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Please share any info you have on how the media has presented the anti-war (pro-peace) protesters in Ohio. Much respect to the organizers and the protesters! -Rania Masri Iraq Action Coalition http://leb.net/IAC/ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stanley Heller, Middle East Crisis Committee, 2/18/98 This is some of the start of tonight's ABC News broadcast. Peter Jennings: We're going to begin tonight with a White House Public Relation Offensive that did not work as planned. The President's Foreign Policy Team, the Secretaries of State and Defense and the National Security Advisor went out as a trio today in support of military action against Iraq. It was billed as a town meeting at Ohio State University in the middle of the country, in the heartland so to speak.The White House made a deal to have it televised by CNN and so it was seen all over the world. and as it turned out the Administration took it right between the eyes. Sam Donaldson: "No one thought selling the President's Iraqi policy would be easy, but was this expected? Secretary of State was stopped dead for a moment with the type of vocal protest no heard since Vietnam. [Scenes of chanting] Moderators Judy Woodruff and Bernard Shaw scrambled to restore order." Shaw: Can we please have order? Donaldson: "After which Secretary of State Albright, Secretary of Defense Cohen and National Security advisor Berger alternately took questions and abuse." The program next showed a veteran who had lost a son in Vietnam who wondered if the government was going to get rid of Saddam Hussein or do a "half-assed" job. Donaldson: "One questioner took on Secretary of State Albright with a vengeance" "..they are slaughtering people in East Timor. What do you have to say about Israel which is slaughtering Palestinians. Why are we bombing Iraq when it commits similar problems" Cheers in the background Albright "Really I'm surprised that people think it's necessary to defend the rights of Saddam Hussein." "You're not answering my question." Cheers in the background Donaldson went on to show a phone call from a soldier who supported the Presdient and said he would be the first to give up his life in the war. Donaldson: "When the final questioner became personal the three officials rose to the occasion." "How can these people sleep at night. If we want to deal with Saddam, we deal with Saddam, not with the Iraqi people." Albright, "We are trying to create a situation where all of you can sleep safely at night" The other officials made statements that were applauded. Donaldson concluded: "But the overall impression created by the protestors was not welcome to an Administration that is trying to explain a military endgame that no one can be sure of." Right on, Ohio State!!!! -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html