Tag: Vanessa Beeley

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Vanessa Beeley, Andy Worthington September 23rd, 2021

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Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded September 18th and 19th, 2021

America’s military admitted this week, all Afghans killed in a drone bombing it carried out in Kabul last month were civilians. The admission followed three weeks of Pentagon insistence those killed were ISIS-K terrorists, and denials of contrary reports from the scene. In a statement issued September 17th, congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff expressed regret for those killed in what he characterized a “mistake with horrific consequences“, and offered his prayers for the dead and their surviving relatives. Schiff also expressed concern about the “accuracy and completeness of public statements made in the immediate aftermath of the strike” by the Department of Defense.

General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of United States Central Command and man answerable for the massacre, too expressed his “profound condolences to the family and friends” and reassures his government is “exploring the possibility of ex gratia payments“. Left unexplained by the general, and unquestioned by Chairman Schiff, was just why America was continuing its attacks against the country it has reportedly withdrawn from.

But then the same could be asked about Syria.

Vanessa Beeley is an award-winning independent journalist and photographer who has worked extensively throughout the Middle East; covering the U.S./NATO wars from where their bombs land in Syria, Iraq, and Palestine. She’s also reported the ongoing humanitarian disaster of Yemen since 2015. Her accolades include a Serena Shim Award for uncompromising integrity in journalism, finalist for the prestigious Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, and was named one of Britain’s “most respected journalists” in 2018. She currently calls Damascus home.

Vanessa Beeley in the first half.

And; while Adam Schiff is bending a figurative knee for the “victims and their families” of America’s most recent “mistake” in Afghanistan, perhaps he could spare a prayer for the men rounded up, shipped off, and remaining still in the U.S.A.’s prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba?

Andy Worthington is an English journalist, activist, author, photo-historian, filmmaker, musician, song-writer and principle of The Four Fathers band. He is too co-founder of both the ongoing Close Guantánamo campaign and successfully completed We Stand With Shaker campaign. Worthington’s book titles include: ‘The Guantánamo Files: The Stories of the 774 Detainees in America’s Illegal Prison’, ‘Stonehenge: Celebration and Subversion’, and ‘The Battle of the Beanfield’.

His articles appear at his website, AndyWorthington.co.uk, where he’s inviting participants for 2022’s Close Guantanamo effort.

Andy Worthington and sending the prisoners of the forever war home in the second half.

But first, Vanessa Beeley and America’s secret second front in Syria.

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Bo Filter, Caitlyn Vernon*, Vanessa Beeley, Janine Bandcroft October 17, 2019

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Turkey’s illegal invasion of Syria last week is the latest fracture in NATO’s fragile facade as World peacekeeper and self-professed desire to “live in peace with all peoples and all governments.” And it’s also a blow to NATO’s origin story of being founded on “the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.”

But then few familiar with international realpolitik believed that fable. So, why do nice countries like Denmark and the Netherlands, Iceland and Norway still participate in the alliance? Why does Canada?

Bo Filter is a long-time peace activist, military veteran, and author of the book, ‘The Cause of Wars and Aggression‘. He’s also a co-sponsor of the petition to remove Canada from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Bo Filter in the first half.

And; escalating climate actions around the World have elicited the predictable response from governments owing allegiance to the economic order millions believe threatens the survival of humanity; arrests, and lots of them.

But some countries are more proactive when it comes to fighting environmental rebellion. A 2015 court case revealed Canada’s intelligence services spied on climate activists opposed to the proposed Enbridge Gateway pipeline. Environmental organizations taking part in the investigation of the investigators were forced to agree to gag orders, but that hasn’t set well, so the Sierra Club of BC et al, in partnership with the BC Civil Liberties Association, are “seeking accountability and an end to unconstitutional spying on Canadians” in the courts.

Caitlyn Vernon is Campaigns Director at the Sierra Club. She’s spent years working for climate solutions that will provide green jobs, while keeping fossil fuels “in the ground”. Caitlyn launched the Pull Together initiative, that raised more than a million dollars for Indigenous legal challenges to Enbridge and Kinder Morgan pipeline approvals, and hosts the podcast, ‘Mission Transition: Powering BC’s Clean Energy Economy’. She’s also the author of Nowhere Else on Earth: Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainforest.

Caitlyn Vernon and making The Protest Papers in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and long-time Gorilla Radio contributor, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour to bring us up to speed with some of what’s good going on in and around our town in the coming week.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Mark Benson, Vanessa Beeley, Janine Bandcroft August 8th, 2019

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More than a remote “somewhere, sometime” occurrence, climate change is happening now and it’s happening here. While the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports the global mean temperature for June, and likely July too, as the hottest ever recorded, here in BC we’re experiencing a drying trend that threatens to wither the rainforest.

Our various levels of government are aware of these trends and have made declarations of concern about a “global climate crisis”, but they seem lacking where the proclamation rubber meets the policy road.

Mark Benson holds a masters degree in bio-industry from Tokyo University of Agriculture, and owns and operates an ecological construction company on Pender Island.

Mark’s also a Pender resident whose dismay at the CRD’s decision to drain Gardom Pond spurred him to organize the ‘Save Razor Point’s Water‘ action group.

Mark Benson in the first half.

And; the undaunted certitude with which the “international community” seizes the moral high ground before rendering to ruin nations around the world is perceived with weary dismissal in those places unencumbered by western media. “How on Earth,” the people over there ask, “can they still believe the lies?” And well we might ask too.

Vanessa Beeley is an independent journalist who has covered the Western wars against Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen for the better part of the last decade. The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism finalist is a recipient of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromising Integrity in Journalism, and her articles appear at many of the most trusted internet news sites; including Mint Press News, where her recent piece, ‘Faux Humanitarian: Irwin Cotler, the White Helmets, and the Whitewashing of an Appalling Agenda‘ serves as excoriation of both the crimes and towering hypocrisy of our times. (And, there’s a Canadian connection!)

Vanessa Beeley and the fault in our humanitarian stars in the second half.

And; Victoria-based activist and long-time Gorilla Radio contributor, Janine Bandcroft will be here at the bottom of the hour with the Left Coast Events Bulletin of some of the good things to be gotten up to in and around our town in the coming week.

Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing live every Thursday between 11-Noon Pacific Time. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: http://cfuv.uvic.ca.  He also serves as a contributing editor to the web news site, http://www.pacificfreepress.com. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.ca/