Military Justice and Its Political Fallout

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Tomorrow in Baghdad, Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits will face a court martial on charges that he abused Iraqi prisoners held at the Abu Graib prison. Sivits' is the first court martial relating to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. How high are the stakes? Donald Rumsfeld himself says, -The world will see how a free and democratic society functions.- Warren Olney speaks with journalists, expert in national security and national security law, a former Air Force attorney and former CIA officer about how a court martial functions and explores some of the questions that may, or may not, be answered. Making News: Israel Moves into Gaza Refugee Camp Israeli helicopters pounded a Palestinian refugee camp on the border of Egypt today with missiles and machine-gun fire. At least 19 Palestinians were killed in an offensive that's drawn worldwide condemnation. Josh Hammer, Jerusalem Bureau chief for Newsweek magazine reports on Israel's latest effort to stifle the long-time flow of smuggled arms. Reporter's Notebook: Troops in South Korea to Go to Iraq As reports that the US is transferring 3600 soldiers to Iraq from their garrisons in South Korea dominated South Korean newspapers and TV yesterday, President Bush assured President Roh Moo Hyun that America-s 50-year old treaty commitment to defend his country has not diminished. Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the US must find a way to relieve its overburdened military.
Also mentioned on today's segment about military justice and its political fallout are the following three articles by Seymour Hersh:
Torture at Abu Ghraib (New Yorker, May 10 issue)
Defense Department's mishandling of Abu Ghraib disaster (New Yorker, May 17 issue)
Secret Pentagon program at Abu Ghraib (New Yorker, May 24 issue)

Israeli Foreign Ministry on weapon smuggling, destruction of Palestinian structures in Rafah

Amnesty International on evictions, demolitions

President Bush's remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee

UN on Israel's destruction of Palestinian homes in Gaza

NY Times article on DoD/CIA program to abuse

CIA response to NY Times allegations on prisoner abuse

Gerecht's article on Abu Ghraib, democracy in the Middle East

Zernike article on abuse

Army to transfer troops from South Korea to Iraq

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney