accuracy.org

News Releases

  • 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, stands by the quote.] www.newamerica.net/index.cfm?pg=article&pubID=1004 www.townhall.com/columnists/jackkemp/jk20030218.shtml As the Bush administration and supporters of its policies in the Middle East claim to be seeking democracy in Iraq, the following analysts are available for interviews: JIM LOBE A political analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus, Lobe has…

  • 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 or Coalition of the Coerced?” — which charges that member representatives on the U.N. Security Council are being recruited through coercion, bullying, and bribery. Anderson is a fellow at IPS specializing in global economy issues, Bennis is a Mideast and U.N. expert and Cavanagh is…

  • 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. The Turkish military has depopulated thousands of Kurdish villages and killed tens of thousands of Kurds over the last 15 years. Northern Iraq could end up much like northern Cyprus, which Turkey has illegally occupied for decades…. Also, crucially, the government of Iraq should come…

  • 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 and parliament member Graziella Mascia from Italy, and Pernille Rosenkrantz from Denmark. In a letter delivered to Donald Rumsfeld earlier this week, Christy Ferguson of the Canadian group Rooting Out Evil, which is organizing the inspector delegation, wrote: “As a State Party to the Chemical…

  • 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 their policies.” More Information JOHN QUIGLEY Professor of international law at Ohio State University, Quigley is author of a number of articles about the UN Security Council, including “The ‘Privatization’ of Security Council Enforcement Action: A Threat to Multilateralism.” Quigley said today: “Apparently the U.S.…

  • 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 into war. His book Secrets has recently been published. He is currently in New York City. More Information JAMES PAUL Paul is executive director of the Global Policy Forum, which monitors the United Nations. More Information LESLIE CAGAN Tomorrow will likely be the largest day…

  • * 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 one here is with Saddam, we know the horrors he has done, but — outside of a tiny minority which is hoping to benefit — nobody wants this.” More Information WILLIAM HARTUNG Senior research fellow at the World Policy Institute, Hartung has written several articles…

  • 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 weak case he is putting forward.” Rangwala’s reports are posted at: www.traprockpeace.org/firstresponse.html. BARBARA OLSHANSKY An attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, co-author of Against War with Iraq and author of Secret Trials and Executions, Olshansky said today: “The president talked today about making America…

  • 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.” — Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council, Feb. 5 GLEN RANGWALA Rangwala is a lecturer in politics at Cambridge University in Britain. He has written a report: “A First Response to Secretary Colin Powell’s Presentation Concerning Iraq” which takes issue…

  • Some Analysis of Powell’s Speech

    PHYLLIS BENNIS A fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, Bennis is author of the book Before and After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis and the article “Powell’s Dubious Case for War.” Bennis said today: “Contrary to Powell’s pronouncements, Hans Blix said the UNMOVIC inspectors have seen ‘no evidence’ of mobile biological weapons labs, have ‘no persuasive indications’ of an Iraq link to al-Qaeda and no evidence of Iraq hiding and moving material used for weapons of mass destruction.” More Information More Information DAVID MacMICHAEL A former CIA analyst, MacMichael wrote a recent piece entitled “Iraq: The…

  • Iraq Analysts Available

    JOHN QUIGLEY Professor of Law, Ohio State University. Specialist in the Mideast and in international law. “There is no basis in any Security Council resolution for unilateral military action by the U.S.” BARBARA LUBIN Executive director, Middle East Children’s Alliance More Information JEFF GUNTZEL Traveled recently to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness, delivering medicine…

  • Iraq Sanctions: What’s the Policy?

    Whether the United States bombs Iraq or not, there are reports that the U.S. is changing its policy to a more sanctions-based approach. While many are claiming that Iraq would be rid of the sanctions if it complied with the weapons inspections, an examination of U.S. policymakers’ statements since the Gulf War suggests otherwise: April…

  • Environmentalists Urge Clinton to Live Up to Rhetoric

    With the Earth’s climate on the table as delegates from more than 160 nations gather in Buenos Aires for a global climate summit, some U.S. specialists are voicing concern that the White House is not honoring its promises. Among those available for comment: ROSS GELBSPAN Gelbspan, author of The Heat Is On: The Climate Crisis,…

  • Victories for Campaign Finance Reform in Two States Likely to Inspire Grassroots Efforts Nationwide

    Statewide ballot measures for campaign finance reform won approval Tuesday in Arizona and Massachusetts. Activists say those victories will inspire a groundswell of efforts around the country to clean up the elections process at the grassroots. “This sends a message nationwide,” said Kaia Lenhart, political director of Arizonans for Clean Elections. “There’s no doubt about…

  • Election Issues That Weren’t

    As the 1998 campaign nears its end, some observers contend that key realities of American society have remained out of focus. Several policy analysts are available for interviews on subjects they say have gone largely overlooked during this campaign season: JOHN C. BERG Director of Graduate Studies at the Government Department of Suffolk University, Berg…

  • Social Security: Economists Call for Realism

    Three economists issued statements Friday warning against unrealistic scenarios for privatizing Social Security. The researchers took aim at a new book put out this week by the Cato Institute (Common Cents, Common Dreams) which argues for privatization. They are available for interviews on Social Security policy options. RICHARD Du BOFF Professor of Economics at Bryn…

  • Pinochet Arrest Raises New Questions in Washington

    WASHINGTON — The arrest of former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet has focused new attention on the record of his regime, which remained in power for 17 years after the 1973 coup that toppled Chile’s democratically elected government. Some pointed questions are being raised about the Washington-based Cato Institute’s current embrace of Jose Pinera, who…

  • Analysts Decry Inaction by Congress on HMO Reform

    WASHINGTON — The failure of Congress to pass legislation on health care reform before adjournment has angered many Americans. A number of doctors and health care analysts are available for interviews about Congressional inaction on a patient bill of rights to address problems with HMOs. Some of these specialists regard such a bill of rights…

  • Social Security: Would Privatization Help Minorities?

    WASHINGTON — A range of organizations today criticized rosy claims about Social Security privatization for Latinos and African Americans. At a presentation in Washington organized by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the widely cited Heritage Foundation was faulted for “technical errors” and “gross inaccuracies” in its claims that racial minorities would fare better…

  • “Surplus” and Poverty in America

    WASHINGTON — While President Clinton announces budget surplus figures today, some economists and poverty specialists are challenging the idea that poverty is receding as a national problem. Among those available for comment are: ANURADHA MITTAL Policy Director at the Institute for Food and Development Policy – Food First, Mittal said: “Extreme poverty is growing fastest…

Mastodon