To the Point
Civil Liberties and the War on Terror
0T0he war on Iraq got maximum media coverage, with journalists embedded with troops, reporting every step of the way. Yet the war on terror is being fought in secret. The US Patriot Act, passed after September 11, gives the government this widespread authority to wage this war in secret. From months-long detentions to no-fly lists that ban certain people from flying on US airlines, the government has had to be accountable to almost no one. Now the ACLU is challenging that. Is the government going too far or keeping the nation secure? Guest host Sara Terry explores that delicate balance with civil libertarians from the ACLU and the Center for National Security Studies, a former FAA airline security advisor, and international law expert Ruth Wedgwood. Making News: Palestinian Parliament Approves New Prime Minister In an historic meeting today, the Palestinian Parliament confirmed its first Prime Minister. The approval of Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, prepares the way for the introduction of a US-backed Middle East peace plan. John Ward Anderson of the Washington Post assesses the significance of today-s confirmation to Palestinians, Yasser Arafat, Israel and the US. Reporter's Notebook: SARS Recalls 1924 Plague Epidemic of Fear and Mistrust In 1924, Los Angeles was the battleground for the last major outbreak of Plague in the US. The crisis was quickly contained, with fewer than 40 deaths, but there were other casualties, including the honesty of city officials and local media, and the leveling of entire low-income neighborhoods. William Deverell, associate professor of history at Caltech, explains how LA overcame the outbreak but failed to contain fear and mistrust in the process.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min read0T0he war on Iraq got maximum media coverage, with journalists embedded with troops, reporting every step of the way. Yet the war on terror is being fought in secret. The US Patriot Act, passed after September 11, gives the government this widespread authority to wage this war in secret. From months-long detentions to no-fly lists that ban certain people from flying on US airlines, the government has had to be accountable to almost no one. Now the ACLU is challenging that. Is the government going too far or keeping the nation secure? Guest host Sara Terry explores that delicate balance with civil libertarians from the ACLU and the Center for National Security Studies, a former FAA airline security advisor, and international law expert Ruth Wedgwood.
Palestinian Parliament Approves New Prime Minister
In an historic meeting today, the Palestinian Parliament confirmed its first Prime Minister. The approval of Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, prepares the way for the introduction of a US-backed Middle East peace plan. John Ward Anderson of the Washington Post assesses the significance of today-s confirmation to Palestinians, Yasser Arafat, Israel and the US.
SARS Recalls 1924 Plague Epidemic of Fear and Mistrust
In 1924, Los Angeles was the battleground for the last major outbreak of Plague in the US. The crisis was quickly contained, with fewer than 40 deaths, but there were other casualties, including the honesty of city officials and local media, and the leveling of entire low-income neighborhoods. William Deverell, associate professor of history at Caltech, explains how LA overcame the outbreak but failed to contain fear and mistrust in the process.
Guest host
Guest host
Sara Terry is an award-winning writer and photographer, who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, Fast Company, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe. Her current photo-documentary project is
Aftermath: Bosnia's Long Road to Peace.
Palestinian National Authority
Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II)
Jose Padilla, CATO Institute on
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)