9th December 2007
Failing Peace
The situation in Gaza is getting no better despite the rhetoric surrounding the latest attempts at peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
We spoke with Dr Sara Roy, Senior Research Scholar, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University and author of the book Failing Peace - Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
Referendum in Venezuala
President Hugo Chavez suffered a setback recently when his package of reforms was rejected in a referendum.
We spoke with George Ciccariello-Maher, a PhD student in Political Theory at the University of California.
US militarism in Africa
Since September 11, 2001 the United States has been taking its War On Terror around the world. In addition, to Iraq and Afghanistan, much of the U.S. attention has been drawn to countries in Africa.
We spoke with Frida Berrigan, a Senior Program Associate, Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation.
2nd December 2007
Timber barons
The practise of illegally felling timber in countries like Honduras has been having a large environmental impact in that country. However, much of this illegally processed timber ends up overseas where there is no check made that the timber comes form legitimate sources. This is about to be addressed in the US with two new Acts before congress aimed to stop this trade in illegal timber.
We spoke with James North, a New York-based journalist who has reported from Africa, Latin America and Asia for more than thirty years.
Russia
Russian has very recently gone to the polls and the United Russia party won a majority of the votes. This was the party supported by President, Vladimir Putin and there is strong speculation that Putin has been settting himself up to become the Prime Minister of Russia next year when his allotted terms as President expire.
We spoke with Dr William Engdahl who has been writing on issues of energy, politics and economics for more than 30 years, beginning with the first oil shock in the early 1970s. He has contributed regularly to a number of publications, including Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Foresight magazine, Grant's Investor.com, European Banker and Business Banker International.
25th November 2007
Strikes in France
France has been crippled by transport strikes as the transport unions and newly elected President Nicholas Sarkozy come head to head on Sarkozy's proposed reforms.
We spoke with Dr Stefan Simons, Chef de Bureau of Der Spiegel in Paris.
Water in Ecuador
In October 2000, just months after the people of Bolivia threw Bechtel out of Cochabamba, this very same company signed a water privatization contract in Guayaquil, Ecuador a city of almost 2 million inhabitants. Now the people of Guayaquil are having major problems with their water supply.
We spoke with Sara Grusky, a senior organizer with the Water for All Campaign at Food and Water Watch.
Australia has voted
Australia has just voted and now has a new government.
We spoke with Dr Clem Macintyre about the consequences of the fall of the Coalition government and the possibilities opening up for the new Labor government.
18th November 2007
Australian Elections 2007
Australians are due to go to the polls on the 24th November. In this program we're analysing the policy differences between the two major parties, the current governing Coalition and the Australian Labor Party.
We spoke with Dr Clem Macintyre, Head of Politics at Adelaide University, Dr Eva Cox, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Inquiry at the University of Technology, Sydney and Miriam Lyons, Director of the Centre for Policy Development in Sydney. .
Australian Foreign Policy
Continuing our topic of the 2007 Australian Elections, we check out the points of difference between the two major parties on foreign policy with Dr Michael McKinley, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Strategy at the Australian National University.
11th November 2007
Pakistan
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, has found himself in a precarious position and has done the one thing which he can do to hold onto power - use the military. After the Supreme Court decided that Musharraf's election last month was illegal, there were increasing demonstrations against his rule and Musharraf responded by declaring a State of Emergency.
We spoke with Dr Zia Mian, a physicist with the Program on Science and Global Security, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and Ayesha Khan, a London-based lawyer and writer.
Stuffed and Starved
Food is one of the necessities of life but the control of our food production is in the hands of surprisingly few companies. And these companies have a huge influence on both the producers of our food and us, as consumers.
We spoke with Raj Patel, author of a new book Stuffed and Starved - Markets, Choice and the Battle for the World's Food System.
4th November 2007
Iran
The United States government has designated Iran as a key part of what they call The Axis of Evil and painted Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as a dangerous tyrant. However, this description is a long way from the truth.
We spoke with Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco, who met with Ahmadinejad on his recent trip to the US.
Extraordinary rendition
After September 11 2001, the United States began a process called extraordinary rendition where they transported alleged terrorist suspects around the world to secret prisons on foreign soil. One of these US prisons is said to be on the British territory of Diego Garcia and there are calls from human rights groups and even politicians for the UK government to hold a proper investigation into these claims.
