BTL:June 30th Transition of Power in Iraq Criticized as Hollow Attempt to...

...Bolster Bush Re-Election Bid~ Interview with Rahul Mahajan, author and commentator, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris <!--break--> June 30th Transition of Power in Iraq Criticized as Hollow Attempt to Bolster Bush Re-Election Bid Interview with Rahul Mahajan, author and commentator, conducted by Scott Harris After more than a year of deadly failures in Iraq, the Bush administration is working hard to gain international legitimacy as it prepares for a symbolic handover of sovereignty to a new interim, hand-picked Iraqi government on June 30. On June 9, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution jointly sponsored by the U.S. and Britain, which endorses the continuing presence of an American-led military force in the country after the transfer of power. In what was described as another success by the Bush administration, U.S. officials and Iraq's newly appointed Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, announced in early June that they had brokered an agreement that will disband nine of the nation's largest militia groups. But two of the groups most closely identified with the ongoing violence in Iraq, were excluded from the accord: the militant Shiite Mahdi Army loyal to Sheik Moktada al-Sadr, and the Falluja Brigade made up of ex-Republican Guard troops and insurgents. But despite successes on the diplomatic front, Iraqi insurgents continue to attack U.S. soldiers and their allies across Iraq. As of June 7, more than 825 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq with another 18,000 injured and evacuated. Thus far, an estimated 10,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. invasion in March 2003. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Rahul Mahajan, author of the book, "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond." Mahajan, who has visited Iraq twice since January, examines the difficulties ahead for the U.S. and its Iraqi partners as the June 30th date of transfer approaches. Rahul Mahajan's book, "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond," is published by Seven Stories Press. Read Mahajan's commentaries online at: www.empirenotes.org Related links: "Ex-C.I.A. Aides Say Iraq Leader Helped Agency in 90's Attacks," by Joel Brinkley, the New York Times, June 9, 2004 PSR Cites Policy Failures, Human Costs in Iraq; Nobel Prize Winning Group Calls for International Takeover, U.S. Withdrawal," Physicians for Social Responsibility, press release, June 2, 2004 LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below: http://www.btlonline.org * "Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org * "Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October). * For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net * For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net * betweenthelines@snet.net * http://www.squeakywheel.net/ * Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. (c)2004 Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

<p>...Bolster Bush Re-Election Bid~ Interview with Rahul Mahajan, author and commentator, conducted by Between the Lines' Scott Harris</p> <!--break--><p>June 30th Transition of Power in Iraq Criticized as Hollow Attempt to Bolster Bush Re-Election Bid Interview with Rahul Mahajan, author and commentator, conducted by Scott Harris After more than a year of deadly failures in Iraq, the Bush administration is working hard to gain international legitimacy as it prepares for a symbolic handover of sovereignty to a new interim, hand-picked Iraqi government on June 30. </p> <p>On June 9, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a resolution jointly sponsored by the U.S. and Britain, which endorses the continuing presence of an American-led military force in the country after the transfer of power. In what was described as another success by the Bush administration, U.S. officials and Iraq's newly appointed Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, announced in early June that they had brokered an agreement that will disband nine of the nation's largest militia groups. But two of the groups most closely identified with the ongoing violence in Iraq, were excluded from the accord: the militant Shiite Mahdi Army loyal to Sheik Moktada al-Sadr, and the Falluja Brigade made up of ex-Republican Guard troops and insurgents. But despite successes on the diplomatic front, Iraqi insurgents continue to attack U.S. soldiers and their allies across Iraq. As of June 7, more than 825 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq with another 18,000 injured and evacuated. Thus far, an estimated 10,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. invasion in March 2003.</p> <p>Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Rahul Mahajan, author of the book, "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond." Mahajan, who has visited Iraq twice since January, examines the difficulties ahead for the U.S. and its Iraqi partners as the June 30th date of transfer approaches. Rahul Mahajan's book, "Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond," is published by Seven Stories Press. Read Mahajan's commentaries online at: <a href="http://www.empirenotes.org">www.empirenotes.org</a> Related links: "Ex-C.I.A. Aides Say Iraq Leader Helped Agency in 90's Attacks," by Joel Brinkley, the New York Times, June 9, 2004 PSR Cites Policy Failures, Human Costs in Iraq; Nobel Prize Winning Group Calls for International Takeover, U.S. Withdrawal," Physicians for Social Responsibility, press release, June 2, 2004 </p> <p>LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below: <a href="http://www.btlonline.org">http://www.btlonline.org</a> * "Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. </p> <p>For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: <a href="http://www.btlonline.org">http://www.btlonline.org</a> * "Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October). </p> <p>* For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to <a href="mailto:btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net">btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net</a> *</p> <p>For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&amp;A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to <a href="mailto:btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net">btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net</a> * <a href="mailto:betweenthelines@snet.net">betweenthelines@snet.net</a> </p> <p>* <a href="http://www.squeakywheel.net/">http://www.squeakywheel.net/</a> * Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. (c)2004 Squeaky Wheel Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.</p>