http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: Military junta) en-us Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:23:00 -0700 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/pope-francis-junta-past-is-new-pontiff-linked-to-abduction-of-jesuit-priests?start=0 While praised for his work with the poor, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio -- now Pope Francis -- has long been dogged by accusations of his role during Argentina's military dictatorship. We speak to Horacio Verbitsky, a leading Argentine journalist who exposed Francis' connection to the abduction of two Jesuit priests. Verbitsky is an investigative journalist for the newspaper P&aacute;gina/12, or Page/12, and head of the Center for Legal and Social Studies, an Argentine human rights organization. <br /> Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:23:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/pope-francis-junta-past-is-new-pontiff-linked-to-abduction-of-jesuit-priests Pope Francis, Argentina, Pope, Dirty War, Horacio Verbitsky, Catholic Church, Military junta, Escuela de Mecánica de la Armada (ESMA), Cardinal (Catholicism), Buenos Aires While praised for his work with the poor, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio -- now Pope Francis -- has long been dogged by accusations of his role during Argentina's military dictatorship. We speak to Horacio Verbitsky, a leading Argentine journalist who exposed Francis' connection to the abduction of two Jesuit priests. Verbitsky is an investigative journalist for the newspaper Página/12, or Page/12, and head of the Center for Legal and Social Studies, an Argentine human rights organization. ---- For more on the new pope, we turn now to one of Argentina's leading investigative journalists, Horacio Verbitsky, who has written extensively about the career of Cardinal Bergoglio and his actions during the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. During that time, up to 30,000 people were kidnapped and killed. A 2005 lawsuit accused Jorge Bergoglio of being connected to the 1976 kidnappings of two Jesuit priests, Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics. The lawsuit was filed after the publication of Verbitsky's book, The Silence: From Paul VI to Bergoglio: The Secret Relations Between the Church and the ESMA. ESMA refers to the former navy school that was turned into a detention center where people were tortured by the military dictatorship. The new pope has denied the charges. He twice invoked his right under Argentine law to refuse to appear in open court to testify about the allegations. When he eventually did testify in 2010, human rights activists characterized his answers as evasive. Horacio Verbitsky joins us on the phone now from his home in Buenos Aires, an investigative journalist for the newspaper Página/12; Page/12, it's called in English. He is also head of the Center for Legal and Social Studies, an Argentine human rights organization. We welcome you to Democracy Now! I wanted to just begin by you laying out for us what you believe is important to understand about the new pope, Pope Francis. The main thing to understand about Francis I is that he's a conservative populist, in the same style that John Paul II was. He's a man of strong conservative positions in doctrine questions, but with a touch for popular taste. He preaches in rail stations, in the streets. He goes to the quarters, the poor quarters of the city to pray. He doesn't wait the people going into the church; he goes for them. But his message is absolutely conservative. He was opposed to abortion, to the egalitarian matrimony law. He launched a crusade against the evil when Congress was passing this law, and in the very same style that John Paul II. This is what I consider the main feature on the new pope. Well, now, Horacio Verbitsky, that would be true of many of the cardinals elevated during the period of John Paul and now also of Benedict XVI, this basic conservatism. But in the case of Bergoglio, there's also the issue, as you have documented and many—and several other journalists in Argentina, of his particular role or accusations about his involvement in the dirty wars in Argentina. Could you talk about that and some of the things that—because you've been a leading investigative reporter uncovering the relations between the church and the government in terms of the dirty wars? Of course. He was accused by two Jesuit priests of having surrendered them to the military. They were a group of Jesuits that were under Bergoglio's direction. He was the provincial superior of the order in Argentina, being very, very young. He was the younger provincial Jesuit in history; at 36 years, he was provincial. During a period of great political activity in the Jesuits' company, he stimulated the social work of the Jesuits. But when the military coup overthrow the Isabel Perón government, he was in touch with the military that ousted this government and asked the Jesuits to stop their social work. And when they refused to do it, he stopped protecting them, and he let the military know that they were not more inside the protection of the Jesuits' company, and they were kidnapped. And they accuse him for this deed. He denies this. He said to me that he tried to get them free, that he talked with the former dictator, Videla, and with former dictator Massera to have them freed. And during a long period, I heard two versions: the version of the two kidnapped priests that were released after six months of torture and captivity, and the version of Bergoglio. This was an issue divisive in the human rights movement to which I belong, because the president founding of CELS, Center for Legal and Social Studies, Emilio Mignone, said that Bergoglio was a accomplice of the military, and a lawyer of the CELS, Alicia Oliveira, that was a friend of Bergoglio, tell the other part of the story, that Bergoglio helped them. This was the two—the two versions. But during the research for one of my books, I found documents in the archive of the foreign relations minister in Argentina, which, from my understanding, gave an end to the debate and show the double standard that Bergoglio used. The first document is a note in which Bergoglio asked the ministry to—the renewal of the passport of one of these two Jesuits that, after his releasing, was living in Germany, asking that the passport was renewed without necessity of this priest coming back to Argentina. The second document is a note from the officer that received the petition recommending to his superior, the minister, the refusal of the renewal of the passport. And the third document is a note from the same officer telling that these priests have links with subversion—that was the name that the military gave to all the people involved in opposition to the government, political or armed opposition to the military—and that he was jailed in the mechanics school of the navy, and saying that this information was provided to the officer by Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, provincial superior of the Jesuit company. This means, to my understanding, a double standard. He asked the passport given to the priest in a formal note with his signature, but under the table he said the opposite and repeated the accusations that produced the kidnapping of these priests. And these priests—can you explain, Horacio, what happened to these two priests, Orlando Yorio and Francisco Jalics? Yes. Orlando, after his releasing, went to Rome. How were they found? Sorry? How were they found? In what condition were they? What had happened to them? Well, he was released—both of them were released, drugged, confused, transported by helicopter to—in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, were abandoned, asleep by drugs, in very bad condition. They were tortured. They were interrogated. One of the interrogators had externally knowings about theological questions, that induced one of them, Orlando Yorio, to think that their own provincial, Bergoglio, had been involved in this interrogatory. He said that—he said that Bergoglio himself had been part of the—his own interrogation, this Jesuit priest? He told me that he had the impression their own provincial, Bergoglio, was present during the interrogatory, which one of the interrogators had externally knowledge of theological questions. And when released, he went to Rome. He lived seven years in Rome, then come back to Argentina. And when coming back to Argentina, he was incardinated in the Quilmes diocesis in Great Buenos Aires, where the bishop was one of the leaders of the progressive branch of the Argentine church opposite to that of Bergoglio. And Orlando Yorio denounced Bergoglio. I received his testimony when Bergoglio was elected to the archbishop of Buenos Aires. And Bergoglio—I interviewed Bergoglio also, and he denied the charges, and he told me that he had defended them. And Orlando Yorio got me in touch with Francisco Jalics, that was living in Germany. I talked with him, and he confirmed the story, but he didn't want to be mentioned in my piece, because he told me that he preferred to not remember this sad part of his life and to pardon. And he was for oblivion and pardon. That he was, during a lot of years, very resented against Bergoglio, but that he had decided to forgot and forget. And when I released the book with the story, one Argentine journalist working for a national agency, [inaudible], who has been a disciple of Jalics, talked with him and asked him for the story. And Jalics told him that he would not affirm, not deny the story. Horacio—Horacio Verbitsky, I'd like to ask you about another priest who was involved in the dirty wars, Christian von Wernich, who was a former chaplain of the police department in Argentina and also later was convicted of being involved— He was convicted—he was convicted, and he's in jail, in a common jail, but the Argentine church, during the tenure of Bergoglio, hasn't punished him, in canonical terms. He was convicted by the human justice, but by the church standards, he's always a priest. And this tells something about Bergoglio and the Argentine church also. And von Wernich was involved in murders, tortures and kidnappings. Could you detail some of the crimes that he was convicted of committing? Bergoglio involved in the crimes of von Wernich? No, no, von Wernich. Von Wernich, I said. Oh, von Wernich was part—was active part in torture and killings, and he was convicted not as an accomplice, but as a participant in the crimes. He was present during the torture sessions, von Wernich. And there is not the just one chaplain; there are some others that are under trial in this moment. Chaplain Regueiro is under house arrest because he's an older man. A Chaplain Zitelli in Santa Fe province, for being present during torture sessions. So, there are a lot of them that were part of the dirty war. I wanted to read, Horacio, a part of a State Department cable released by WikiLeaks that references, well, the Roman Catholic priest Christian von Wernich, who you were just talking about, convicted in 2007 of being an accomplice in several cases of murder, torture and illegal imprisonment in Argentina during the military dictatorship. It notes the conviction came, quote, "at a time when some observers consider Roman Catholic primate Cardinal Bergoglio to be a leader of the opposition to the Kirchner administration because of his comments about social issues, the Von Wernich case could also have the effect, some believe, of undermining the Church's (and, by extension, Cardinal Bergoglio's) moral authority or capacity to comment on political, social or economic questions," unquote. That was a State Department cable that was released by WikiLeaks. Horacio, could you respond? We can go attack this paper by parts. First of all, the State Department considered that Bergoglio was the chief of the position to the Kirchner government. And I agree with this statement. The State Department tells also that the conviction of Father von Wernich can be directed to undermine Bergoglio's position. This is not true, to my understanding. The conviction of Father von Wernich is a consequence of a trial that started much before the Kirchners arriving to power and has its own judicial logic and not a political timetable. Horacio, are you still