We spoke with Clara Gutteridge, an investigator with the UK-based human rights group, Reprieve, and Andre Tyrie, Tory MP for Chichester.
The Long Way Down
Several years ago, actors and friends, Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor, decided to ride around the world on their motorbikes. The result of this was filmed and made into a TV documentary series - The Long Way Around. Obviously, they must have enjoyed the experience because they just done another trip from the north to the south of Africa. Again they've made a documentary series and released a book on their trip - The Long Way Down.
Neil spoke with Charley about the trip.
28th October 2007
Expansion of the Empire
One of the best indicators that American has become an Imperial power is the number of bases they have around the globe. One of the latest to be built will be near Vicenza in Italy.
We spoke with Valerio Volpi, a PhD student in Comparative Political Institutions at the University of Bari in Rome, about the public reaction to this new base and the political machinations behind its existence.
Pakistan
After the recent events such as the storming of the Red Mosque and the attempted sacking of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mr. Iftikhar Choudry, military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, has become enormously unpopular. Musharraf has been forced to enter a power sharing arrangement with former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. This is a strange alliance as Bhutto has always been a fierce critic of Musharraf's regime.
Julia Terreu spoke with the charismatic leader of the Labor party of Pakistan, Farooq Tariq.
21st October 2007
Haiti
In 2004 Haiti, appeared to be descending into chaos and the then President, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was forced to leave the country. Aristide has since accused the US of engineering the whole process to get rid of him. Under Aristide's replacement Supreme Court Chief Justice, Boniface Alexandre, Haiti fared no better and there were widespread abuses of human rights and little progress economically. In 2006, democratic elections were held and a former ally of Aristide, René Préval, took over. Now, Haitians are slowly rebuilding their society but there are still many unresolved issues.
We spoke with Roger Annis of the Toronto Haiti Action Committee who visited Haiti in August as part of a UN delegation.
Blackwater
American private defence contractor, Blackwater, came under fire recently over the killing of 20 Iraqi civilians in a firefight in Baghdad. Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, demanded the immediate removal of Blackwater and its staff from Iraq but he was over-ruled by the US. However, Blackwater and other private defence contractors are under a cloud as the details of their actions in Iraq are starting to surface.
We spoke with Dr John Bruni, a former co-presenter of Back Story now working as a strategic analyst in the United Arba Emirates.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic. There are over forty million cases worldwide and that number is growing at a rate of 10% per year. However, it didn't have to be this way. With sensible policies HIV/AIDS could have been a much smaller problem but, religious, cultural and political objections prevented the safe sex message from getting the distribution it needed to work effectively.
We spoke with Bill Bowtell, Director of the HIV/AIDS Project at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney.
14th October 2007
Last days of the American Republic
The United States is the most powerful military force on the planet and it is not afraid to throw that weight around. As a consequence American military bases are spread all over the globe creating a vast American empire. But, as history as shown before it is very difficult to have a vast global empire and maintain a stable democracy at home. Noted American historian and author, Professor Chalmers Johnson has been taking a long hard look at the American empire in his latest book, the final part of his trilogy on the topic Nemesis - The last days of the American Republic.
Aceh
In February 2007, the Indonesian province of Aceh elected anew government dominated by the former independence fighters, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). GAM entered the elections under a deal brokered with the Indonesian government. So, they are now working through the difficult transition from freedom fighter to administrator.
We spoke with Dr Edward Aspinall, Fellow in Indonesian Politics, Department of Political and Social Change at the Australian National University whose particular area of interest is Aceh.
7th October 2007
One State or two
Since its creation in 1948, the state of Israel has been Palestine form two separate states. inconstant conflict with the people displaced by the Jewish occupation. There have been numerous calls by the international community for Israel to settle some sort of deal with the Palestinian people, all blocked by the Israel and its very powerful friend, the United States. Now, the latest idea starting to gather some momentum in Palestinian thinking is the idea of a single, secular democratic state shared by the Israelis and Palestinians. But, at the same time, the only solution being considered by the international community is one where Israel and
We spoke with Dr Ghada Karmi, a British Palestinian author and academic who was in Adelaide to deliver the 3rd Edward Said Memorial lecture at the University of Adelaide, and Antony Lowenstein, a Sydney-based journalist, author and blogger.
The reality of life in Gaza
While the intellectual debate over how to resolve the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians exercises the minds of many, the reality on the ground in Gaza is one of unrelenting hardship and conflict.
We spoke with Jennifer Lowenstein, Assistant Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Jennifer has also lived and worked in Gaza and was most recently in the territory in late 2006
30th September 2007
Burma
Burma is a country in turmoil. Ruled by a military junta since1962, Burma has seen some of the most brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy movements. In 1990 the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won a landslide victory in Burma's first multi-party elections for 30 years but the military junta refused to allow them to take power. Now in 2007, in the facing of crippling rises in fuel and other basic commodities, the people of Burma have once again taken to the streets. This protest is now morphing into another pro-democracy protest and the world waits to see what the ruling junta will do now.
We spoke with Dr Monique Skidmore, Associate Dean of The College of Arts & Social Sciences at the Australian National University.
Peru and Alberto Fujimori
Alberto Fujimori was the President of Peru from 1990 to 2000. He fled the country in disgrace in 2000 with allegations of serious human rights abuses hanging over his head. It was alleged he was involved with the Colina group a paramilitary death squad responsible for several massacres in Peru. However, in 2005, despite being thrown out of office by Congress and banned from holding elected office in Peru for ten years, Fujimori attempted to return to Peru to contest the Presidential elections. He was arrested in Chile, at the request of the Peruvian Congress and is now in Peru, under arrest, facing charges relating to the massacres.
We spoke with Dr Maxwell A Cameron from the Department of Political Science University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr Cameron is an expert on Latin American politics and has written several books on the subject including two specifically on Peru: Democracy and Authoritarianism in Peru (1994); and The Peruvian Labyrinth (1997).
23rd September 2007
War Made Easy
War Made Easy is a documentary about the propaganda techniques used by the US Administration to get popular support for the wars they start. The film also examines the mainstream media's complicity in the Administration's spin wars.
We spoke with Norman Solomon, author of the book on which the film is based, and Loretta Alper, producer, writer and director of the film.
Health services in Palestine
Of all the countries in the world, Palestine would surely rate as one of the most in need of a high level of medical services. The constant violence that rocks the area and the trauma, both psychological and physical, on children cries our for specialist medical services. However, Palestine's health services are woefully understaffed and poorly resourced.
We spoke with two Adelaide doctors Dr Sam Shahin, a general practitioner, and Dr Francis Nathan, an opthomologist, who are both members of the Australian Friends of Palestine and provide services and support to hospitals in Palestine.
16th September 2007
Tuvalu
Tuvalu is a small island nation in the Pacific that is most likely to be one of the first countries to become uninhabitable due to global warming. Although this is of paramount concern to its citizens and to people around the world, this issue is not being addressed on the ground in Tuvalu.
Andre Vltchek is an American writer, political analyst, journalist, and film-maker and has recently visited Tuvalu. He is one of the co-founders of Mainstay Press a publishing house dedicated to producing books geared to social change along with other political books – fiction and non-fiction.
Agro fuels
Agro Fuels (or bio fuels) are fast becoming the preferred way to combat our reliance on fossil fuels. The growing awareness that crops like corn and sugarcane can be converted into fuel has been getting support and finance from the US and multinational cooperation’s. Brazil is heading the third world and becoming the country most committed to the production of agro-fuels. However, there is increasing debate that this industry will not benefit the environment and will make things worst for the third world population.
We spoke with Laura Carlsen, director of the International Relations Centre, Americas Program in Mexico City, where she has worked as a writer and political analyst for the past two decades.
9th September 2007
Haiti
In an election in 2000, the citizens of Haiti elected president Jean-Bertrand Aristide in a landslide. However, in February 2004 President Aristide was ousted by a military dictatorship. In February 2006 once again the Haitians have election a new president called René Garcia Préval. But in the years since Aristide's removal and this last election there has been widespread human rights abuses and many people have disappeared. There is also the alleged involvement of the Bush administration in supporting the military coup.
We spoke with Brian Concannon Jr., Esquire who directs the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, and observed several elections in Haiti for the Organization of American States.
Ministerial minders
Politicians are supposedly accountable to the electorate. But, what of their staff? In recent years we have seen several instances of Ministerial staff stepping in between the Minister and the public servants paid to advise that Minister. From the children overboard scandal to the chastising of the head of the Federal Police over statements he made about terrorist motives behind the Madrid train bombing.
We spoke with Ann Tiernan, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, and the ANZSOG Research Program, who's just written a book about these Ministerial minders - Power Without Responsibility.
2nd September 2007
Who gets what?
Have you ever wanted to understand economic statistics that give account to how the everyday Australian is doing? This book gives a description of how the average person matches up to other members of the Australian population.
We spoke with the authors of the book - Professor Frank Stilwell and Kirrily Jordan
Iraq
The US surge in Iraq started in February 2007. Seven months on and the leader of the US Forces in Iraq, General David Patraeus is about to deliver his report to Congress on the progress of the surge. Details leaked so far suggest that he's going to say it's working but do the statistics on the ground in Iraq reflect this optimism.
We spoke with David Enders, a freelance journalist who has spent more than 18 months in Iraq and has written for Men's Journal, Mother Jones and The Nation magazines, as well as the (London) Sunday Times and other newspapers. His first book, "Baghdad Bulletin," is available from the University of Michigan Press.
26th August 2007
Lebanon Burning
Lebanon Burning is a documentary film about the 2006 invasion of Lebanon by Israel. The film focuses on the economic devastation the war had on a developing and growing economy. Abbas Saffieddin is one of the subjects of this documentary. He owns a medical supplies factory that was completely destroyed by the Israeli attacks. We spoke with Abbas Safieddin about his factory and effect its devastation had on his family and the Lebanese community.
Iraqi Kurdistan
Despite the daily violence on our TV screens there is one area of relative calm in Iraq. It's in the north of the country in the region known as Iraqi Kurdistan.
We spoke with John Bruni, former co-host of Back Story, who now lives and works in the Middle East. John is a researcher in Strategic Studies.
Drugs in Mexico
The US has now turned its attention on Mexico in its War On Drugs. The side effect of which is the increasing militarisation in Mexico and more power for the Mexican President, Felipe Calderón.
We spoke with Laura Carlsen, Director of the America's Policy Program Center for International Policy, Mexico City.
19th August 2007
Rivers of Tibet
China has grand plans for the rivers of the Tibetan plateau. The problem is that these rivers flow downstream through neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam and anything China does upstream will have an impact.
We spoke with Dr Brahma Chellaney, Professor of Strategic Studies Centre for Policy Research in New Dehli.
Murder of Frank Terrugi
Frank Terrugi was one of two Americans rounded up and executed by the military in Chile during the 1973 coup. The official explanation by the Chilean authorities is that he was killed whilst out on the streets after the curfew. However, this version is being questioned in the courts of Chile at the moment.
Dr Shepherd Bliss, Professor of Communication and Journalism Sonoma State University, was a personal friend of Frank Terrugi and he's just returned from a trip to Chile where he fronted the court investigating his friend's murder.
12th August 2007
Mike Farrell played Captain BJ Hunicutt in the TV series M*A*SH and he's just written his autobiography. Well known for his television career, Mike is also a committed political and social activist.
Mike sent us an email after the show:
Thanks very much. I meant to say to your hosts that I was very impressed with - and very grateful for - the intelligence of their questions. There's so much junk on the air here that it's a wonderful treat to be able to speak to people who actually want to discuss issues.
Best,
Mike Farrell
Sailing to Gaza
Gaza has been effectively locked down by the Israelis. They control who can and cannot enter the region. A group of journalists and activists want to challenge the Israeli blockade by sailing into Gaza from Cyprus. They are hoping to set up a weekly ferry service.
We spoke with one of the group's organisers, Dr Paul Larudee.
Claiming the Arctic
Just this week, the Russians surprised the world by announcing that they had planted a rust-proof titanium flag on the sea bed more than two and a half miles beneath the North Pole. Moscow claims this part of the sea bed is directly connected to its continental shelf and, therefore, Russian territory. They want to claim what lies below the sea bed - oil and gas. It's estimated that about one quarter of the world’s reserves of oil and gas lies under the North Pole.
We spoke with Diana Wallis, Vice President of the European Parliament for the Liberal Democrats, representing Yorkshire and the Humber
5th August 2007
War Made Easy is a documentary about the propaganda techniques used by the US Administration to get popular support for the wars they start. The film also examines the mainstream media's complicity in the Administration's spin wars.
We spoke with Norman Solomon who wrote the book on which the film is based. Norman Solomon is a nationally syndicated columnist in the US and writes for the weekly Media Beat Internet site.
Colombia
Colombia is the third largest recipient of US military aid, the first being Israel and the second Turkey. This US largess comes despite the fact these three countries have some of the worst human rights records in the world. Colombia is also the focus of the American war on drugs.
Interview with Dr Doug Stokes, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Kent. He is the author of America's Other War: Terrorizing Colombia. He writes regularly for ZNet.
29th July 2007
Pakistan
Pakistan is country living a paradox. Ruled by a military dictator, Pervez Musharaf, Pakistan still manages to earn the approval of the US because it is seen as an important American ally in the fight against terror. But, recently events have not been going very well for Musharaf with the bloody crackdown against the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) ending with 102 dead and critics accusing Musharaf of acting too late and inappropriately.
Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Professor of Nuclear Physics, Quaid-e-azam University, Islamabad
A lighter ecological footprint
Energy use is one of the major issues facing developed and developing countries these days. In the developed countries, consumers are being urged to do things to help the environment. We're starting to see carbon trading schemes and other enticements to encourage us to develop a lighter ecological footprint.
Angela Crocombe, Author A lighter footprint
Australia's Anti-terror Laws
Recently, Indian -born doctor Mohamed Haneef was arrested by the Australian Federal Police on suspicion of being involved with terrorists. We were told that Dr Haneef's mobile phone SIM card was found at the scene of the recent car bomb attack on Glasgow airport. Federal Immigration Minister dived right in on the action, revoking Dr Haneef's visa. Then it all came spectacularly unstuck when the Australian Federal Police admitted they had got the evidence wrong and decided that they had no case against Dr Haneef. The whole fiasco has people asking whether Australia's anti-terror laws are achieving the job they were intended and whether our authorities are abusing their privileges
Michael Cope, President, Queensland Council for Civil Liberties
22nd July 2007
Ban Ki Moon
Ban Ki Moon has spent six months now as the Secretary General of the United Nations. Formerly a minister in the South Korean government his tenure, thus far, has been fairly low key but he has made one or two gaffes and many see him as being too subservient to US interests.
Ian Williams, UN correspondent for the Nation and Tribune
Kidnapping as a political tool
In 1987 Charles Glass was kidnapped and held hostage by Hezbollah in Lebanon for 62 days. In the Middle East this has been a not uncommon technique of political persuasion. Hezbollah has on several occasions brokered prisoner exchanges with Israel. We talk to Charles about his experiences and thoughts on kidnapping as a political tool.
Charles Glass, Freelance Journalist
15th July 2007
Hezbollah
In July 2007, after capturing two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid, Hezbollah was targeted by the Israelis for destruction. After 34 days of relentless battering the Israelis left with Lebanon bearing the scars but Hezbollah still intact.
Dr. Zeinab al-Saffar, Manar TV Channel, News and political programs author, host and producer
The Hariri trial
In February 2005, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive car bomb blast as his motorcade passed through Beirut. The Lebanese authorities conducted an investigation into the murder but, the United Nations Security Council was unhappy with the results. In an unprecedented move the Security Council has set up its own International Tribunal.
Omar Nashabe, Journalist, Al-Akhbar newspaper, Lebanon
Lebanon Burning
Mohsen Safieddin is a Lebanese-born Australian man who traveled back to Lebanon after the Israeli invasion of 2006 to visit his family. When giving a talk at Flinders University in Adelaide after his visit he responded to a question on how extensive the damage by saying “I’ll show you”. This lead him to make a documentary on the aftermath of the invasion. Among the many stories featured in the documentary are those of Mohen’s family who had their family business destroyed.
Mohsen Safieddin, Documentary Producer
8th July 2007
Dick Cheney
Robert Bruce Cheney is the 46th Vice President of the United States of America but, unlike most of his predecessors, Cheney hasn’t been content with taking a back seat to the President. In fact, he’s seen as the real source of power in the current Administration.
Elaine Cassel, lawyer and civil liberties activist
Chile
For the first time in its history, Chile has a woman President and, not only that, one who’s been labeled as left wing. But, how radical a political shift has occurred under Michel Bachelet.
Rodrigo Acuña, Independent Journalist, Periodista Independiente