Pakistan's State of Emergency; Writers' Strike

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Pakistani police are cracking down on political opposition under President Musharraf 's state of emergency, creating a delicate problem for US diplomacy.  We hear from Washington and Islamabad. Also, television and film writers are on strike in New York and Los Angeles.  We hear how new media are changing what is seen and heard all over the country.

Pakistani riot police baton-charge lawyers during today's protest in Lahore. Photo: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

Main Topic

Bloody Unrest for a Crucial American Ally ()

On Saturday, President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency on Pakistan, claiming that militant violence and an unruly judiciary had created a crisis. Today, protesters in several cities have been tear-gassed and beaten as police arrested thousands of opposition leaders and shut down some media. The worsening situation complicates the US relationship with a country President Bush calls a vital ally in the war on terror. Since September 11, the US has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan, supposedly for help in controlling al Qaeda. Pakistan also provides bases and routes for US military supplies going into Afghanistan. We hear how Musharraf's state of emergency is creating a delicate problem for US diplomacy.

Guests:

• Shahan Mufti: Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor
• Peter Spiegel: Pentagon Correspondent, Los Angeles Times
• Paula Newberg: former Special Advisor, United Nations
• Talat Masood: former General, Pakistani Army

Links:

• Los Angeles Times' article on doubts about US-Pakistani alliance
• Mufti's article on Musharraf, emergency rule
• Newberg's 'Judging the State: Courts and Constitutional Politics in Pakistan'

Main Topic

The Writers' Strike ()

Despite the presence of a federal mediator, yesterday's last minute talks between television and film writers and the Alliance of Film and Television producers went nowhere.  Today members of the Writers Guild of America began carrying picket signs in New York and Los Angeles.  Should the rest of the nation care? We hear how new media are changing the world of entertainment and America's cultural economy.  

Guests:

• Peter Sanders: Reporter, Wall Street Journal
• Robert Thompson: Professor of Popular Culture, Syracuse University
• Porter Bibb: Managing Partner, Mediatech Capital Partners
• Dean Baker: Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research
• John Ridley: Commentator, author and screenwriter

Links:

• Authors' Guild suit against Google over Internet royalties
• Digital Millennial Copyright Act
• Sanders' article on writers' strike

Host

Warren Olney

Considered the dean of Southern California broadcast journalists, Warren tackles the issues Southern Californians care about. Expanding that concept, To the Point deals with issues of national concern and is on air in most major metropolitan markets across the country. On any day, you’ll hear a fast-paced, news-based talk show featuring multiple perspectives on a single major issue, with Newsmaker and Reporters Notebook features, as well. 

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Frances Anderton, Christian Bordal, Andrea Brody, Sonya Geis, Karen Radziner

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