The opening ceremonies at the olympics. Intoday the olympics begin north korean and south korean athletes will be marching together in the Opening Ceremony carrying a one korea flight. This is extraordinary. We would never have imagined this a month ago as tensions reached a boiling point. Unfortunately, as is incredibly hopeful Peace Process is taking place, u. S. Vice president mike pence is there to sew bitterness. Image within the now in the coffin for so many. February 5, 2003, secretary of state general colin powell gave a speech to the are green with evidenceaq causing the was clear Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass distraction. It was based each he would later call a blot on his career. His trump and the same thing with a rant . Generalspeak with powers former chief of staff colonel Lawrence Wilkerson. All of that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Congress has given final approval to a massive budget bill. Without an agreement to protect young undocumented immigrants. The deal was reached in the Early Morning hours after a delay by senator rand paul am extended debate past midnight, leaving briefly to a government shutdown. The second in recent weeks. This is senator rand paul. We have a 700 page bill that no one has read that was printed at midnight. No one will read this bill. Nothing will be reformed. The weight will continue and government will keep taking your money irresponsibly and adding to the 20 trillion that. Amy the bill failed to meet the demands of immigrant Rights Groups and Many Democrats who wanted protection for young undocumented immigrants as part of any spending agreement. The house vote was 240 to 186. Among those voting no was new york august member nydia velazquez, who tweeted my decision wasnt easy, but we are elected to take tough votes and leaving dreamers behind is simply unacceptable. Despite her opposition and a no vote from democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, 73 House Democrats voted yes and helped the measure passed. We will have more on the fight to protect dreamers and the congressional agreement after headlines. On wall street, the Dow Jones Stock market index fell by more than 1000 points thursday in the second major loss for u. S. Stocks in a week. The tumble brought stock prices down by over 10 in what economists officially call a correction. Shares in asian and european stock markets were also sharply down. In pyeongchang, south korea, the 2018 Winter Olympics have begun with north and south korean athletes marching together for the first time ever. The games are seen as a Pivotal Moment for relations between the two countries who have been officially at war since 1950. In an effort to deescalate tensions on the korean peninsula, north korea has sent a 500person delegation of athletes, musicians, and performers to the olympics. North Korean Leader kim jonguns influential sister attended todays Opening Ceremony and shook hands with south Korean Leader moon jaein. The pair are scheduled to have lunch together. But as the peninsula tries to deescalate the threat of nuclear war, Vice President mike pence warned the u. S. Is slated to impose another round of sanctions against north korea. We will have more on the 2018 Winter Olympics and tensions on the peninsula later in the broadcast. Meanwhile, the Vice President s office is denying that Vice President pence offered to meet with openly gay u. S. Mens figure skater adam upon, calling a report in usa today fake news. The report was authored by journalist christine brennan, who spoke on pbs newshour about her recent interview with adam. Many things, including mike pence being the delegation leader for the u. S. At the opening ceremonies step adam rippon said, mike pence . This a mike pence who funded gay conversion therapy . He was very critical of pence and President Trump. Amy the white house said thsday that it mishandled the case of rob porter, who resigned as staff secretary this week after two of his exwives accused him of verbal and physical abuse. This is Deputy White House press secretary raj shah. I think it is fair to say that we all could have done better over the last few hours or the last few days in dealing with the situation, but this was the rob porter that i am the others have dealt with, that sarah debt with them that other officials, including the chief of staff had dealt with, and the emerging reports were not reflected of the individual had come to know. Amy shahs statement came as multiple news outlets reported that senior white house officials, including chief of staff general john kelly, knew for months that the fbi had heard testimony from porters exwives about verbal and physical abuse. That contradicts kellys account that he was not fully aware of the abuse until this week. Kelly initially supported porter, describing him in a statement as a man of true integrity and honor. The statement was reportedly drafted in part by White House Communications director hope hicks, whos in a romantic relationship with porter. Porter stepped down wednesday after the intercept published photos of his first wife, colbie holderness, showing her with a black eye she says she suffered when porter punched her during a trip to italy in 2005. The photos release came as porters second wife, jennifer willoughby, also went public to detail abuse. This is willoughby speaking with the Washington Post. I did know marriage was bad. I knew it wasnt healthy, that the fight a Emotional Abuse i was endurin was not normal. But i dont think that i had yet put myself in the category of someone whose husband laid hands on her until that moment. Amy the fbi had denied rob porter permanent leyritz to handle classified information because of the allegations. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports dozens of other white house employees lack permanent security clearances as they pursue fbi approval to handle sensitive information. Among them, jared kushner, President Trumps soninlaw and senior adviser, who failed to report over 100 foreign contacts on his initial application, which he has since revised three times. In guatemala, press freedom groups are demanding swift Government Action after two journalists were found murdered in an apparent execution. On february 1, the bodies of Laurent Angel Castillo cifuentes and luis alfredo de leon miranda were found in a field near the town of santo domingo. Their hands and feet were bound, and both had been shot in the head. In a statement, the committee to protect journalists said the killings will further chill the climate for press freedom in guatemala, where journalists work with constant fear of intimidation and violence. The association of journalists of guatemala reported 11 media workers were killed in the in guatemala last year. Bermudas governor has signed a bill that rescinds the right of samesex couples to marry. The new law reverses a ruling by bermudas Supreme Court last may that allows any two people to wed, making the island nation the first country to take away Marriage Equality rights. In illinois, an avowed white supremacist and former nazi leader is poised to win the republican partys nomination for a u. S. Congressional seat. Arthur jones, who once headed american nazi party, is running unopposed for illinois 3rd Congressional District in chicagos suburbs. This is jones being interviewed thursday by cnns alisyn camerota. It is shocking here how vocally and unapologetically racist you are. Are you a nazi . Past 15, 20 the years, i am not had anything to associationnational on a formal basis. I dont call myself a nazi. I call myself an American Patriot and statesman. Amy White Supremacists in the selfstyled altright movement are responsible for racist violence thats left more than 100 people dead or wounded. Thats according to the Southern Poverty Law Center in a new investigation titled, the alt right is killing people. It finds 13 altright related fatal episodes committed by young white men, including Mass Shootings in charleston, south carolina, isla vista, california, roseburg, oregon, and quebec city in canada. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports websites like breitbart, reddit and 4chan have fueled the growth of the altright by spreading radicalizing propaganda designed to nourish white male resentment over cultural and demographic changes. Ohios attorney general filed suit against chemical giant dupont on thursday, charging the company with illegally dumping a toxic chemical from one its washington works plant into the ohio river for decades. The suit charges dupont released the chemical, which is used in teflon coating, even though it knew of the dangers of pfoa, also known as c8, which has been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol and low birth weight in babies. The ohio lawsuit comes as the Environmental Protection agency ordered dupont to test water near its washington works plant for another chemical, genx which was billed as a replacement for c8, but which is linked to many of the same health problems. To see a full discussion about teflon, dupont, and c8, you can go to our discussion at sundance when we interviewed those involved with the film the devil we know. Go to democracynow. Org. In seattle, washington, federal agents and local police have searched the home of a former u. S. Swimming olympic coach after former World Champion Ariana Kukors said she was sexually abused as a minor. Kukors says she was sexually assaulted by the coach, sean hutchison, on trips and during training sessions in seattle, beginning when she was 16 years old. She says hutchison also took nude photos of her without her consent. President trumps antiimmigrant policies led to a 30 jump in the number of arrests carried out by ice last year, according to a new review of ice data by the pew research center. Even so, 2017 saw far fewer immigration arrests than many of the years that president obama was in office including 2009, when ice arrested nearly 300,000 people, more than double last years total. The Trump Administration is considering a plan that could see immigrants who apply for several forms of u. S. Government assistance barred from obtaining visas or green cards. A draft document from the department of Homeland Security obtained by the website vox shows the plan would target immigrants who enroll their children in head start or the Childrens Health insurance program, known as chip, or who apply for food stamps, housing, home heating, or transportation subsidies. Immigrant Rights Groups say the draft rules could force many families to choose between subsistence ana chance to become permanent u. S. Residents. In tacoma, washington, at least 120 Immigrants Detained by ice at the northwest Detention Center have begun a hunger strike, protesting abuses at the hands of guards with the forprofit Prison Company geo group. The prisoners are demanding larger portions of edible, nutritious food, an and to arbitrary searches, and an end of the widespread use of solitary confinement at the prison. And immigrant rights activist ravi ragbir, executive director of the new Sanctuary Coalition , heads to court today in new jersey where hes challenging his 2001 conviction for wire fraud in a case that could see a judge stay an order for his pending deportation. Ragbir been ordered to report to a checkin with immigration and Customs Enforcement on saturday , which is unusual, in manhattan, and supporters have secured permit to protest at 9 00 a. M. This week, the new York City Council held aearing about whether the new York Police Department should have helped ice agents escort ragbir when they tried to deport him after his last checkin. Th is ragb speakinat a sakingn thursd. In myava lot of te heart. My weas a lotf terror that e is deang with. Many oyou thatre here th me are feeli that teor tother witme. Y this mes as mor bill blas wrote aetter toce th week sang the boved new york cy communy leader ould be lowed totay and thatongressmber nydi velauez has troduced prate immiation bi that, if psed, wou provideagbir with aath towa permane legal migratiostatus. Those e some othe headnes. This is mocracy w , democrynow. O, the waand pee report iamy goman. In a pr of ely morning votes,he u. S. Use and nate apoved aill to end brief ovnight shdown of th s. Goverent. Th bill ises mitary domest spending almost 00 billion er the nt two yes. But thbill faileto meet e mands of iigrant rhts grps anmany docrats o wanted ptection r young documentedmmigras as par ofny spendg agreent. Thgovernme officlly shut do at midnig after republican senator rand paul temporarily blocked the senate vote. Shortly before 2 00 a. M. , the Senate Approved the bill by a vote of 71 to 28. Then around 5 30 a. M. , the house passed the spending bill with a vote of 240 to 186. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had urged fellow democrats to oppose the spending bill because it did not protect dreamers. But 73 democrats voted yes helping the measure pass. Pelosi, who staged an eighthour speech on the house floor in support of immigration legislation, criticized the Republican Leadership for blocking a voter on the dreamers. Theres nothing partisan political about protecting dreamers. If a dream act were brought to the floor, it would pass the medially with strong, bipartisan support. I commend my republican colleagues for their courage speaking out on this. Yet are dreamers hang in limbo with the crew cloud of fear uncertainty above them. The republican moral cowardice best and. Amy House Majority leader paul ryan vowed to open a discussion on dreamers. I know that there is a real commitment to solving the daca challenge of both political parties. That is a commitment i share. To anyone who doubts my intention to solve this problem and bring up daca a an Immigration Reform bill, do not. We will bring a solution to the floor, when the president will sign. We must pass this budget, first, so we can get onto that. So please do we are committed to getting this done. Amy we go now to washington, d. C. , where we are joined by Greisa Martinez rosas. She is advocacy director for united we dream and a daca recipient. Welcome to democracy now what happened last that come early this money, the votes in the senate and the house to continue spending with u. S. Government to stop the shutdown, but not dealing with immigrants . Thank you for having me. Good morning. This morning we wake up devastated and determined to see that immigrant people like myself are not protected from deportation, but protected devastated because congress decided not to prioritize us and enable domestic rotation of donald trump. You saw yesterday or this morning, democrats who vowed to stay with us and vote no on anything that did not include a dream act renege on that promise. And you sell the same thing, cowardice from paul ryan and vulnerable House Republicans that did not stand up for the values in the beliefs of 86 of the American Public, that people like myself and my little sister should stay in this country. Transpiredlain what over the last 24 hours. What you understand actually took place behind the scenes. You had this record speech of nancy pelosi, the House Minority leader, that she gave for eight hours on the floor. She voting no on the continuing spending for the government. And then what do you make of what paul ryan, the House Majority leader, the house speaker, said . I think that everything was set in motion the moment that Chuck Schumer on the senate side decided to end a shutdown without protection for immigrant people. And at the same time, given to the cap do without the dream act. What you saw is them the senate was able to move to send cr thatto the house, a did not include protection from immigrant people. You saw nancy pelosi on the war for eight hours on the floor for eight hours talking about our stories. Hat is in direct coalition you also did not see her or other Democrats Ask for a dream the votes. Ange for 73 democrats voted with republicans to move forward on this. We say to you, we see you, we will not forget. And to those democrats and some republicans that decided to elevate and prioritize our lives and vote no on something without a resolution, we also see you and we say thank you. Amy white house chief of staff general john kelly blasted young immigrants as lazy, telling reporters there are 690,000 official daca registrants and the president sent over what amounts to be two and a half times that number, to 1. 8 million. The difference between 690,000 and 1. 8 million were the people that some would say were too afraid to sign up, others would say were too lazy to get off their asses, but they didnt sign up. This is right before he has come under fire for fully lauding the staff secretary in the white house, very close to President Trump, john porter, who is now under fire for beating up his two wives. I think this is yet another signal of the pattern of racism, honestly, and disrespect to young people, people of color, immigrants in this country. I think general kelly has seen or may not have seen the thousands of immigrant people that have taken over the hill and have been in action for the last couple of months. I want to say one thing very clear. This donald administration, they have a clear agenda of wiping immigrant young people and our families from this country. They have a concerted strategy to either deport us or lock as a way for profit. And anything and anyone that does not stand in the way of that is an enabler of a white supremacist agenda him and we will not forget. I want to talk directly to immigrant young people that might be hearing this and 86 of the American Public that is with us and to say that at united we dream, we are committed to defending our democracy. We are committed to win. Were committed to making sure that donald trump does not continue to separate families. Amy on wednesday, Capitol Police arrested immigrant rights activists who held a nonviolent civil disobedience action inside the senate rotunda. Members of the united we dream coalition were demanding Congress Pass a clean dream act without additional funding for President Trumps expanded border wall or other antiimmigrant measures. This is one of the activists speaking after the arrts. I saw marveus display of family values and what i would refer as an american values. Was a shameful stop it was a shame that that display resulted in the arrest of over 14 drears, immigrant youth. Awe inspiring for all of those young people to make a stand up with their lives at risk for the people that they love. Amy Greisa Martinez rosas, what next for united we dream activists and others now that the house and the senate have voted . We continue on. Her lives are at stake, and so march 5 is the deadline the republicans have set themselves to ensure this happens. Were looking to you to make sure that you stand in the way of enabling donald trump. That you also see and continue to see immigrant people working with folks at the state and local communities to make sure that there our protections for immigrants. There are a lot of things that the governors and mayors can do to ensure the family Stay Together all stuff that one thing is clear united we dream has a proven track record of ensuring that we transform devastation and fear into action, and change. So i think youll see in the grainy and people continue to lead the way in defending our democracy. Amy i want to turn to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer speaking yesterday. So i say to speaker ryan, toow a fair and open process debate dreamers on the floor of the house just as we are allowing in the senate. Leader pelosi should not have to stand and speak for eight hours. I respect her for doing it will s. Just to secure a vote. What leader pelosi is asking for is the same thing we got here in the senate, no more come in a less, a vote and an open process. That is undeniably fair. Amy i want to get your response to both what senator schumer said and also the fact that Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell is expected to bring up immigration next week and a rare senate floor debate. What are you expecting from this . I think we understand that senator Mitch Mcconnell set in motion a process for the floor debate on immigration for a long time. I think that you will see a lot of partisan positioning, a lot of people putting up amendments that are going to make each other uncomfortable. And in the balance things my life and the lives of immigrant people all across the country. Our response to republicans is that, there is been a form respect against the white house that aims to dismantle our immigration system. It aims to add more enforcement into our communities, and that has been clearly rejected by immigrant rights communities. I think at united we dream we are clear that we continue to demand a dream act that does not us. People to help we continue to be committed to this country and to our democracy. We will not allow ourselves to be used as bargaining chips in this process. Amy what does this mean personally for you . You are a daca recipient. What does that mean right now . Is that trump has ended daca it ending in march . Everything is so unclear at this point. Trump killed daca. Expirese sisters daca at the end of this year. I dont have anything to bring to her right now to bring her comfort and to tell her that she will be able to be ok and safe. She lives in the state of texas where there are racist policies like sb4 that track young around people like my little sister. I think what is at stake for me is my heart. What is at stake for me is i believe in this democracy. And hopefully, i know for sure, that we shall overcome and that my little sister and i will live safe and im not going to stop until we get there. Amy i want to thank you bring much for being with us. Greisa Martinez Rosas is advocacy director for united we dream. This is democracy now when we come back, we go to the olympics in korea. Stay with us. [music eak] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The 2018 winter of the picks have opened with north and south korean athletes marching together at the opening ceremonies. The games are seen as a Pivotal Moment for relations between the beenountries who have officially at war since 1950. In an effort to deescalate tensions on the korean vessel, north korea has sent a 500person delegation of people to the limits. North Korean Leader kim jonguns influential sister attended this mornings Opening Ceremony, should cancel it south Korean Leader moon jaein. The pair are scheduled have lunch together. It even as the peninsula tries to deescalate the threat of nuclear war, u. S. Vice president mike pence warned the u. S. Is slated to impose another jerk only in round of draconian round of sanctions against north korea. Pence is set to lead the u. S. Delegation during todays Opening Ceremony and will reportedly attend the games with the father of Otto Warmbier, an American College student who died after being imprisoned in north korea. This is pence speaking on thursday. Vice pres. Pence allow me to just assure you and the people of south korea that the United States of america will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in our effort to bring maximum pressure to bear on north korea until that time comes when they finally and permanently and irreversibly abandon their nuclear and Ballistic Missile ambitions. Amy south korean president moon jaein held a meeting with pence in seoul soon after he arrived in south korea. This is jaein speaking on thursday. I would like to make an effort to use this opportunity as much as i can to bring north korea back to the dialogue table for the norths denuclearization and to build peace on the peninsula. I always emphasize that the most important thing in this process is the airtight cooperation between south korea and the United States. And i think this moment, being with Vice President pence, shows the cooperation firmly. Amy well, for more, were joined now by Christine Ahn, the founder and International Coordinator of women cross dmz, a Global Movement of women mobilizing to end the korean war. Christine ahn, it is great having you in studio today. Talk about significance of what is happening as we speak in south korea, a 500person north korea delegation marching hasther with south korea, not happened since 2006. It is extraordinary. It just happened within the past hour. North and south korean athletes marched into the Opening Ceremony of the olympics during a one korea flag. Apparently, the entire stadium just broke out in applause. Moment were in right now. Kill the person allegedly they did not clap was use Vice President mike pence. Amy who leads the u. S. Delegation. And talk about what he has done, first, going to japan with shinzo abe and making the announcement that as north and south korea come together, at least for these olympics, the u. S. Is imposing more draconian sanctions against korea. The irony is so deep, to be stopping in tokyo, meeting with shinzo abe, whose grandfather was a class a war criminal that hunted down north korean independence fighters. And to have shinzo abe, from japan, a former colonial occupier of japan, it be with the United States, who is basically throwing shade of this incredible interkorean peace weirds and to say that going to discontinue this policy of maximum pressure to force north korea to denuclearize that clearly isnt working. What we do see is it having extraordinarily negative consequences for civilians in north korea. It feels like there is this encredible the winds of peac blowing across the dmz and then this dark cloud hovering over washington, d. C. , that is really tried to derail this hopeful interkorean Peace Process. Amy you have north and south korea for reading forming a jointteam . Is extreme year. Amy what about the influential sister of kim jongun having lunch with moon jaein . Is the first time a member of the kim family has set foot on south korean soil. She is not just like a figurehead. My understanding is she is in charge of the Light Industries in north korea, so she wields tremendous influence over the countrys economy. I hope they are able to talk about future developments. It has been signaled that north korea or that north korea will send an invitation to moon jaein to go to pyeongchang later this year. Amy the Washington Post reports the white house original choice for u. S. Ambassador to south korea is no longer expected to be nominated after he privately expressed disagreement with President Trumps north korea policy. Can you talk about this nominee . , i mean, what worries me so much is that victor cha is very well known to be pretty much a hock. He is pretty hardline to the right. He served under the george w. Bush administration. He is a professor at georgetown. His frightens me is that nomination to become the next south korean u. S. Ambassador to south korea is because he opposed the no strike. The signals to me that the Trump Administration is very much making plans to wage a primitive strike on north korea. Amy i want to turn to President Trumps recent eight of the union. Pres. Trump north koreas reckless pursuit of Nuclear Missiles could very soon threaten our homeland. We are waging a campaign of maximum pressure to prevent that from ever happening. Past experience has taught us that complacency and concessions only invite aggression and provocation. I will not repeat the mistakes of past administrations that got us into this very dangerous position. We need only look at the depraved character of the north korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat. It could pose to america and to our allies. Amy that is President Trump, his state of the union where the north Korean Defector was also honored. Christine ahn . As i watched that state of the union speech, i like to think thats all i could think was, this is so reminiscent of george w. Bushs axis of evil speech, where he basically sought to they the moral grounds for the invasion of iraq. And calling the north korean regime a depraved regime am a talking about north korea we know clearly north korea has human rights abuses, but to kind of take the suffering of whether it is the family of Otto Warmbier amy and tents was with his father. And basically, using them for the political agenda. I think what worries me is they are trying to build and convince the American People that the reparation of North Koreans is for a much tighter the preservation of americas freedom. There