there? Sorry? Ah, let me ask you a question. We thought we lost you for a minute. We're talking to Horacio Verbitsky, a leading Argentine investigative journalist, well known for his human rights investigations. I wanted to ask you about this issue of hiding political prisoners when a human rights delegation came to Argentina. Can you tell us when this was, what are the allegations, and what was the role, if any, of Bergoglio, now Pope Francis? No, in this episode, Bergoglio has no intervention. The intervention was from the cardinal that in that time was the chief of the church in Buenos Aires. That is the position that Bergoglio has in the present. But in that time, he was not archbishop of Buenos Aires. When the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights came into Argentina to investigate allegations of human rights violations, the navy took 60 prisoners out of ESMA and got them to a village that was used by the Cardinal Aramburu to his weekends. And in this weekend property were also the celebration each year of the new seminarians that ended their studies. In this villa in the outskirts of Buenos Aires were the prisoners during the visit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. And when the commission visited ESMA, they did not find the prisoners that were supposed to be there, because they were— ESMA being—ESMA being the naval barracks were so many thousands of Argentines were held. So where were they? Yes, but Bergoglio has no intervention in this—in this fact. Indeed, he helped me to investigate a case. He gave me the precise information about in which tribunal was the document demonstrating that this villa was owned by the church. He said that they were hidden in a villa that was owned by the Catholic Church? Yes. And the prisoners were held in a weekend house that was the weekend house of the cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires in that time. And Bergoglio gave me the precise information about the tribunal in which were the documents affirming this relationship between this property and the archbishop of Buenos Aires. We have to break, and then we're going to come back to Horacio Verbitsky, as well as our guest in studio named Ernesto Semán, who is a historian at New York University, former reporter for the Argentine newspaper, both the same as Horacio's newspaper, Página/12, and Clarín, where he reported on politics and human rights, as well as, well, Father Bergoglio, now Pope Francis. This is Democracy Now! We'll be back in a minute. http://news.linktv.org/videos/concerns-over-egyptian-power-handover?start=0 Islamists across the Middle East are celebrating the Muslim Brotherhood's win in Egypt's presidential election, but there are concerns over how much power the military caretaker government will hand over to the new president. Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:01:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/concerns-over-egyptian-power-handover Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Muslim Brotherhood, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egyptian Revolution, Politics of Egypt, Egypt, Tahrir Square, President of Egypt, Islamism Islamists across the Middle East are celebrating the Muslim Brotherhood's win in Egypt's presidential election, but there are concerns over how much power the military caretaker government will hand over to the new president. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-morsy-win-ultimate-moment-of-the-revolution?start=0 Islamist Mohamed Morsy of the Muslim Brotherhood was announced as the winner of Egypt's first competitive presidential election on Sunday. The news of his victory over Ahmed Shafiq comes after a week-long delay in official election results. Sun, 24 Jun 2012 11:16:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-morsy-win-ultimate-moment-of-the-revolution Mohamed Morsi, President of Egypt, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian Revolution, Egypt, Tahrir Square, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Cairo Islamist Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was announced as the winner of Egypt's first competitive presidential election on Sunday. The news of his victory over Ahmed Shafiq comes after a week-long delay in official election results. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Cairo. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egyptians-unite-against-military-but-are-protestors-ignoring-the-real-enemy?start=0 Thousands of Egyptians are back on the streets of Cairo, united in their opposition to military rule and demanding the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces hands over power to a civilian government. But are they focused on the wrong enemy? Fri, 22 Jun 2012 08:41:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egyptians-unite-against-military-but-are-protestors-ignoring-the-real-enemy Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Egyptian Revolution, Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, Ahmed Shafiq, Muslim Brotherhood, Protest, Constitutional amendment Thousands of Egyptians are back on the streets of Cairo, as revolutionary groups and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood unite in their opposition to military rule. They want the parliament reinstated and the ruling military council to hand over power to the new president. But, as Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports from Cairo, they may be focused on the wrong enemy. http://news.linktv.org/videos/election-result-delay-raises-tensions-in-egypt?start=0 Today's official declaration of election results in Egypt has been delayed amid complaints from both candidates -- but protestors say the holdup is another sign the military junta does not intend to hand over power to civilian government. Thu, 21 Jun 2012 07:52:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/election-result-delay-raises-tensions-in-egypt Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt, Ahmed Shafiq, Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian Revolution, Muslim Brotherhood, Politics of Egypt, People's Assembly of Egypt, Tahrir Square Today was supposed to see the official declaration of results from Egypt's presidential election, but the announcement has been delayed. Egypt's electoral commission says it needs more time to assess complaints from the two candidates, but protestors gathered in Tahrir Square say the holdup is another sign the military junta does not intend to hand over power to civilian government. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypts-political-crisis-deepens?start=0 Egypt's transition from dictatorship to democracy has been turned on its head. There is still no official winner in the country's presidential elections, and the ruling military council has decreed the new man will not be commander in chief. Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:21:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypts-political-crisis-deepens Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Egypt, Ahmed Shafiq, Egyptian Revolution, Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian Army, Military junta, Politics of Egypt Egypt's transition from dictatorship to democracy has been turned on its head. There is still no official winner in the country's presidential elections, and whoever is declared victor looks likely to occupy only a ceremonial role. The ruling military council, SCAF, has decreed the new man will not be commander in chief, and that it alone will retain control over the budget. Opposition groups say the decision amounts to a coup. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Cairo. http://news.linktv.org/videos/in-graphics-egyptian-militarys-power-grab?start=0 Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has made a last-minute power grab, leaving the incoming president with very limited powers. The army says it will be its own boss, have control over the budget, and can bring in any new laws it likes. Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:56:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/in-graphics-egyptian-militarys-power-grab Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egyptian Revolution, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Egypt, People's Assembly of Egypt, Politics of Egypt, Egyptian Armed Forces, Military junta, Constitution, President of Egypt Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has made a last-minute power grab, leaving the incoming president with very limited powers. The army says it will be its own boss. The new President will not be commander in chief. SCAF has given itself control over the budget and who writes the permanent constitution. And, in the absence of a sitting parliament, the military council will retain legislative power. That means, for now, SCAF can bring in any new laws it likes. http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-interim-president-beaten-unconscious-by-mob?start=0 Mali's caretaker President Dioncounda Traore was hospitalized with head injuries on Monday after being attacked by hundreds of protesters who stormed the presidential palace in the capital Bamako to demand his resignation. Tue, 22 May 2012 11:47:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-interim-president-beaten-unconscious-by-mob Dioncounda Traoré, Mali, Bamako, 2012 Malian coup d'etat, Politics of Mali, Protest, ECOWAS, Caretaker government, Head injury, Military junta Mali's caretaker President Dioncounda Traore was hospitalized with head injuries on Monday after being attacked by hundreds of protesters who stormed the presidential palace in the capital Bamako to demand his resignation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-050712?start=1227 <p>Syria holds parliamentary elections amid continuing violence, solidarity with Palestinian hunger strikers grows as they enter day 21, NATO air strikes kill civilians across four Afghan provinces, and more.</p> Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-050712 Israel, Syrian Civil War, Syria, Egypt, Elections in Syria, Palestinian prisoners in Israel, Israel-Lebanon relations, Yemeni al-Qaeda crackdown, Badghis Province, Egyptian presidential election, 2012 As Egyptians prepare for their first presidential election since they ousted Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are far from satisfied with the current circumstance, saying the ruling military council may plan to influence the election process, and thus hang on to power. Press TV speaks with writer and journalist Adel Lotfy in London, asking whether the military council is exerting pressure behind the scenes to have its favored candidate elected. Lotfy believes that is true, and adds that one more excuse, such as the recent deadly clashes between protestors and security forces outside the Defense Ministry, would be enough for the "junta" to cancel presidential elections. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-april-9-2012?start=687 After President Amadou Toumani Touré formally resigns following last month's coup and Tuareg rebels declare independence in the north, Democracy Now! examine the wider implications of Mali's political instability. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:30:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-april-9-2012 Mohamed Nasheed, 2012 Malian coup d'etat, Mali, Democracy Now!, Maldives, Amadou Toumani Touré, Politics of Mali, Politics of the Maldives, Resignation, Timbuktu The president of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, has formally resigned after soldiers ousted him in a coup in March, with power set to be transferred to Mali's National Assembly after elections later this month. The soldiers say they seized power because of Touré's alleged mishandling of a rebellion of ethnic Tuareg rebels, who have succeeded in capturing several key northern cities, declaring their independence and now calling for international recognition. Officials claim the rebels are a mix of Tuareg separatists and Islamists with links to al-Qaeda. We speak with Firoze Manji, editor-in-chief of Pambazuka News, a pan-African social justice website. He was formerly the Africa director for Amnesty International. Manji recently co-edited a book called "African Awakening: The Emerging Revolutions." Manji argues