Democracy Now - 21 feb 2011

An alternative daily newschannel. One hour with news as you do not see it elsewhere. http://www.democracynow.org Headlines for Feb 21, 2011 - 332 Reportedly Killed in Libyan Crackdown on Protests - Bahraini Protesters Occupy Key Public Square After Massacre - Senator Leahy Asks For Review of U.S. Aid to Bahrain - House OKs $61 Billion in Cuts; Planned Parenthood, CPB Targeted - 80,000 Rally in Wisconsin to Save Collective Bargaining Rights - Barclays Bank Targeted in Tax Protest - U.S. Vetoes U.N. Resolution Calling Israeli Settlements Illegal - Report: U.S. Drone Strikes Killed Just Two "High-Value" Targets in 2010 - Pennsylvania Judge Convicted in Kids-For-Cash Scheme - U.S. Denies Visa to Palestinian Activist Special reports - "Iran, the Green Revolution and the USA": Hamid Dabashi On the Future of the Iranian Pro-Democracy Movement Iranian protesters returned to the streets on Sunday to mark the deaths of two men killed during demonstrations last week. Police used batons and tear gas to break up the protests. Among those detained were Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of former President Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. "On one hand, the Iranian authorities are expressing solidarity with the democratic movement in Tunisia and Egypt and throughout the region," says Columbia University Professor Hamid Dabashi. "Then deny that very principle to their own people." - Massacre in Libya: Witnesses Say Protesters Have Taken Control of Benghazi Despite Gov't Violence After a week of deadly unrest in the North African country of Libya, tens of thousands of people celebrated Sunday as they retook the streets of the eastern city of Benghazi. Residents say some soldiers joined the protesters and defeated a force of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's elite guard. Others say the military has left the city. This comes after days of brutal violence. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 300 people have been killed in Libya this week. Clashes have reportedly reached the capital city of Tripoli. For more on the situation in Benghazi, we spoke by phone to a protester named Haithem last night. - "Libya is Forever Changed by These Events": Libyan Poet and Scholar Khaled Mattawa on the Pro-Democracy Movement Amid Government Violence After a week of pro-democracy demonstrations in Libya that left more than 300 people dead, protesters have continued to demand an end to the 42-year regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. One of Gaddafi's sons, Seif Islam Gaddafi, addressed the nation over Libyan State TV on Sunday, and threatened there would be civil war if the protests did not end. For more we are joined by the acclaimed Libyan poet and scholar, Khaled Mattawa. "I think the regime is over even if Gaddafi manages to survive," Mattawa says. "Libyans are saying, ‘Yes we will have a new constitution, perhaps we will have a new flag. But we do not want you or your father or the rest of your plan, so get out of here." - "We Have a Fire in the House of Labor. We Are Here to Put it Out": Wisconsin Firefighters and Police Officers Join Massive Protests Against Anti-Union Bill In the largest rally yet, an estimated 80,000 people protested in Madison on Saturday against a "budget repair" bill that would strip public workers of their collective bargaining rights. The state's Democratic Senators-who have fled the state to stall a vote on the bill-sent a letter to Gov. Scott Walker on Friday telling him labor would accept cuts to pensions and increased contributions to health and retirement plans if he would negotiate on collective bargaining. The cuts Walker has proposed in a sweeping budget bill would exclude public safety workers like police, state troopers and firefighters, but this does not mean they are in support of the legislation. To discuss this further, we are joined by Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Wisconsin Professional Firefighters Association. "An assault on one is an assault on all," Mitchell says. "As firefighters and police officers, we do not sit idly by. We make things happen." http://www.democracynow.org

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