Iraq: Kidnappings, Car Bombs, Killings

Hosted by
An increasingly bold and organized insurgency has seized the offensive in Iraq, unleashing a new wave of bloodshed through a series of coordinated attacks that have claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the past four days. On Tuesday, a suicide car bomb exploded outside police headquarters in Baghdad, killing 47 people and wounding 114 others, police and health officials said. Hours later, guerrillas in Baquba ambushed a van transporting a group of policemen, killing 11 officers and one civilian in a hail of gunfire. The attacks followed an orchestrated series of strikes on Sunday which killed dozens of Iraqis across the country. Meanwhile, the kidnappings and beheadings of foreigners continue. The escalating violence poses a challenge to the interim government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, which has seemed powerless to control the hostilities. Are things spiraling out of control? Is the U.S. led-coalition---s response to the guerillas in effect aiding the insurgency? Can the elections really be held as scheduled? Or will they be delayed once the American election is over November? Making News: King-Drew Medical Center Suffers Another Huge Blow The beleaguered Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in South Los Angeles has received another blow. Earlier this week, the County Board of Supervisors unexpectedly moved to shut down the public hospital---s trauma unit. Yesterday, a national accrediting group recommended pulling its seal of approval from the hospital, which could lead to the hospital's closure. Tracy Weber covers public health for the Los Angeles Times.
An increasingly bold and organized insurgency has seized the offensive in Iraq, unleashing a new wave of bloodshed through a series of coordinated attacks that have claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the past four days. On Tuesday, a suicide car bomb exploded outside police headquarters in Baghdad, killing 47 people and wounding 114 others, police and health officials said. Hours later, guerrillas in Baquba ambushed a van transporting a group of policemen, killing 11 officers and one civilian in a hail of gunfire. The attacks followed an orchestrated series of strikes on Sunday which killed dozens of Iraqis across the country. Meanwhile, the kidnappings and beheadings of foreigners continue. The escalating violence poses a challenge to the interim government of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, which has seemed powerless to control the hostilities. Are things spiraling out of control? Is the U.S. led-coalition---s response to the guerillas in effect aiding the insurgency? Can the elections really be held as scheduled? Or will they be delayed once the American election is over November?
  • Making News: King-Drew Medical Center Suffers Another Huge Blow
    The beleaguered Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center in South Los Angeles has received another blow. Earlier this week, the County Board of Supervisors unexpectedly moved to shut down the public hospital---s trauma unit. Yesterday, a national accrediting group recommended pulling its seal of approval from the hospital, which could lead to the hospital's closure. Tracy Weber covers public health for the Los Angeles Times.
Guest host Sara Terry is an award-winning writer and photographer, who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Fast Company, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe. Her photo-documentary project, Aftermath: Bosnia's Long Road to Peace, will be published in September, 2005.

Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Weber's article on hospital's possible loss of accreditation, insurance contracts, teaching programs

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton