PBS’s WorldFocus on Gaza & Use of Phosphorus
By SusanUnPC on January 16, 2009 at 3:45 AM in Gaza, Israel, Pakistan
I realize that the U.S. Air landing in the Hudson was a miracle and required great thinking by the crew, heroism by crew, passengers and rescuers, and extensive prior training to save all lives. But I was also disgusted that the cable news outlets blacked out all other news stories today. And let’s face it: The news producers are afraid to switch from a sensational “made for TV” plane crash because they’d lose audience and ad revenue. So here are a couple stories that are getting short shrift:
Via WorldFocus, aired on a Washington state PBS station:
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) suspended some of its Gaza operations on Thursday after its compound was struck by Israeli shells. Israel claimed militants were firing from the compound.
After 20 days of war, the death toll has surpassed 1,100 and thousands more have joined the endless lines for food. Relief agencies like UNRWA have struggled to meet the basic needs of those in the region.
A new weapon has also been introduced into the conflict: The smokescreen artillery shell. Some say it contains phosphorus, though the Israeli army denies that claim.
Andrew Whitley, the head of the New York office of the UNRWA office for Palestine refugees, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the current humanitarian situation, the U.N. compound and the use and legality of phosphorus in artillery shells.
BELOW: Taliban launches major offensive in Pakistan
In a tribal area of northwestern Pakistan near Afghanistan, Taliban militants have launched a major offensive. Officials say about 600 militants, most of them from Afghanistan, attacked a paramilitary camp in Pakistan on Sunday, sparking a major battle that left six security troops and 49 insurgents dead. The Associated Press reports the raid reflected sophisticated cross-border coordination and the continued strength of the Taliban.
Vikram Singh, a specialist on Afghanistan and Pakistan with the Center for a New American Security, joins Martin Savidge to discuss this latest Taliban offensive, the timing of the attack and the deaths of two high-level al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan last week.
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