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Human Rights First
Senior counsel at Human Rights First, based in New York; former legal reporter for the Washington Independent, a web-paper on politics and policy published by the Center for Independent Media
PROFILE
Daphne Eviatar
Guest
FROM Daphne Eviatar
To the Point
Guantanamo Bay, Unmanned Drones and the Fight against Terror As today's live broadcast begins, President Obama is addressing national security at the National Defense University in Washington. In a lengthy briefing prior to the speech, aides outlined his renewed intention to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay and his plans to establish new rules for the use of unmanned drones for targeted killings. The President said that, while terrorism is a threat that will always be with us, it's not a reason for perpetual war. With US troops leaving Afghanistan, and al Qaeda leadership decimated since the attacks of September 11, he said it's time to refocus American strategy. Will today's speech win support from a divided Congress?
Which Way, L.A.?
Shedding Light on the Dark Side During the Bush Administration, the CIA referred for possible prosecution about 20 cases of prisoner interrogations so abusive they might have violated the law. All but two were declined by the Department of Justice due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct or criminal intent and the low probability of conviction. The New York Times , Newsweek magazine and the Los Angeles Times have all reported that despite President Obama not wanting to look back, Attorney General Eric Holder is likely to appoint a special prosecutor to re-open the cases. The release of a formerly classified report will put a lot of disturbing questions back in the news. Would investigation of low-level interrogators lead to policy makers up the chain of command? How high might it go? Can the Obama Administration handle another highly-charged political controversy with Constitutional overtones? Can it afford not to?
To the Point
Shedding Light on the Dark Side During the Bush Administration, the CIA referred for possible prosecution about 20 cases of prisoner interrogations so abusive they might have violated the law. All but two were declined by the Department of Justice due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct or criminal intent and the low probability of conviction. The New York Times , Newsweek magazine and the Los Angeles Times have all reported that despite President Obama not wanting to look back, Attorney General Eric Holder is likely to appoint a special prosecutor to re-open the cases. The release of a formerly classified report will put a lot of disturbing questions back in the news. Would investigation of low-level interrogators lead to policy makers up the chain of command? How high might it go? Can the Obama Administration handle another highly-charged political controversy with Constitutional overtones? Can it afford not to?
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To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.