mp3?dl=1http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034839%2C%20134034812%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/ -
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Wisconsin, Ohio and most recently, Florida, have now turned down billions of dollars for high-
speed rail; dollars from Washington. But not California. It's moving forward with its high-speed
project and welcomes any and all federal money left behind. The first leg of the train is set to run
between two cities in California's bread basket: Fresno and Bakersfield.
NPR's Shereen Marisol Meraji visited a farm town on the proposed line and she talked with
community leaders who aren't yet onboard with the plan.
SHEREEN MARISOL MERAJI: Corcoran calls itself the farming capital of California. There's a
great big sign right in front of the main drive that says so and a farm right across the street from it
just in case you need proof. Corcoran has an old timey feel to it and that's what City Manager
Ron Hoggard likes.
Mr. RON HOGGARD (City Manager, Corcoran, California): We're small-town America. We're
Mayberry.
MERAJI: The analogy would be dead-on if nearly half of Mayberry's population were behind
bars. You see, 12 of the 25,000 Corcoran residents are in prison.There are two prisons here, a
lot of farmland, and an unemployment rate of 17 percent. Corcoran represents the path of leastresistance for California's controversial high-speed rail project: lots of open space and a bad
economy.
But Mayor Larry Hanshew has a long list of unanswered questions.
Mr. LARRY HANSHEW (Mayor, Corcoran, California): Why start something if we don't know we
can finish it? And the job that it would create for Corcoran are fantastic - that's great, we love it,
we need it, we want to see the jobs, we want to see the economy of Corcoran really begin to
thrive. But sometimes you wonder, at what cost?
MERAJI: Hanshew and Hoggard wonder if thejobs created will be permanent, where the trainwill go, how noisy it will be and if there's enough money to finish the project. On top of those
worries, they're fielding concerns from locals like this one.
Mr. BARRIE BOYETT (Farmer): I'm Barrie Boyett and I farmed here in Corcoran for over 50
years.
MERAJI: Boyett farms cotton, wheat and pistachios on his land. Although he doesn't know
exactly where the tracks will go, he's convinced that a bullet train will kill his livelihood.
Mr. BOYETT: It'll ruin our ranch, I mean, absolutely ruin it. And I know how the government
works. When they get ready to buy land, they'll buy at the very cheapest price they can buy it at.
So I know exactly how that'll work.
MERAJI: Boyett doesn't know why California is rushing to do something other states have
rejected and going ahead without the $45 billion the California High-Speed Rail Authority
estimates it will take to get the job done.
Mr. BOYETT: I don't plant a crop until I know I've got the money to finish that crop.
MERAJI: California High-Speed Rail Authority deputy director Jeff Barker says that's not the right
way to think about it. He says it's much more like buying a house than planting crops. You start
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with a good down payment, in this case, $3.6 billion federal dollars and nearly 10 billion from
California taxpayers, and you go from there.
Mr. JEFF BARKER (Deputy Director, California High-Speed Rail Authority): That's because a
home is an investment and infrastructure is an investment in our future. And the bottom line is
we're going to go from 38 million to 50 million people. And our freeways are going to be clogged,
our airport runways are going to be clogged. We need another transportation option.
MERAJI: California State Senator Alan Lowenthal, a Democrat, agrees that high-speed rail can
be a good investment and a great transportation alternative. But he wants more government
oversight. He doesn't have confidence in the current authority's cost estimates, ridership
numbers and proposed ticket prices. And Lowenthal says he's just not convinced California's
Central Valley, with its relatively sparse population, is the right place to start.
State Senator ALAN LOWENTHAL (Democrat, California): I just would really like us to take a
deep breath, not to make decisions because there's a gun to our head, because unless we make
this decision, we're going to lose this federal money, because still, the largest contributors are
the people of California, and we need accurate data. We're not ready to throw the baby out with
the bath like other states have done, but we want to make sure we do it right.
MERAJI: For Jeff Barker of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, taking that deep breath
might lead to the end of the line for high-speed rail in California. He's convinced that if you build
it, they will come. Shereen Marisol Meraji, NPR News.
FREED ACTIVISTS OFFER REMINDER OFBAHRAINS PAST
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text sizeAAA
Heard on All Things Considered
February 24, 2011 - MICHELE NORRIS, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
The mostly Shiite demonstrators camped out in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, got a boost
today. Their government released a number of political prisoners, including veteran activists from
past protests.
Those released don't claim to be leaving the opposition now, but NPR's Peter Kenyon reports
that they are seen by many as living reminders of the pitfalls of negotiating with the Sunni-led
government.
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PETER KENYON: The young protesters who have been on the front lines of the demonstrations
here have been reluctant to take up the government's offer of a national dialogue. For some, it's
people like Abduljalil al-Singace who fuel their worries that negotiated victories can disappear
once the pressure is off the government.
(Soundbite of protestors)
KENYON: Singace was among those whose freedom was celebrated at the Central Pearl Circle.He's one of the leaders of the Al-Haq Movement, which has refused to participate in Bahrain's
elections on the grounds that the government reneged on its promise of a parliament with real
powers.
(Soundbite of chanting protestors)
KENYON: In an interview with a small group of reporters at his home, Singace framed the
current crisis in the kind of historical terms that are anathema to supporters of Bahrain's Sunni
royal family. He calls himself one of the indigenous people of Bahrain; the mostly Shiite tribes
people who were here when the Al-Khalifa dynasty began more than two centuries ago.
Professor ABDULJALIL AL-SINGACE (Engineer/Chairman, University of Bahrain, Al-Haq
Movement): The indigenous citizens of this land have put forward their lives in order to be truly
represented in the public life. Those who had been in the front have been eliminated by the
regime. It's a pity that the regime has not really learned from history.
KENYON: It's a view that gives short shrift to the island's history as a key trading post that
attracted a polyglot population over the centuries. Many Bahrainis of Indian, Omani and Persian
descent claim a long lineage here. But through it all, the Shiite population has felt like second-
class citizens.
But the reform movement does have a long history here. Singace says the constitution of 1973included much of what demonstrators today are calling for. But that constitution was abrogated
two years later, the parliament dissolved and emergency rule put in place for the next 17 years.
Singace says the struggle to regain those lost rights has brought some hard lessons.
Prof. AL-SINGACE: Bahrainis have always considered themselves as decent, and they have
been seeking peaceful means.
(Soundbite of protestors)
KENYON: The other major force that rose up here, especially in the wake of Iran's Islamic
Revolution in 1979, was religious fundamentalism. A brief Shiite uprising in 1981 confirmed theSunni royal family's fears, and those of their patrons in neighboring Saudi Arabia, that there was
a danger of the island's Shiite majority being hijacked by religious forces.
The last major uprising here was in the 1990s, when people like Abdel Wahab Hussein were
important players. He attended the funerals last week of some of the young men killed in the
latest protests, and said the youth had taken the struggle to a new level.
Sheikh ABDEL WAHAB HUSSEIN (Shiia Religious Leader/Political Activist): (Through
Translator) There is a lot of difference between what's happening now and the 1990s. There's
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more street experience now. People have learned from Tunisia and Egypt, they will have victory.
No one can stop the young people now.
KENYON: Hussein remains a bright-eyed and cordial elder statesman - tall and slender, clearly
revered by the young men who surround him. He argued that the mistake of the 1990s was to
back off when the government promised reforms, only to water them down later.
Sheikh HUSSEIN: (Through Translator) The protests of the '90s succeeded in bringing theNational Charter, the king's promise of real reform. But the government wasted its golden chance
when it produced a constitution that didn't live up to those promises. What you're seeing today
are the results of that failure.
KENYON: But other Bahrainis warn that if young Shiites today decide that only pressure and
confrontation can achieve their goals, they risk another violent crackdown, especially if the Saudi
leadership decides things are getting out of hand.
All sides are watching closely as the young demonstrators search for their next step.
Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Manama.
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Al-Qaida Will Adapt To Mideast Changes,
Experts SayCopyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms ofUse. For other uses, prior permission required.
text sizeAAA
Heard on All Things Considered
February 24, 2011 - MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Before al-Qaida set its sights on the United States and the West, the group's top priority was to
topple regimes in the Arab world. Now uprisings are actually taking place. And in Libya today,
longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi blamed the terrorist network for unrest in his country.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
He made his latest rambling appeal by phone over state television. Here's a clip, as interpreted
on Al-Jazeera's English news channel.
President MOAMMAR GADHAFI (Libya): (Through Translator) What has been the inciting factor
behind all this is the al-Qaida and bin Laden.
SIEGEL: And Gadhafi said al-Qaida has brainwashed and given hallucinatory drugs to Libyan
youth.
President GADHAFI: (Through Translator) Those enemies who have been training their kids,those are the ones who are under bin Laden's influence and authority.
NORRIS: Whether Gadhafi is right or not, there are real questions about what al-Qaida would do
as people rise up in the Middle East and North Africa.
As NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports, Western intelligence officials are watching to find out.
DINA TEMPLE-RASTON: What a difference a few weeks makes. As this year began, European
capitals issued terror alerts. The U.S. was investigating a plot out of Yemen to bomb U.S. cargo
planes. And then, the Arab world got its first taste of people power.
(Soundbite of protestors)
Dr. KHALID ABBAS: Look, there is no going back. This is the start of the revolution. We have
acquired the first step. But we still have a lot to do.
TEMPLE-RASTON: What that same revolution will mean for al-Qaida is now being debated.
Mr. JUAN ZARATE (Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies): What this
current environment may be doing is shifting the ground under al-Qaida's feet.
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TEMPLE-RASTON: Juan Zarate is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies.
Mr. ZARATE: That is to say, al-Qaida has been very good at focusing the attention of their
constituents and of the world on this idea of the far enemy. That is that all of the world's
problems, all of the angst and grievances of the Middle East can be blamed on the United
States, or at least can be affected by attacking the United States.
TEMPLE-RASTON: Over the past several weeks, nonviolent demonstrations in Tunis and Cairo
have affected more change in a matter of days than al-Qaida has by targeting the West for more
than a decade. Analysts say al-Qaida is aware of the problem and will change its strategy
accordingly.
Professor BRUCE HOFFMAN (Director, Center for Peace and Security Studies, Georgetown
University): The al-Qaida has always been ambidextrous.
TEMPLE-RASTON: Bruce Hoffman is a terrorism expert at Georgetown University.
Prof. HOFFMAN: And that's part of the opportunism that I think accounts for its longevity and
ability to survive the two-plus decades that it's existed. It'll exploit whatever issue is served in
front of it, and do so equally adroitly. So for now it will focus on the near enemy.
TEMPLE-RASTON: The near enemy - the regimes closer to home.
Rick "Ozzie" Nelson is the director of the Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Program at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He says al-Qaida will likely target the near
enemies in Yemen and Libya first, and put less emphasis on targeting the West.
Mr. RICK "OZZIE" NELSON (Center for Strategic and International Studies): Both those
countries obviously have longer-standing ties to al-Qaida's senior leadership, and they are
probably best positioned to exploit the weakness in those countries.
TEMPLE-RASTON: Al-Qaida already has an arm in Yemen. That group was behind the attempt
to bomb a U.S. airliner two Christmases ago and the cargo bomb plot last fall. So that's Yemen.
Then there's Libya. One of al-Qaida's top leaders is from Libya and continues to have ties with
violent Islamists there. And if the new governments in Tunisia and Egypt don't provide their
citizens with the changes they want, that could provide al-Qaida with an opportunity, too.
Again, Rick Nelson.
Mr. NELSON: If the grievances aren't addressed and they demonstrate that peaceful means did
not bring about the changes they wanted, they can go back and al-Qaida can say, see, you doneed violent to do this.
TEMPLE-RASTON: Focusing on the near enemy in the region could mean less of a threat to the
U.S., but not necessarily. Hoffman says as popular movements sweep the Middle East, people
have been too quick to count al-Qaida out.
Prof. HOFFMAN: Al-Qaida is in it for the long haul. And even if we don't hear from them now, it
doesn't mean that they're not plotting and planning to use what they see as a golden opportunity
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to their advantage. So I would say it's just too soon to tell how what's going on in the Middle East
and North Africa today will affect al-Qaida in the long run.
TEMPLE-RASTON: Hoffman says analysts are always underestimating al-Qaida's ability to
adapt.
Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.
Indiana Legislature Faces StalematebyClaudio Sanchez
February 24, 2011
Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered
[4 min 15 sec]
Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
Republicans and Democrats in the Indiana Legislature are at an impasse in their battle over
labor rights. All legislation is on hold, including two key bills that would limit teachers' rights to
negotiate contracts, and another that would no longer require workers to join a union as a
condition of employment.
http://www.npr.org/people/2101122/claudio-sanchezhttp://www.npr.org/people/2101122/claudio-sanchezhttp://www.npr.org/people/2101122/claudio-sanchezhttp://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_09.mp3?dl=1http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_09.mp3?dl=1http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/atc/2011/02/20110224_atc_09.mp3?dl=1http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.add_to_playlist%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/http://npr.player.openplayer%28134034843%2C%20134034816%2C%20null%2C%20npr.player.action.play_now%2C%20npr.player.type.story%2C%20%270%27%29/http://www.npr.org/people/2101122/claudio-sanchez -
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Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
Protests continued in Wisconsin today. Legislators in the assembly there are near a vote on a
controversial bill that would take away some collective bargaining rights from many public
employees. Action in the state Senate, though, remains at an impasse. State troopers were sentto the homes of the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state to prevent a vote on the bill, not one
was found at home.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
Meanwhile, the legislature in Indiana also ground to a halt today, as Republicans and Democrats
battled over labor rights there. All legislation is on hold, including a vote on the state's budget.
Earlier this week, all but two Democrats walked out of the state house.
From Indianapolis, NPR's Claudio Sanchez has the latest on the Indiana stalemate.
CLAUDIO SANCHEZ: By 10:00 this morning it was clear, Indiana lawmakers would not be takingup the people's business.
State Representative BRIAN BOSMA (R-IN, House Speaker): Roll call shows 63 members
present.
(Soundbite of a gavel)
State Rep. BOSMA: The chair declares that there's not a quorum for business.
SANCHEZ: That's House Speaker Brian Bosma, who says Democrats, including those who have
fled to Illinois, told him they had no intention of returning today or tomorrow to vote on the budget
and dozens of bills unless Republicans do the following: pull their proposal to curtail teachers'collective bargaining rights, drop their school vouchers proposal and abandon efforts to declare
Indiana a right to work state. Bosma says those demands are politically unacceptable.
Rep. BOSMA: This is more than just labor issues. This is a concerted effort to change the
agenda that was - that the folks selected at the ballot box last November. And my response has
been - that's not going to happen.
(Soundbite of protest)
SANCHEZ: Outside the House chambers, hundreds of union members chanted you're fired.
They were in no mood to compromise.This is exactly what Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels wanted to avoid. He wants to press unions
to make concessions but, unlike his counterparts in Ohio and Wisconsin, he did not want to
confront unions this legislative session, focusing instead on school reform.
Meanwhile, House Republicans insist their goal is to attract companies and investors who would
rather not deal with unions. But union leaders don't believe that.
Mr. NATHAN SCHNELLENBURGER: Their goal is to destroy our association.
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SANCHEZ: Nathan Schnellenburger heads Indiana's state teachers association. He says no one
is more threatened in this fight over workers' rights than teachers. Already, Republicans in the
Indiana Senate have pushed through a bill limiting teachers' bargaining rights. It would deny
them the right to negotiate things like class size, tenure and teacher evaluations.
Schnellenburger says another bill ties teacher pay to student performance.
Mr. SCHNELLENBURGER: Teachers have been targeted, and I think that it's - that is politically
motivated because traditionally, unions have contributed more money to Democratic candidates
than they have to Republican candidates.
SANCHEZ: Schnellenburger says if you weaken the unions, you likely weaken the Democratic
Party and insists that's the motivation for this fight.
On the streets of Indianapolis, far from the political drama and long lines of protestors, people
seem to be growing weary. Stefanie Dirth, a young woman who works as a microbiologist, says
it's frustrating to hear and read about the political bickering day after day.
Ms. STEFANIE DIRTH: I think that Republicans are quick to shoot down anything that
Democrats do, and Democrats are really quick to shoot down anything Republicans do, andthere's not enough talking. It's actually kind of sad.
And there appears to be no end in sight. If House Democrats do not show up tomorrow, all
pending legislation will die, including any chance of passing a new state budget. What happens
after that is anybody's guess.
Claudio Sanchez, NPR News, Indianapolis.
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Classic Film Returns To Theatersby Rick Karr
February 24, 2011
Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered
[5 min 31 sec] Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
On the Boweryinspired John Cassavetes to make movies that's how good it is. It was
nominated for an Oscar and won a top prize at the Venice Film Festival. Yet the 1957
docudrama has rarely been seen since then. Now, the story of alcoholics on the Bowery is backin theaters.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
And I'm Michele Norris.
The Academy Awards are this weekend, but we're going to look back now to 1957. One of the
Oscar nominees for Best Documentary that year was Lionel Rogosin's "On The Bowery." It was
set on New York City's Skid Row.
In addition to an Oscar nomination, the film won the top documentary prize at the Venice Film
Festival. But Rogosin then fell largely into the footnotes of American cinematic history.
Now, Rick Karr reports that's changing.
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Mr. MICHAEL ROGOSIN: You know, the human face is something rather extraordinary. I think
my father had an extraordinary fascination and feeling for it, which comes through in that film.
Every time I see it, I see something I haven't seen before. I think it's a phenomenon which I find
actually rather incredible because you see a film five, 10 times, and you see something new
each time.
And I never get tired of it. I think it has to do with the beauty of the cinematography but also this
whole concept of portraiture, of these faces, which are ravished but very human and beautiful at
the same time.
KARR: Those portraits of the Bowery men were actually inspired by Rembrandt. But Lionel
Rogosin didn't just set out to make a beautiful film. In a documentary about "On the Bowery," he
said he wanted to change the world, so he abandoned the family business.
Mr. LIONEL ROGOSIN: One day, I said, well, I'm going to get out of this textile business,
synthetic fiber business. I'm going to make films about what's going on in the world. We just
came through the Holocaust, which was insane. Something's wrong. I have to find out with my
camera.
KARR: His son, Michael Rogosin, says the U.S. wasn't really ready to see what was wrong with
society. Sure, the film won an Oscar nomination, raves from critics and the top documentary
prize in Venice. But after that awards ceremony, Michael Rogosin says his father learned just
how the U.S. establishment saw the film.
Mr. MICHAEL: ROGOSIN: So there was some kind of big to-do afterwards, you know, a lot of
Italian press. The American ambassador was there, and I think my father went to shake her hand
or whatever, and she turned her back on him and walked out.
Mr. JONAS MEKAS: We're talking about the period when McCarthy was still - if he was not dead
in person, then his spirit was still there.
KARR: That's Jonas Mekas, one of Lionel Rogosin's peers on New York's avant-garde film
scene in the '50s, not long after Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunts.
Mekas is also founder of the city's Anthology Film Archives, which preserved the negative of "On
the Bowery." He says Lionel Rogosin was a member of a seminal group of New York filmmakers.
Mr. MEKAS: They had possibilities and dreams, but nobody wanted to sponsor the films. I mean,
Lionel kept writing scripts, and nobody wanted to produce his films.
KARR: Lionel Rogosin's second film won raves from critics, too. 1959's "Come Back Africa" is
another docudrama, set in the townships of South Africa under Apartheid. It'll be released to
theaters, and on DVD along with "On the Bowery," later this year.
While the movies live on, "On the Bowery's" two main characters didn't do so well. Shortly after
the film was completed, Gorman Hendricks drank himself to death. And Ray Salyer, whose good
looks and charisma won him an invitation to Hollywood, simply disappeared.
For NPR News, I'm Rick Karr in New York.
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Letters: Joshua Foer; Cassette TapesFebruary 24, 2011
Listen to the Story
All Things Considered[2 min 50 sec]
Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
Listeners respond to yesterday's conversation with Joshua Foer, the author of a book about the
art and science of memory; and lovers of cassette tapes. Robert Siegel and Michele Norris read
letters from our listeners.
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(Soundbite of "Purple Rain")
NORRIS: Well, we appreciate your comments and the opportunity to play I'd say at last a Prince
song.
SIEGEL: Write to us by visiting npr.org and clicking on contact us.
< Libyan Rebels Plan Offensive AgainstTripoliCopyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
text sizeAAA
Heard on All Things Considered
February 24, 2011 - MICHELE NORRIS, host:
This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
Eastern Libya is now completely under the control of anti-government forces. Libyan army troops
have defected to join the protesters and are now trying to organize an offensive against theregime of Moammar Gadhafi. That is according to senior military commanders in Benghazi.
NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro is there at the birthplace of the uprising, where she filed this
report.
LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO: Boxes of tank shells are being loaded up onto flatbed trucks but
what is being hailed here as the new Libyan army. The weapons are being taken to a warehouse
for storage. The soldiers here once worked for Gadhafi, but no more. Now, they are trying to
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gather up as much of their looted arsenal as they can for an offensive against the Libyan leader's
stronghold in the capital, Tripoli.
In a bustling complex which is the center of the rebel military operations in Benghazi, a senior
member of the newly-formed military council tells NPR that small groups of rebel soldiers have
been dispatched to infiltrate the capital. The roads to Tripoli from the east are still largely
controlled by pro-Gadhafi forces, he says, and small bands of soldiers attract less attention.
Colonel TAREK SAAD HUSSEIN: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: Colonel Tarek Saad Hussein says the aim is to take Tripoli, but the
obstacle right now is the city of Sirte, Gadhafi's hometown about halfway from Benghazi to the
capital. It's heavily reinforced, he says.
Colonel HUSSEIN: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The rebels are also trying to pinpoint Gadhafi's location. Colonel Tarek tells
NPR they have information that he is moving from house to house.
In a phone interview from the town of Tobruk, west of here, another defector from Gadhafi'sarmy, General Suleiman Mahmoud, says that the rebel aim is to bolster beleaguered pro-
democracy forces in Tripoli. What's not clear is how unified the fractured military command is,
and what kind of an effective fighting force can be assembled. Colonel Tarek and General
Mahmoud, for example, are not coordinating their efforts.
Unidentified Group: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: At an office in downtown Benghazi, dozens of men are lining up and
signing up to help, writing their names and contact details on a register.
People here in the east feel flush with the success of their revolution, and they say they want tohelp liberate Tripoli.
Unidentified Group: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: The military isn't the only one organizing. The Libyan revolution is only a
week old today, but in eastern Libya, where the state apparatus has completely collapsed,
people are setting up a local authority.
Benghazi has formed committees to oversee food distribution, services, humanitarian aid and
garbage collection. There is a central council that oversees all the groups in Benghazi, and they
are coordinating with the leadership in other cities in the region.
Despite the brutal crackdown in Benghazi, the streets are now calm. Some banks have
reopened, and there is little evidence of widespread destruction...
Unidentified Group: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: ...except at the main military base in Benghazi.
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Men dance and chant on a tank. Around them are destroyed and looted buildings. The last pro-
Gadhafi forces in the city were holed up here until a few days ago. Today, hundreds of Benghazi
residents came to celebrate the victory.
Forty-year-old Jamal Mohammed Falah and his son were among them.
Mr. JAMAL MOHAMMED FALAH: (Foreign language spoken)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: He says he lived his entire life under Gadhafi's rule. I wanted to show my
son, he says, that a better leadership will be coming to Libya.
The horrors of the past one, though, were on full display in the army base.
(Soundbite of digging)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: At first, using shovels.
(Soundbite of digging)
GARCIA-NAVARRO: And then with a giant digger, men here hunted for underground secret
prisons, where they suspect people were either detained or buried. One underground area hadblood smeared on the floor. Young men told us they had discovered soldiers who were being
held there for refusing to fire on protesters. It was impossible to confirm their account, but they
treated the dank cave like a shrine.
Such was the frenzy and fear at the base that people kept shouting out that they could hear
voices echoing from underneath the ground. No one today, though, was discovered.
Jamal el Kour was watching the scene. A member of the banned Muslim Brotherhood here who
was once imprisoned, he cried as he watched people digging.
Mr. JAMAL EL KOUR: Sorry. I'm just imagining myself that I'm one of them. It's somethingunbelievable. No human can describe this.
GARCIA-NAVARRO: What happened under this regime can never be forgiven, he says. We will
be free or die trying.
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR News, Benghazi.
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Militias In Libya Attack ProtestersFebruary 24, 2011
Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered
February 24, 2011
A town roughly 25 miles west of Tripoli, Libya, was the site of a violent standoff Thursday
morning. Thousands of anti-government protesters had gathered in the town square in the
shadow of a mosque. The army attacked, but was repulsed back to the edge of town by the
protesters. Host Michele Norris speaks with a 58-year-old businessman who was in the town
square.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
Roughly 25 miles west of Tripoli, along the Mediterranean, is the town of Zawiya. It was the site
of a violent standoff this morning. Thousands of anti-government protesters had gathered in the
town square in the shadow of a mosque. On the road between Tripoli and Zawiya, on the
outskirts of town, army forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi were massing.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
The army attacked but was pushed back to the edge of town by the protesters. After that initial
attack, we managed to get through to a demonstrator in the square. He was on his cell phone.
He's a 58-year-old businessman who gave us the name Mohammad(ph). He described the
protesters as a formidable group and said they were heavily armed.
MOHAMMAD (Businessman): There's a lot of machineguns here. The opposition, they are
dressed in their (unintelligible) because they're ready for the Gadhafi's regime's people to come
in. They closed all the roads coming to the square. They have tanks here. They havemachineguns. They have artilleries. They have a clashing probe(ph). They have small handguns
and machetes, and you name it. They have the weapons, and they are ready for the bastards.
NORRIS: I'm hearing a lot of chaos in the background behind you. Is that gunfire that I'm
hearing?
MOHAMMAD: Yeah. This is the (unintelligible). This square here has a mosque, and from the
mosque, they announced what's happening and what's going on. So they are encouraging the
people to stay put and not to (unintelligible) because it's really hard to (unintelligible) this battle.
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NORRIS: How many people are there in the square?
MOHAMMAD: Right now, I'd say at least two, 3,000, at least. Something is happening.
(Soundbite of explosions)
MOHAMMAD: Something is happening now.
NORRIS: What just happened? We heard that. What just happened?
MOHAMMAD: Something is happening now. Yeah. There's something happening. There are
those in one corner go into one corner while the opposition are coming through. Something is
happening. You hear this much...
(Soundbite of gunfire)
MOHAMMAD: Something is happening right now. Are you still with me, huh?
NORRIS: I'm here. I'm here. I'm here. Are you in a safe place right now?
(Soundbite of gunfire)
MOHAMMAD: Something is happening right now.
NORRIS: Are you in a safe place?
(Soundbite of gunfire)
MOHAMMAD: Well, I'm in the square right now just like everybody else. The other people run to
rooftops and hiding behind trees and buildings, but most of them still in the square.
NORRIS: So you're in an open area right now?
MOHAMMAD: Yes, ma'am. We are. (Unintelligible).
NORRIS: Do you know if it's the protesters firing, or are you being fired upon?
MOHAMMAD: I'm not sure, ma'am. I'm not sure. There's, like I told you, couple thousand, maybe
3,000 people here. Everybody - almost everybody is armed here, almost everybody. Almost
everybody. Some heavy guns, machineguns, some handguns, some machetes, some
everything.
(Soundbite of gunfire)
NORRIS: Are you armed as well?
MOHAMMAD: No, ma'am. I did not go to the barricades to get my own arm. Everybody grabbedwhat they can, and they armed themselves. I see a tank coming in right now. The opposition just
took it. Near the tank - yeah, they just took it from the - the opposition, I guess, from Gadhafi's
regime.
NORRIS: When you say they took it, what do you mean by that?
MOHAMMAD: Well, I see a tank coming through the square, so it's either came from Gadhafi's
regime's people or from one of those...
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NORRIS: Did the tank roll through the barricade there? Is it now in the square?
MOHAMMAD: Inside in the square right now. It's with the opposition.
(Soundbite of gunfire)
NORRIS: So...
MOHAMMAD: I think the machineguns you hear now...
NORRIS: Was this...
MOHAMMAD: ...I think it's just a celebration, so don't be alarmed.
NORRIS: All right. All right. I want to make sure I understand something. The tank that rolled in,
was that an army tank that the protesters overturned?
MOHAMMAD: Yes, it's an army tank, yes.
NORRIS: But now it's...
MOHAMMAD: Now it's with the opposition. There's like five, six tanks with the opposition rightnow.
NORRIS: Did the army just abandon those tanks?
MOHAMMAD: I'm not sure. They abandoned them, or they - if they want to call them the
revolutionaries. They won't come down from the camps. It's either or. I'm not sure. I just saw
them here in the square.
NORRIS: What do you know about casualties or deaths in the area?
MOHAMMAD: The casualties here, I just went to the gravesite where they had been this
morning, six people I see right there in front of me. There are six new graves. And in thehospitals, they say hundreds in the hospital, a lot of them with heavy injuries.
(Soundbite of gunfire)
NORRIS: The wires are reporting that there are several people who have been wounded in this
sit-in. Have you had a chance to visit the hospitals? Do you know anything about what's going on
at the hospitals there?
MOHAMMAD: Well, I hear rumors now that they went to the hospital, and they emptied the
hospitals from the injured people because Gadhafi's son, which his name is Saif al-Islam or
something, he was supposed to be bringing some people from the media and showing them thatthere was nothing happening, and everything is nice in order, schools are open, and this is a lie.
Schools are closed. Shops are closed. The streets are deserted, empty except for a few cars
here and there, and there is nothing happening in the city. It's completely shut down. It's
completely shut down. And people are staying in their houses except the people right here in the
square right now, and they are coming from everywhere in Zawiya.
There are young people, as young as maybe 10 or 15, but there's a lot of old people, as well.
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NORRIS: How long have the protesters been there in that square in front of the mosque?
MOHAMMAD: (Unintelligible) I think four or five days.
NORRIS: And how long do you think they're willing to stay?
MOHAMMAD: They are willing to stay. Either he goes, or we go, and that's a fact. I know it from
their faces.
NORRIS: Mohammad, the world is watching and listening to what's going on in Libya right now.
What, if anything, should the international community do?
MOHAMMAD: I think they should interfere, ma'am. The United States should do something.
They're not going to say like what they said in Egypt or Tunisia, OK, we are not doing anything
until they knew that the regime is gone, and then they step in. And that's what they are doing in
Libya right now.
They are staying away until they know that the people are taking over, and then they're going to
come in. But we want them to do that before that happens. We want them to do that and show
that they are for the people, for the constitution, for freedom. This country has suffered a lot, 42years. That's enough.
NORRIS: We've been speaking to a businessman in the town of Zawiya. He's 58 years old, and
he's been describing what's happening at a sit-in right in front of a mosque in the town square
there. Mohammad, thank you very much.
MOHAMMAD: Thank you, ma'am. You have a good day.
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Georgetown Professor Speaks On MarriageLawFebruary 24, 2011
Listen to the Story
All Things Considered[4 min 1 sec]
Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
Host Robert Siegel speaks to Georgetown law professor Susan Low Bloch about the legal
specifics of the Attorney General's decision to not defend the Defense of Marriage Act.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.MICHELE NORRIS, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
The Defense of Marriage Act became law in 1996. It's often called by its acronym: DOMA. It says
that under federal law, a married couple means one man and one woman, period. Since it's
federal law, it's up to the Department of Justice to defend it from challenges to its
constitutionality.
Yesterday, the Obama Justice Department announced that it's not going to do that anymore. It
considers the law unconstitutional and will not argue otherwise.
To find out how unusual that step is and what its likely legal consequences are, we've called
upon Susan Bloch, who's a law professor at Georgetown University. Welcome to the program.
Professor SUSAN LOW BLOCH (Georgetown University): Thank you, nice to be here.
SIEGEL: And first, how rare is it for the Justice Department to say: We won't defend a federal
law?
Prof. BLOCH: Well, it's not common, but on the other hand, it's not unheard of. The Department
of Justice is expected to defend all federal laws unless the department believes it's
unconstitutional. Typically, that is either when the law seems to infringe on the executive branch
or when the department just concludes that even though it may have been constitutional in 1996,
it can no longer, given the changes in the law, defend it.
SIEGEL: Are there obvious textbook examples of Justice doing this?
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Prof. BLOCH: Yes. When the independent counsel statute was law and was challenged as being
unconstitutional, the administration refused to defend it. In that case, the Supreme Court
disagreed and upheld the law.
Another time when Congress had adopted something called a legislative veto, the administration
believed that that law intruded too far into the executive branch, refused to defend it, and the
Supreme Court agreed that it was unconstitutional.
SIEGEL: Well, once the Department of Justice says it's not going to defend a law, does anyone
else have standing to defend it in court, or is the law as good as undefended and dead?
Prof. BLOCH: No, it is not dead. Congress presumably still wants to defend it, and if so,
Congress will go get its own lawyer.
SIEGEL: And that could even be just one house of Congress, say the Republican-controlled
House could decide it wants to defend the law?
Prof. BLOCH: You know, that's an interesting question that I don't think we've experienced. I
have always assumed that Congress has to act together to defend its law.
SIEGEL: Considering the run of current challenges in the courts to the Defense of Marriage Act
and possible future challenges, how much does this tell us the outcome of litigation? Does this
pretty much tilt the game far in favor of opponents of DOMA?
Prof. BLOCH: Well, I think it makes the betting stronger on the side of unconstitutionality, but
really, it is just the administration's position. And I can tell you that when DOMA gets to the
Supreme Court, there'll certainly be a number of votes that will disagree with the administration.
So it's likely to be a five-four decision, and the administration's position has weight but nothing
controlling.
SIEGEL: Let's say that DOMA gets to the Supreme Court. During arguments, does somebody
from the solicitor general's office stand there but say don't ask me, you know, I agree with them.
I'm on there on side on this one? What actually happens?
Prof. BLOCH: I think they just don't appear. But they can ask to appear on the other side. But the
side defending the law will not include the Department of Justice, and the solicitor general won't
be there.
SIEGEL: Will not be there.
Prof. BLOCH: Won't be on the side defending the law. Whether the solicitor general chooses to
come in to watch proceedings, I guess I sort of doubt it, but it's possible.
SIEGEL: Well, Professor Bloch, thank you very much for talking with us.
Prof. BLOCH: Thank you.
SIEGEL: That's Susan Low Bloch, professor of law at Georgetown University, talking about the
announcement yesterday by the Justice Department that it will no longer defend the
constitutionality of a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act.
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< Analysts Say A Government Shutdown IsNo JokeCopyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
text sizeAAA
Heard on All Things Considered
February 24, 2011 - MICHELE NORRIS, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
In just eight days, the federal government could shut down. That is unless Democrats and
Republicans can agree on a spending bill to fund the government for the rest of the year.
NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson explains what a shutdown could mean.
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134000945/analysts-say-a-government-shutdown-is-no-jokehttp://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134000945/analysts-say-a-government-shutdown-is-no-jokehttp://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134000945/analysts-say-a-government-shutdown-is-no-jokehttp://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134000945/analysts-say-a-government-shutdown-is-no-joke -
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MARA LIASSON: In private, talks continue on a possible compromise, but in public, the two
parties are squaring off, trying to make sure if there is a shutdown, the other side gets the blame.
Here's President Obama at his press conference last week.
President BARACK OBAMA: People should be careful about, you know, being too loose in terms
of talking about a government shutdown because - this is not an abstraction. You know, people
don't get their Social Security checks. They don't get their veterans' payments. You know, basicfunctions shut down.
LIASSON: In fact, it's unlikely Social Security and veterans' checks would stop coming - we'll
have more on that in just a moment. Still, budget expert Stan Collender says a government
shutdown is a very big deal.
Mr. STAN COLLENDER (Founder, Capital Gains and Games Blog): Everybody may hate federal
spending, but they like federal services. And that's what happened back in '95 and '96 when we
had the last two shutdowns. Within minutes of the shutdown, after everyone got over the initial
kind of amusement of the situation, they realized suddenly that they couldn't apply for a passport
and couldn't apply for a visa, and National Parks were closed. And they were angry as hell aboutit.
LIASSON: The memory of that 1995 shutdown and the blame Republicans got for causing it may
be why House Speaker John Boehner insists that this time, the GOP does not want a shutdown.
Instead, he says...
Representative JOHN BOEHNER (Republican, Ohio; Speaker of the House): We have some
Democrats here in Capitol Hill threatening to shut down the government, rather than to cut
spending and to follow the will of the American people.
LIASSON: Republican strategist Ed Rogers thinks the GOP is right to try to inoculate itselfagainst the political repercussions of a shutdown.
Mr. ED ROGERS (Republican Strategist): Whatever the department is that's going to get cut,
ultimately, it gets down to producing, you know, the media equivalent of widows and orphans that
are going to go without and the heartless Republicans. So that to avoid the good guys versus the
bad guys, like we had during the Gingrich era, to avoid that is important.
LIASSON: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended up as the number one bad guy in the
conventional retelling of the mid-'90s shutdown, but he thinks the political lessons of that
experience had a silver lining for Republicans that just might be applicable today.
Mr. NEWT GINGRICH (Former Republican Representative, Georgia): When we shut the
government down, we convinced our base we were serious, and we became the first re-elected
Republican House majority since 1928. So it's a little hard for me to believe that it hurt us. But I
think in this case, what you don't want to do is just play games with it. If they can find a way to
keep the government open in a principle manner, they should.
LIASSON: For Speaker Boehner that means a continuing resolution or CR -Washington jargon
for a temporary spending bill - that includes spending cuts.
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Rep. BOEHNER: I am not going to move any kind of short-term CR at current levels. When we
say we're going to cut spending, read my lips: We're going to cut spending.
LIASSON: Exactly what level of cuts would satisfy Boehner's Tea Party freshmen is unclear.
They've already forced him to double the original level of cuts in the GOP budget bill.
And there are also political perils for Democrats in the standoff. They don't want to be in the
position of merely defending spending. That's why the White House today said the presidentwould be willing to make some additional cuts.
New Jersey Congressman Rob Andrews is eager to show that Democrats are the reasonable
ones.
Representative ROB ANDREWS (Democrat, New Jersey): One thing about a government
shutdown, the government doesn't stop taking money out of your paycheck every Friday. People
still pay taxes, but they get no services. How anybody could put the country at risk of that
situation is beyond me, and that's why the House Democrats and now the Senate Democrats
have stepped forward and said: Look, let's make a temporary agreement. Let's negotiate
reasonably and go forward from there.
LIASSON: So that's where things stand now. Speaker Boehner says he needs some unspecified
level of spending cuts to keep the government running. The White House and Senate Democrats
say they're willing to take some unspecified level of cuts. All that's left is for the two sides to
negotiate a compromise.
Government expert Paul Light thinks that unlike 1995, Republicans might actually have an edge
in this year's negotiations because the public's desire for fiscal restraint is so great. But, Light
says, if there is a shutdown, both sides will suffer.
Professor PAUL LIGHT (Wagner School of Public Service, New York University): I thinkAmericans are pretty well disgusted with how Washington is working, and a shutdown will
damage both parties. And I think these games about who cuts what and a continuing resolution,
they're just games.
The vast, vast, vast majority of Americans don't understand a thing about how the budget
process works, and they certainly wouldn't understand this kind of late maneuvering over a
continuing resolution.
LIASSON: The public may not understand, but most of the players agree this kind of
maneuvering will probably continue, until the very last minute late next week.
Mara Liasson, NPR News, Washington.
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Government Shut Down: A Threat To Social
Security?byDavid Welna
February 24, 2011
Listen to the StoryAll Things Considered
[3 min 58 sec] Add to Playlist Download
text sizeAAAFebruary 24, 2011
Based on what happened last time in 1996, it's not very clear. The U.S. Social Security
Administration maintained a few employees to administer benefits, but after a while it became
difficult to process new applicants or deal with problems.
Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of
Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
And as we just heard, President Obama has warned of the possibility that if the governmentshuts down, people might not receive their Social Security payments.
NPR's David Welna looks into whether those checks would or would not be in the mail.
DAVID WELNA: What President Obama said last week about a shutdown's impact on Social
Security benefits did sound ominous.
President BARACK OBAMA: This is not an abstraction. You know, people don't get their Social
Security checks.
WELNA: Asked today about the president' assertion, White House spokesman Jay Carney said
the president was pointing out what Carney called the potential consequences of a governmentshutdown for those on Social Security.
Mr. JAY CARNEY (Press Secretary, White House): Some recipients, new retirees, new
applicants might not receive their checks. If retirees have questions about their checks, if they
didn't get their check in the mail, if they had a change of address, all those things could prevent
them from getting their checks.
Dr. ANDREW BIGGS (Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute): It seems almost
impossible to believe that Social Security checks won't go out.
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WELNA: That's Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington
think-tank. Biggs was deputy commissioner at the Social Security Administration during the
George W. Bush presidency. Because what's paid out in Social Security benefits comes from
payroll taxes, not congressional appropriations, Biggs says that money won't be affected by a
shutdown, even though the jobs of some Social Security employees could be.
Dr. BIGGS: So I am 100 percent confident the checks will go out. But you could see in a
government shutdown that people would have a harder time applying for benefits or doing other
things that - where they would interact with the Social Security Administration's offices.
WELNA: On its website, the Social Security Administration says nothing about a possible
shutdown. And there was no response by the agency to repeated requests for comment about
this story. But an online ad by the agency, starring actress Patty Duke - playing two roles, as
Patty and Cathy - does encourage people to, quote, "Retire online."
(Soundbite of Social Security Administration ad)
Ms. PATTY DUKE (Actress): (as Patty) Who knew it would be this much work when Richard and
I decided to retire?
Ms DUKE: (as Cathy) Well, what are you going to do first?
Ms DUKE: (as Patty) Or heading down to Brooklyn Heights and start in on that Social Security
paperwork.
Ms DUKE: (as Cathy) Why would you do that?
Ms DUKE: (as Patty) What do you mean?
Ms DUKE: (as Cathy) Well, it's so much easier just to log on to socialsecurity.gov and file online.
WELNA: But filing online and sending out computerized checks still requires at least somepeople actually working at Social Security. So do many other tasks, as became clear during the
last shutdown 15 years ago.
Mr. JOHN KOSKINEN (Former Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, Social
Security Administration): The last time around, actually as the deputy director for management, I
coordinated the shutdown.
WELNA: That's John Koskinen who ran that shutdown from the Clinton White House Budget
Office. Koskinen says virtually all Social Security employees were initially put on furlough, and
then, they weren't.
Mr. KOSKINEN: They were all shut down for, give or take, a little about a week. And then as we
continued every day to review the situation, the determination was made that the checks were
getting ready to go. If we didn't send the checks out that that would create an emergency,
definition as we saw it at the time. And so the workers were brought back even though the
shutdown continued.
WELNA: The Social Security checks did get sent out during that shutdown. But Witold
Skwierczynski, who heads the union representing Social Security employees, says a meeting
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today that he had with the Social Security administrators did little to clear up uncertainty about
what might happen should there be another shutdown.
Mr. WITOLD SKWIERCZYNSKI: I'm not sure what they're going to do, and apparently, they don't
know what they're going to do, because they asked for a postponement of the briefing till
Monday, because they haven't -that the commissioner hasn't indicated what he's going to do
regarding the essential employee issues. And it may be really a decision of the president, rather
than him.
WELNA: And that's because by law, no agencies can operate without money appropriated by
Congress, unless the executive branch designates their continue