Iran nuclear programme ‘solely civilian’ – Turkish PM
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) - 17 Mar 2010
Summary: ErdoganThe Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has told the BBC that he believes Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. source: BBCread more

Why violence against Palestinian women is widespread
Electronic Intifada - 17 Mar 2010
rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rGAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IRIN) – Nahla (not her real name), aged 30, from Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, said she was physically and mentally abused for more than ten years by her husband before being granted a divorce three months ago. Fear and cultural factors prevented her from seeking help from women’s organizations.

This US-Israeli Crisis Has Yet To Peak: Diverging Interests Never Clearer
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) - 17 Mar 2010
Summary: NarwaniEvery time Obama has sought to advance his Mideast agenda, Israel has managed to put a new cog in his wheels. The US president started off his term insisting that Arab-Israeli peace be dealt with before Iran’s nuclear issue, and has had to reverse his plan due to Israeli pressures. source: Huffington Postread more

Brazil steps between Israel and Iran
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) - 17 Mar 2010
Summary: Lula Lula and Obama had seemed to be in synch on Iran, starting from their meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Eight plus five meeting in L’Aquila, Italy, nine months ago. Then, Obama even encouraged the Brasilia-Tehran dialogue, as long as Brazil pressed on Iran the commitment to a strictly civilian nuclear program. That’s exactly what Lula told Ahmadinejad when they met in Brazil. It is the Obama administration’s position that has substantially hardened. source: Asia Timesread more

Federal Probe into Post-Katrina Shootings by Police Widens
Democracy Now - 17 Mar 2010
We get an update on the investigations into a spate of police shootings in New Orleans that took place in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In recent weeks, two former members of the New Orleans police have admitted to participating in a cover-up of the Danziger Bridge shootings of September 4, 2005, when police SWAT units opened fire on a group of unarmed civilians, killing two and wounding four. Meanwhile, federal investigators have widened their probe into the New Orleans Police Department and are now looking into the circumstances surrounding four other incidents that include three deaths and one non-fatal shooting.

Report: Petraeus Warns Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mullen that Israel Is Jeopardizing US Security Interests
Democracy Now - 17 Mar 2010
Veteran military and foreign affairs analyst and author Mark Perry reports that CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus dispatched a team of senior military officers in January to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Perry reports that the briefers told Mullen that “Israeli intransigence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was jeopardizing US standing in the region.”

Rep. Alan Grayson’s “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act” Attracts 50 Co-Sponsors
Democracy Now - 17 Mar 2010
With the Democrat-led push for healthcare reform in its final stages, Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) introduces “The Public Option Act,” a measure that would allow people under sixty-five to buy into Medicare. The bill has attracted fifty co-sponsors. Grayson joins us to discuss the measure and healthcare reform overall, his own family’s experience with private insurance companies and more. [includes rush transcript]

Headlines for March 17, 2010
Democracy Now - 17 Mar 2010
10 Palestinians Seriously Wounded in Israeli Crackdown on Jerusalem Protests, Rejecting US Criticism, Israel Announces New Settlement Construction, Palestinians Name Ramallah Street After Slain US Activist Rachel Corrie, 9 Killed in US Drone Attacks in Pakistan, ACLU Sues US for Disclosures on Drone Attacks, Report: US Sending “Bunker Buster” Bombs to Diego Garcia, Ex-PM Holds Slight Lead in Iraqi Elections, Ban: Haiti in “Race Against Time” Before Rainy Season, Afghanistan Confirms Amnesty Law for War Crimes, NZ Peace Activists Acquitted for Antiwar Protest, 5 Dems Announce Opposition to Healthcare Bill, Penn. Nearly Doubles Cost of Low-Income Insurance Program, Top Economic Officials Foresee “Elevated” Unemployment Rate, Admin Threatens Veto of Intel Funding over Oversight Provisions, US Military: Sexual Assaults Up 11% in 2009, University of Florida Students Protest Police Shooting of African Graduate Student, Irish Activist, Rendition Critic Has US Visa Revoked