the political unrest in Mali, Senegal, and beyond is "driven by the fact that over the last 30 years our people have lost all the gains of independence," due in large part to what he calls neoliberal policies imposed on many African countries by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. "People feel that their governments are more accountable to the banks and to the international multinational corporations than they are to their citizens," Manji says. We begin today's show in Mali, where the president, Amadou Toumani Touré, has handed in his letter of his resignation after soldiers ousted him in a coup last month. Power will now be transferred to the president of Mali's National Assembly until elections take place later this month. On Sunday, Touré addressed the press, saying he's resigning of his own accord. PRESIDENT AMADOU TOUMANI TOURÉ: [translated] Today, in the search for a solution, I think the decision taken by ECOWAS and the international community is the best. It's necessary that Mali continues in the provisions of its constitution of February 1992. As a consequence, I think it's normal, and I do it without any pressure at all, and I do it in good faith and, most of all, for the love I have for this country—I have decided to present you with the letter of my resignation that you should present it to the relevant authorities to allow the plan and full exercise of the provision of our Article 36 of the Constitution. That was President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali. He was just months from finishing his last term, when soldiers stormed the presidential palace, sending him into hiding. The soldiers said they grabbed power because of Touré's alleged mishandling of a rebellion in the north, which began in January. The ethnic Tuareg rebels had succeeded in capturing several key northern cities, including the ancient city of Timbuktu, a major prize in their long-running fight for autonomy in the north. Last week, the Tuareg declared their independence. Naming their state "Azawad," the Tuaregs are now calling for international recognition. They have nurtured the dream of secession since Mali's own independence from France in 1960. Following last month's coup, Mali is now roughly divided into a Tuareg-controlled north and junta-controlled south, and humanitarian groups warn the country is on the brink of catastrophe. On Sunday, northerners living in Bamako gathered in the city center to try and resolve the ongoing fighting. Some Malians wondered about the rebels' intentions. BENCO MAIGA: [translated] Do they really want independence? Because when we want independence, we don't destroy hospitals, the credit companies, banks and warehouses. If I wanted independence, I would keep what we have, waiting to have more. On Saturday, Mali's coup leaders said the junta would hand power to civilians within days in a deal under which neighboring nations agreed to lift sanctions and help tackle northern rebels. Officials claim the rebels are a mix of Tuareg separatists and Islamists with links to al-Qaeda. This is Jeffrey DeLaurentis, acting president of the United Nations Security Council. JEFFREY DELAURENTIS: The Security Council strongly condemns the continued attacks, looting and seizure of territory carried out by rebel groups in the north of Mali and demands an immediate cessation of hostilities. The Council is alarmed by the presence in the region of the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which could lead to a further destabilization of the security situation. The Council calls upon the rebels to immediately cease all violence and urges all parties in Mali to seek a peaceful solution through appropriate political dialogue. For more on Mali, we're joined by Firoze Manji in Montreal, Canada, editor-in-chief of the prize-winning Pambazuka News, a pan-African social justice website. He's formerly the Africa director for Amnesty International. Manji recently co-edited a book called African Awakening: The Emerging Revolutions. Firoze Manji, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about the significance of the president of Mali saying he's stepping down and what this deal is all about? Good morning, Amy. Well, I don't think it's as dramatic as everyone tries to make out. He was—even if the coup hadn't happened, he was due to resign in April anyway, at the end of April. I don't think he had much of a choice. It's probably part of the negotiation for the junior officers, handing over power. And so, I wouldn't attach great significance to that. I think much more serious is the threats that are coming from the Economic Community for West—of the West African States, ECOWAS, which we heard just now. They are threatening to move in militarily into Mali. And if they do so, it could cause an enormous, enormous and tragic situation. I think what we have in Mali is a very complex situation. You have, on the one hand, some junior officers who are disaffected, didn't really have a game plan or any idea about what they wanted, except that they were demoralized by the defeat they've had at the hands of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad. What people call the Tuareg are in fact a united movement called the Azawad. And they've currently taken over 50 percent of Mali's territory. This is part of their traditional land. And they have, in fact, organized a ceasefire. They have occupied the territory. That's—they've won what they wanted to. However, the situation is much more complicated, because movements like the al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, AQIM, who have been the ones carrying out all kinds of terrorist activities—and the U.N. spokesperson you just quoted just now is implying that it is the Azawad movement who have carried out these terrorist attacks. It's far from it. In fact, the evidence suggests, from recent leaks from WikiLeaks, suggests that the Mali government has been in close cahoots with AQIM in order precisely to undermine the efforts of the Azawad people to obtain independence. The United Nations Security Council has condemned the Mali coup, warning of an al-Qaeda presence in Mali. Again, this is Jeffrey DeLaurentis of the United States at the United Nations. JEFFREY DELAURENTIS: The Security Council reiterates its strong condemnation of the forcible seizure of power from the democratically elected government of Mali by some elements of the Malian armed forces and recalls, in this regard, its press statement of 22 March, 2012, and its presidential statement of 26 March, 2012. The Council calls on the mutineers to ensure the safety and security of all Malian officials and demands the immediate release of those detained. The Council renews its call for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule and the democratically elected government and for the preservation of the electoral process. That's Jeffrey DeLaurentis, United States alternative representative for special political affairs at the United Nations. Your response, Firoze Manji? Well, I think that that has already been achieved. I think these junior officers really had no idea what they were doing, other than expressing frustration at being defeated. And I think they are now going to hand over power to the speaker of the National Assembly. And they're going to try and mediate and negotiate with the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad. What I fear is that there is going to be a lot of bloodshed, because this is only—I think this is the fifth uprising by the Azawad. The first one was in 1916 to 1917, then in 1963, then again in 1991, and then again in 1996. We have had several uprisings, but this has been a really exceptional one. For the first time, you have a united front of many of the movements for the liberation of Azawad. And these are people, you know, who occupy for many, many centuries. These are people who are herders. They're desert people. And they, in fact, historically occupy territories that include Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Algeria and parts of Libya in the north. And so, we have a situation where you have a national liberation movement seeking to liberate its own people and to have their own territory. But I think that the Mali government and, indeed, the Economic Community for West Africa, and in the international community, I'm afraid are not going to let them have their way. And that is going to be really quite tragic. Firoze Manji— And we should be aware that— —if you could explain where Libya and the fall of Gaddafi fits into this picture and talk about who the Tuareg rebels are—for some, it's the first time they've heard the term Tuareg. Yes. Well, there's been a lot of press, publicity, about alleging that the fall of Gaddafi led to this particular rebellion. The evidence suggests that this movement has been organizing for some time. There is—certainly many of the people who Gaddafi trained in his army were from the population that's called the Tuareg. And many of them have returned after the collapse of Libya. They returned back to Mali. But half of them probably joined the Tuareg movement, but the other half have actually gone down to Bamako, the capital of Mali, and have joined the Mali forces, saying that they are Malians. So it's not entirely clear that those who came from Libya actually became part of the national liberation movement. As for the Tuareg, these are people who have occupied the vast areas of Africa. They stretch from the—from Morocco to Mauritania to Burkina Faso. What one has to realize, that these are—these are cattle herders. These are people who have been traditional nomads, who move around, and who got incorporated into Mali only because the French colonial government just divided up this land according to how they wanted to exploit the resources of Mali. And remember that Mali has very substantial sources of gold, as well as oil and gas. And so, the Tuareg people are related to a large community of people who stretch right across the north of Africa and in many parts of West Africa. And they have been seeking to have their own state, which is not unreasonable, and they have had many attempts to try to form a movement to liberate their territory. This was denied to them by the international community. It was denied to them by the French government. And indeed, the United States has a military presence in that area called AFRICOM. And there is no doubt at all that they are active to prevent the liberation movement, the movement of the Azawad, as the Tuareg like to call themselves, to prevent them from achieving any form of independence. The relationship between the U.S. AFRICOM and the African Union and ECOWAS, the African nations, the organization of western African States? Yes, well, I mean, formally speaking, none of the African countries, apart from Liberia and, more recently, Libya, have formally accepted the presence of the U.S. AFRICOM and the military presence in Africa. Although that's formally the case, in practice, AFRICOM has been present in that area for many years. They have certainly been active in Algeria, just to the north of Mali, and they have a presence in many other countries in Africa. And, you know, what one must understand is—you know, imagine that we had Kenyan troops occupying parts of the United States. I don't think the American population would be terribly happy about it. And I think the African population has a similar response: it doesn't want foreign troops on its territories. And how does Mali fit into what is taking place in Senegal, the significance of what took place there? Well, I—yeah, that's a very good question. I think the really interesting thing is that what we are seeing across the African continent—everyone knows about the Arab Spring, the rise of the revolution in Tunisia and Egypt and the overthrow of the dictators there. But what we are seeing is a growing discontent happening right across the continent. In Senegal, the president—the former president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, attempted to change the constitution for the 16th time to ensure that he could win the presidency in the elections on a mere 25 percent of the vote. And young people took to the streets, and there were massive protests. Unfortunately, about six people got killed in that protest. But that protest led to a situation where that change in the constitution was simply not possible. And that is what set the framework for the successful elections in Senegal, which led to the winning of the presidency by Macky Sall. And so, that's a huge victory. But I think it's part of a general phenomenon that is happening across the continent, which is driven by the fact that over the last 30 years our people have lost all the gains of independence. We used to have free healthcare. We used to have free education, access to water, our own telecommunications infrastructure, own communications infrastructure. All those things that we gained through independence have been lost, and these being lost because of the implementation of the—what I refer to as neoliberal policies, which have been imposed on many African countries by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. And over the last 30 years, you've seen people—massive unemployment, dispossession of their land, dispossession of their jobs, a decline in living standards. But worst of all, what has happened during these last 30 years has been a political dispossession, so that people feel that their governments are more accountable to the banks and to the international multinational corporations than they are to their citizens. And I think, you know, people are outraged that their governments respond more to these corporations than they do to citizens. In Mali, for example, in exactly the area, in the northeast part of Mali, where the Azawad revolution is taking place, you have an area of something like 7,500 square miles which has been handed over to a Canadian oil company, who are also involved in gold in other parts of Mali. And so, you know—and they are making no investment into Mali itself. They just reap the oil. They have free—they have almost no taxation at all. And they are allowed to export all their profits. And so, Mali, the people of Mali, don't benefit it. And indeed the Tuareg, whose land they are occupying, don't benefit, either. The same situation occurs in Senegal. Although it's a great victory that Macky Sall took over as the president, in fact, he is, himself, directly implicated and has shares in a number of multinational corporations which operate in oil as well as in other minerals. And so, we have a situation in much of Africa where our rulers are deeply embedded with the multinational corporations. And I think there's a growing discontent that people feel that they have no means for determining their own destinies. And so self-determination has become a real vital dynamic within the continent. And I think the rise of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, what people refer to as the Tuaregs, that is part of that same process of feeling, you know, a loss of self-determination. For the last— Firoze Manji, I want to thank you very much for being with us. Firoze Manji is— Thank you for having me on your show. Thank you. Editor-in-chief of the prize-winning Pambazuka News, a pan-African social justice website, formerly Africa director for Amnesty International. His recently co-edited book is called African Awakening: The Emerging Revolutions. http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-tuaregs-ready-for-talks-amid-huge-gains?start=0 Tuareg rebels in Mali now control a vast desert area that stretches from Kidal in the east to Timbuktu to the west. This comes after Mali's military junta asked the country's West African neighbors to help them halt the Tuareg offensive. Mon, 02 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-tuaregs-ready-for-talks-amid-huge-gains 2012 insurgency in the Azawad, Mali, Timbuktu, Tuareg, National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), 2012 Malian coup d'etat, Kidal, Gao, Military junta, Bamako In just a few weeks, Tuareg rebels in Mali have managed to achieve what has eluded them for more than 40 years. They now control a vast desert area that stretches from Kidal in the east to the ancient city of Timbuktu to the west, including the garrison town of Gao. Now the rebels say they are ready to negotiate. This comes after coup leaders who seized power in Bamako last month asked their West African neighbors to help them halt the offensive by the Tuaregs seeking to create a separate homeland in the north. Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra reports from Bamako. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-malian-youths-take-to-streets-to-support-military-coup?start=0 Around 500 youths marched on Monday to show their support for the military who seized power in a coup in Mali last week, chanting slogans in favor of Captain Amadou Sanogo, the leader of the mutinous soldiers. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:44:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-malian-youths-take-to-streets-to-support-military-coup Mali, Bamako, Amadou Sanogo, Coup d'état, Military of Mali, Military junta, Protest, Politics of Mali, 2012 insurgency in the Azawad, Tuareg Around 500 supporters marched on Monday to show their support for the military who seized power in a coup in Mali last week. Chanting slogans in favor of Captain Amadou Sanogo, the leader of the mutinous soldiers who attacked the presidential palace last Wednesday, the youths were escorted by soldiers who fired volleys of shots into the air in celebration as they walked through the streets of Bamako. Footage courtesy of Reuters. http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-military-junta-defiant-in-face-of-international-pressure?start=0 West African nations say that they have put a peacekeeping force on standby and are sending a delegation to Mali. Hashem Ahelbarra met with the country's news military leader, Captain Amadou Sanogo, and has this exclusive report. Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:28:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/malis-military-junta-defiant-in-face-of-international-pressure Mali, Amadou Sanogo, Coup d'état, Military of Mali, National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State (CNRDR), Military junta, Bamako, Amadou Toumani Touré, ECOWAS, Peacekeeping West African nations say that they have put a peacekeeping force on standby and are sending a delegation to Mali to end the crisis there. Hashem Ahelbarra met with the leader of the military group that has seized power in the country, Captain Amadou Sanogo, and has this exclusive report from the capital Bamako. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-010412?start=304 <p>Arab League's mission in Syria faces growing criticism, thousands in need of aid after South Sudan violence, Saudi Arabia issues arrest warrants for 23 Qatif protestors, and more.</p> Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-010412 Israel, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Palestinians, Syrian Civil War, Bahrain Uprising, Egyptian Parliamentary Election 2011-2012, South Sudan, Nigeria, 2011-2012 Saudi Arabia protests, Islam in China In Egypt, people are going to the polls of the first parliamentary elections after the downfall of former President Hosni Mubarak. This is the second day of the final round of the elections. The previous rounds saw the Islamic parties with the majority of votes. The Muslim Brotherhood is expected to be the biggest bloc in the next parliament. Brotherhood also dominated the first two rounds of the vote held since November. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypts-military-tightens-reins-on-government?start=0 Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has made its strongest declaration yet that it intends to control the direction of the country's politics. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:33:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypts-military-tightens-reins-on-government Egyptian Revolution, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian Parliamentary Election 2011-2012, Politics of Egypt, Constitution, Military junta, Protest, Al Jazeera English Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has made its strongest declaration yet that it intends to control the direction of the country's politics. In a rare briefing to a group of mostly American reporters, SCAF General Mukhtar Mulla said the military would appoint a civilian advisory council to help guide the selection of a 100-member constituent assembly that will draft the country's new constitution. The Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party looks set to win a plurality in parliament, has pushed for strong parliamentary powers and responded by declaring that it would boycott the advisory council. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports from Cairo. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-120811?start=206 Protestors reject Yemen's new government, viewing it as "partnership with killers," Iran displays downed US drone, Israeli air strike kills two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and more.<br /> Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-120811 Israel, Protest, Iran, Air strike, Israel Defense Forces, Drone, Syria, US-Iran relations, Yemen Uprising, Pakistan Egypt's biggest political party, the Muslim Brotherhood has lashed out at the country's military rulers for what it calls efforts to marginalize parliament over the writing of a new constitution. This comes after the junta said it had the final say over those appointed to draft the new constitution next year. The Muslim Brotherhood, which emerged as the biggest winner in the first stage of the parliamentary elections, wants the assembly to oversee the drafting process. The party says it plans to pull out of a contact group with army leaders who have been in power since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak in February. Meanwhile Egyptians keep pouring onto the streets for days now calling on the junta to hand over power to a civilian government. http://news.linktv.org/videos/thousands-protest-against-military-rule-in-egypt?start=0 An estimated 50,000 people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against continued army rule. This came after the government tried to guarantee the military's role in a constitutional proposal. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:42:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/thousands-protest-against-military-rule-in-egypt Egyptian Revolution, Muslim Brotherhood, Tahrir Square, Egypt, Military junta, Egyptian Army, Protest, Hosni Mubarak, Politics of Egypt, Cairo Thousands of people have protested in Egypt's Tahrir Square against continued army rule. This came after the government tried to guarantee the military's role in a constitutional proposal. An estimated 50,000 people turned out in scenes reminiscent of the bloody uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in Feburary. Many of those who joined the rally said ensuring a role for Egypt's army will be a significate step backwards for democracy. The event was dominated by Egypt's most organized political group, the Muslim Brotherhood. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-102811?start=214 In Egypt, protestors have staged a rally in Cairo's landmark Liberation Square against the country's military rulers, Press TV reports. They are calling on the military junta to hand over power to a civilian government. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-102811 Protest, Egypt, Tunisian revolution, Drone attacks in Pakistan, Bahrain Uprising, Yemen Uprising, Syrian Civil War, Egyptian Army, Ilan Grapel, Gilad Shalit On to Egypt, where people have staged a protest rally in the capital Cairo's landmark Liberation Square against the country's military rulers. The protestors staged the rally following Friday prayers on what has been dubbed the "Friday of Common Demand." They are calling on the military junta to hand over power to a civilian government. They also want the lifting of the country's emergency laws and an end to military trials for civilians. The rally has been organized by 13 political parties and movements. Egypt's military council has come under heavy criticism for failing to quickly transfer power to a civilian authority. The Liberation Square has been the scene of weekly protests against the military council since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak's regime earlier this year.