MARK ENGLER Engler, a commentator for Foreign Policy in Focus, wrote the recent article “John Paul II’s Economic Ethics.” He said today: “A steady feature in Pope John Paul II’s obituaries has been mention of his unwaveringly conservative stances on issues such as abortion, birth control, gay rights, and the ordination of women. While these…

EDMUND GHAREEB Professor of Kurdish and Middle East Studies at American University, Ghareeb is author of The Historical Dictionary of Iraq. He said today: “Along with Massoud Barzani, Jalal Talabani has been the most prominent Kurdish leader for decades. This is a landmark step for the long-suppressed Kurdish minority. It signals the unity and territorial…

Congress has begun a series of hearings on the PATRIOT Act. The following critics of the Act are available for interviews: KIT GAGE Gage is director of the First Amendment Foundation. She said today: “We applaud the conversation now taking place in the Congress regarding both the PATRIOT Act and many non-legislative changes enacted since…

John Bolton’s Senate confirmation hearing as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations will be held Thursday. TOM BARRY Barry is policy director of the International Relations Center and author of the recent article “UN Basher as UN Ambassador: Bolton’s Baggage.” He said today: “In early 2001 Bolton observed: ‘It is a big mistake…

MARK CHMIEL Chmiel wrote the new article “A Young Woman’s Challenge to the Pope (and the Rest of Us).” He is a member of the Center for Theology and Social Analysis and teaches at St. Louis University. He said today: “The Pope’s successor will inherit [a] position in a structure that provides for security, protection…

Randall Terry is a spokesperson for the Schindler family. Here are some of his past statements: “When I or people like me are running the country, you’d better flee because we will find you, we will try you and we’ll execute you. I mean every word of it. I will make it part of my…

IMAD KHADDURI Khadduri worked on the Iraq nuclear weapons program beginning in 1981. In November 2002, Khadduri wrote the article “Iraq’s Nuclear Non-Capability” in which he commented: “Bush and Blair are pulling their public by the nose” with “their hollow patriotic egging on.” He is author of the book Iraq’s Nuclear Mirage: Memoirs and Delusions.…

SAHAR SABA A member of the foreign affairs committee of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, Saba is in Pakistan working with Afghan refugees still living in Pakistan. She said today: “It’s very sad that there is little discussion of Afghanistan except with events like this visit by Laura Bush. The last three…

Today, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments in the case of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster. The case raises questions about the nature of copyright in the age of the Internet. The following are available for interviews: DEAN BAKER Co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, Baker wrote the paper “The Artistic Freedom Voucher:…

Today’s Washington Post features a piece by Jimmy Carter entitled “Saving Nonproliferation” about the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference beginning in early May at the United Nations. In the piece, the former president writes: “So far the preparatory committee for the forthcoming NPT talks has failed even to achieve an agenda because of the deep divisions…