More Middle East Violence; New Tactics in War on Terror

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Segment #1: Israel Launches Assault in Southern Lebanon after Soldiers' Abduction
Calling Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of seven more an "act of war," Israel today sent tanks, bombers and troops into Southern Lebanon, after Hezbollah captured two Israeli solders and killed seven more. In Washington today, Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon faulted Lebanon's government for its repeated pattern of attacks, followed by request for negotiations. Lamenting Israel's occupation of Gaza, Lebanon's ambassador to the US, Farid Abboud, suggested that the situation could have been avoided had Israel agreed to a requested prisoner exchange. At the United Nations, Kofi Annan condemned the Israeli action "without reservation." We update the action and the prospects for diplomacy.

Segment #2 Changing Tactics in the War on Terror
In 2002, President Bush signed an executive order saying the Geneva Conventions did not apply to suspects captured in the war on terror. Yesterday, after a US Supreme Court decision, the White House says they do after all. While there's disagreement about whether that really amounts to a change in policy, there's little dispute that other policies have changed, that what Time magazine calls a "muscular... unilateralist vision of US power" has been replaced by multilateral diplomacy and less confrontation.

  • Reporter's Notebook: Petting Zoo and Popcorn Factory on Terrorist Target List
    The National Asset Database is the list of likely American targets in the war on terror. Indiana has more potential target than any other state--50% more than New York, twice as many as California. Included are Old MacDonald's Petting Zoo, the Amish Country Popcorn Factory and the Sweetwater Flea Market. It sounds like a joke, but that's the finding of the Department of Homeland Security's own inspector general, according to Eric Lipton of the New York Times.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert blames Lebanon for latest attack

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on latest Middle East violence

MSNBC on Israel's assault into Lebanon

President Bush (2002) on treatment of detainees at Guant--namo

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow (2006) on treatment of detainees, foreign policy

Hamdan v Rumsfeld, US Supreme Court on

Department of Homeland Security on development of the National Asset Database

Lipton's article on the terrorist target list

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney