News Releases

  • Analysts Available on New UN Iraq Resolution

    As the Bush administration pushes for a UN Security Council resolution vote on Iraq, the following analysts are available for interviews: DENIS HALLIDAY Halliday is a former UN Assistant Secretary General and headed the UN’s food-for-oil program in Iraq. Available for limited interviews, Halliday said today: “Even if the Iraqis wanted to comply — and it’s not clear to me that they do — I doubt that they could comply with this resolution. It has components that are simply geared toward Mr. Bush’s war. If the Iraqis close the door on an inspector in a bike shop at 3 in…


  • Interviews on Iraq: UN Endgame

    “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.” — UN Charter (Chapter I, Article 2) [See: www.un.org/aboutun/charter] JAMES PAUL Executive director of the Global Policy Forum, which monitors global policy-making at the United Nations, Paul said today: “We understand that a deal is being struck —…


  • Interviews Available: Congressional Elections

    GREG PALAST Author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Palast is featured in the investigative documentary “Counting on Democracy,” which is currently being shown on PBS stations. He said today: “In 2000, Katherine Harris, Florida Secretary of State, ordered county elections officials to purge 57,000 citizens from voter registries as felons not allowed to vote in Florida. In fact, about 95 percent of these voters were innocent of crimes — but 54 percent were guilty of being African-American. Harris and the state admit that tens of thousands of black voters had been wronged, and with plantation noblesse have agreed…


  • Brazil — Beyond the Election

    STEVE COBBLE Senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, Cobble was recently in Brazil. He said Monday afternoon: “On his fourth run for president, Lula da Silva, the former leader of the San Bernardo Metal Workers Union, has won a huge victory. Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world and it’s clear that the overwhelming majority of Brazilians have voted against the expansion of corporate domination over their lives. Lula’s victory also means that the Free Trade Agreement for the Americas now faces major new obstacles. The opponents of unfettered corporate trade, both in Latin America and inside…


  • Decoding New U.S. Draft of UN Resolution on Iraq: Detailed Analysis at Accuracy.org/un

    As the UN Security Council considers the new resolution on Iraq put forward by the Bush administration, the Institute for Public Accuracy has made available a detailed analysis of the proposed resolution. The assessments feature a number of legal and political analysts. The multifaceted critique is available at: www.accuracy.org/un Among the points made by analysts who are available for interviews: PHYLLIS BENNIS, Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, Bennis is author of the new book Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis. She said today: “The resolution seems to be an effort to ensure Iraq’s…


  • Sniper: Perspectives on Violence Around the Beltway

    M. J. PARK Park, an educator and director of Little Friends for Peace, runs a “Peace Room” based in Washington, D.C. She said today: “I’ve been working daily with my students at our Peace Room. There’s a circle of fear that’s increasing the awareness of bad people out there. The children are being deprived of their normal routine. It’s more fear than anger, though they are beginning to be angry as they realize what this will mean for Halloween…. Our society acts as though it is horrified by the sniper, but there’s a sniper video game that has as the…


  • The Planned War on Iraq: A Big Boost to Al-Qaeda? Hypocrisy on Israel and Indonesia?

    ANAS SHALLAL A “Partner for Peace” with the Seeds of Peace program, Shallal is a founder of the Mesopotamia Cultural Society and an Iraqi-American small business owner in Washington, D.C. TAMIM ANSARY Ansary is an Afghan-American and the author of West of Kabul, East of New York. He said today: “Reducing functioning societies to anarchy by destroying their infrastructure and killing great numbers of their citizens is likely to increase whatever legacy of grudge and grievance is already in place. It is also likely to increase the number of dislocated individuals living in furious impotence and stewing in secrecy.” More…


  • Columbus Day — Then and Now

    VERNON BELLECOURT, Director for International Affairs of the American Indian Movement, Bellecourt said: “You can trace the history of American militarism. It started with waging war, including smallpox on the Eastern Seaboard. Beginning then on one side you have talk about God-fearing, Jesus-loving people; on the other side committing genocide and war. Look at the history of degrading and demonizing people: ‘Injuns,’ ‘Redskins,’ ‘Niggers,’ ‘Kikes,’ ‘Japs,’ ‘Krauts,’ ‘Terrorists,’ ‘Towelheads.’ You now have comedians on late night shows telling jokes about Arabs and Muslims. You demean and trivialize a people — whoever it is at the time you portray as being…


  • Bush’s War Case: Fiction vs. Facts at Accuracy.org/bush

    As Congress debates war with Iraq, the Institute for Public Accuracy has made available a detailed analysis of President Bush’s Cincinnati address. The assessments feature a dozen Middle East, legal, weapons and policy analysts with multifaceted critiques of Bush’s claims. Issues covered range from biological weapons to U.N. Security Council resolutions to Congress’s constitutional role. The analysis is available at: www.accuracy.org/bush Here are some of the points made: CHRIS TOENSING The editor of Middle East Report, responding to allegations that Iraq is threatening the region, Toensing said: “There is no evidence whatsoever that Iraq is doing so, or has any…


  • Detailed Analysis of Bush Speech on Iraq

    An in-depth factual critique of Bush’s speech last night is posted at www.accuracy.org/bush — with the following analysts available for interviews: CHRIS TOENSING Toensing is editor of Middle East Report. More Information SUSAN WRIGHT Co-author of the book Preventing a Biological Arms Race and the forthcoming Biological Warfare and Disarmament: New Problems/New Perspectives, Wright is a research scientist at the University of Michigan. More Information JACQUELINE CABASSO Executive director of the Western States Legal Foundation, Cabasso is co-author of the report “The Shape of Things to Come: The Nuclear Posture Review, Missile Defense, and the Dangers of a New Arms…


  • Top Secret Document Reveals U.S. Spying on U.N. Delegates

    This afternoon, White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer refused to comment on questions about a story broken by the Observer newspaper in London. On Sunday the paper published an article headlined “Revealed: U.S. Dirty Tricks to Win Vote on Iraq War.” The Observer reported that it has obtained a top secret U.S. National Security Agency memo…

  • Claims of Democracy

    “You won’t have any problem with Saddam. We’ll be rid of the bastard soon enough. And in his place we’ll install a pro-Western dictator, who will be good for us and for you.” — U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos, quoted in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, 9/30/02 [Lantos denies saying this, but Ha’aretz, a respected Israeli daily,…

  • Coalition of the Coerced?

    Yesterday, White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer insisted that “the President is not offering quid pro quos” to other countries for their tacit support to invade Iraq. The following analysts take issue with such claims: SARAH ANDERSON, PHYLLIS BENNIS, JOHN CAVANAGH The Institute for Policy Studies is releasing a report today — “Coalition of the Willing…

  • Turkey, Israel and International Law

    KANI XULAM Director of the American Kurdish Information Network, Xulam said today: “Basically, the Kurds have been handed over to the Turkish government. It is being reported that the U.S. has approved some 80,000 Turkish troops in northern Iraq. The gains of autonomy that the Kurds have made in northern Iraq could well be lost.…

  • Weapons Inspectors Going to Work in America

    A group of Canadian, British, American, Italian and Danish parliamentarians, scientists, academics, and religious and union leaders have informed the Pentagon that they intend to inspect the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland this Sunday. Among the parliamentary members in the delegation are: Alan Simpson from the U.K., Libby Davies from Canada, Senator Francesco Martone…

  • Showdown at the United Nations: Interviews Available on

    SIMONA SHARONI Sharoni is professor of peace and conflict studies and Middle East politics at Evergreen State College and executive director of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development. She said today: “The recent global protests represent an unprecedented development by the world community to confront those in the seats of power to change…

  • Crisis at a Crossroads: * Blix at the UN * Global Protests

    IMAD KHADDURI Khadduri worked with the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission from 1968 until 1998. He was able to leave Iraq in late 1998 with his family. Now in Canada, he was recently interviewed by UNMOVIC. More Information DANIEL ELLSBERG Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, warns of the government using deceit to drive the nation…

  • * Turkey * NATO * Bin Ladin Tape

    SANAR YURDATAPAN Yurdatapan was recently awarded the Global Rights Defenders award by Human Rights Watch. He said today: “Turkey is boiling. Ninety percent of the people are against an attack on Iraq. We are shocked at the depictions we see of the situation in the U.S. media. People here are not unhappy with NATO. No…

  • U.S. Credibility Problems

    GLEN RANGWALA Rangwala, a lecturer in politics at Cambridge University, exposed the British government’s plagiarism in its recent dossier which Secretary of State Colin Powell praised before the Security Council last week. Britain’s government has admitted that Rangwala is correct. He said today: “Powell’s citation of the plagiarized paper is merely a symptom of the…

  • Powell Cited Sham “Fine Paper”

    “My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we are giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence… “I would call my colleagues’ attention to the fine paper that the United Kingdom distributed yesterday which describes in exquisite detail Iraqi deception activities.”…

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