is the historical context. Theres no recognition that the conditions facing so many north Korean People have very much to do with a long history of u. S. Economic blockade and aggression that has obviously enabled the country to have the people rally around the kim regime. Amy talk about who this north Korean Defector is who was honored. E is a north Korean Defector. Obviously, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of North Koreans suffered under the famine, which there was inadequate food. Amy his financier thor . Tim short of a renowned journalist for the nation, just wrote a piece that is uptodate about the kind of shady back channel dealings that thor how how person has this history, i believe his family was part of the attempted coup of hugo chavez in venezuela and finance back i very rightwing funders and has been part of a very rightwing campaign. They tried assemblys and even during the puffin hazel administration, they had asked them, please, dont do this. Whether they are sending provocative material that north breeze is as a threat, you know, i think theres a very concerted effort to try to use defectors to portray a certain narrative about north korea that sometimes is on shaky ground. Amy last month, you talk to the suffering of the peoplnorth korea, the United Nations Childrens Fund or unicef warned tens of thousands of north Korean Children face potential starvation as sanctions slow the delivery of humanitarian aid. Unicefs Manuel Fontaine said we are projecting that at some point during the year 60,000 children will become severely malnourished. This is the malnutrition that potentially can lead to death. Its protein and calorie malnutrition. So the trend is worrying, its not getting any better. Yeah, i mean, were presented with two false scenarios or the way the Trump Administration is saying. Ok, we have this military option, which is the bloody strike or the preventive war that mcmasters is advocating for. But we are on a diplomatic track. Well, this is not a diplomatic track post up basically, it includes more drug tony and sanctions that is not achieving the aim, which is the denuclearization of north korea, but achieving the aim of hurting civilians. Children, women. I think we have to be very vigilant because what we are going to see is the Trump Administration say, ok, we try this diplomatic path of maximum pressure, but that did not succeed so the only option that is left is the one of the military. Amy talk about how South Koreans feel about unification and also young people. I think it is mixed. Obviously, they see what happened between east and west germany. People grew up after the crisis and they have seen their parents suffer, grew up with a lot of economic insecurity and instability. I would say there is a desire for the eventual unification of korea. I think seeing the two koreas marching together under the one korea flight. We cannot underestate the power of that. Divided byhat was cold war powers and it remains still in a state of war because there has not been a peace treaty. I think what we know, whether it is a mixed response about how koreans feel about reunification, they dont want a new korean war. And more South Koreans are worried about donald trump than they are about kim jongun. I think that the olympics is presenting a very hopeful opportunity, hopefully, it is the beginning. But a lot of this depends upon the u. S. Amy Christine Ahn is the founder and International Coordinator of women cross dmz, a Global Movement of women mobilizing to end the korean war. When we come back, we go back 15 years this week to an infamous speech that then secretary of state general colin powell gave at the, which hoped to begin the u. S. Invasion of iraq. 15 years later, are we seeing this kind of rhetoric again towards iran . Stay with us. [music break] amy this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We turn now to look at the growing threat of war against iran. In recent weeks, senior members of the Trump Administration have repeatedly tried to drum up u. S. Support for a war against iran, while President Trump has reiterated his threats to pull the u. S. Out of the landmark 2015 iran nuclear deal. Last month, President Trump issued a waiver to prevent the reimposition of u. S. Sanctions against iran, but warned he would not do so again unless the nuclear deal is renegotiated. The waiver must be reissued every 120 days to avoid the sanctions from kicking back in. His warning came after u. S. Ambassador to the United Nations nikki haley spoke at the anacostiabolling military base in washington, d. C. , in front of pieces of metal she claimed were parts of an iranianmade missile supplied to the houthis in yemen, which the houthis allegedly fired into saudi arabia. This is Ambassador Haley speaking on december 14. Behind me is an example of one of these attacks. These are the recovered pieces of a missile fired by houthi militants from yemen into saudi arabia. The missiles intended target was a civilian airport in riyadh through which tens of thousands of passengers travel each day. I repeat, the missile was used to attack an international civilian airport in a g20 country. Just imagine if this missile had been launched at Dulles Airport or jfk or the airports in paris, london, or berlin. That is what we talking about here. That is what iran is actively supporting. Amy weapons experts widely criticized Ambassador Haleys speech, saying the evidence was inconclusive and fell far short of proving her allegations that iran had violated a u. N. Security council resolution. But to our next guest haleys , claims were not only inconclusive, they were also oddly reminiscent of the false claims about weapons of mass destruction the george w. Bush administration used to sell the public on the war with iraq. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson served as chief of staff to secretary of state colin powell from 2002 to 2005, during which time helped prepare powells infamous speech to the United Nations claiming iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Powells speech was given 15 years ago this week, february 5, 2003. The most worrisome things that emerges from the intelligence file we have on iraqs biological weapons is the existence of mobile production facilities used to make biological agents. Let me take you inside that intelligence file and share with you what we know from eyewitness accounts. We have firsthand descriptions of biological weapons factories on wheels and on rails. Aretrucks and train cars easily moved and are designed to evade detection by inspectors. In a matter of months, they convert is a quantity of biological poison equal to the entire amount that iraq claimed to have produced in the years prior to the gulf war. Amy that was thensectary colin powell speaking in 2003 before the u. N. Security council. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson has since renounced this speech, which he helped write. Well, his new oped for the new your times, is headlined i helped sell the false choice of war once. Its happening again. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, welcome back to democracy now talk about how you felt at the time, how you came to understand the evidence that general colin powell, who himself said, called this speech a blot on his career, how you put this speech together and the echoes of it, int you here tod Ambassador Haley speech. Amy, we put the speech together with arguably the entire u. S. Intelligence Committee Led by george tenet, the director of central intelligence. Literally at house right hand all of the time, seven days, seven nights at langley and then in new york before we presented. When i saw nikki haley give her presentation, certainly, there was not the rather toss of a powell, not the statesmanship of a powell, not the popularity of a powell. What i saw was john. That was her predecessor in atms of being a conservative the United Nations, representing the United States. I saw very amateurs attempt. Nonetheless, these kinds of things, when theyre made visual and the stems are made so dramatically, have an impact on the American People. I saw her doing essentially the same thing with regard to iran that how had done and i had done and others with regard to iraq. So it alarms me. I dont think the American People have a memory for these sorts of things. We are called the United States of amnesia with some reason. So we need to be reminded of how the intelligence was politicized, how it was cherry picked, how we moved toward a war that has been an absolute catastrophe for the region, and even longterm for israels security and the United States perhaps, with the deafness and fluidity that alarmed me then, and really alarms me now that we might be ready to repeat that process. And your previous speaker on north korea, theres another target. This president has so many targets out there, that he could avail himself of an honest any moment, that we have to shudder at the prospects for war and destruction over the next three years of Donald Trumps term. Amy can you talk about the pieces of metal she was talking about . I cant imagine how anyone could haul some metal in front of the tv cameras and assert the way she did with the details she did, some of which was false, just flat false, and expect anyone within the expertise, at least, to believe it. The American People dont necessarily have that expertise. Look at her statement about this good have been shot at dulles or had it been shot at dollars or berlin, it would have stopped somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean or shorter. These missiles are not longrange missiles. These missiles are very inaccurate. They have a cep of miles. That means i like a u. S. Nuclear weapon, which would hit within a 10 meter circle or less, it would hit within a mile or two circle. They dont know where it is going to hit when they shoot it. It is not very accurate, in other words. So the things she was presenting there, she was presenting with a drama that even if what she was saying fundamentally was true, thathe houthis got it from iran and shouted at saudi arabia, it was so exaggerated that one looks at it and says i cant believe the United States is represented by that woman. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, it is very interesting that you have this moment now in u. S. Tory where the republicans some of them are joining with President Trump in trying to discredit the intelligence agencies. And yet you go back to 2003 where you have a fears criticism of the Us Intelligence agency, saying the wording used to politicize information. Which oddly, is what President Trump is saying in a very different context. You would have a lot of sympathy if you asked me if i have some doubts about the u. S. Intelligence agencies, all 17 of them now. I have me tell you what done over the last 11 or 12 years on two University Campuses with really a desk really brilliant students. In terms of enlightening my self, gaining new insight into what happened not only in 2002 and 2000 three, but what has been happening ever since. That matter, what happened ever since Richard Nixon with regard to the intelligence community. What happens is you get people like tenet, people like john brennan, people like john mclachlan, you get people like mudd who try phil to the last minute to get me to put even more stuff into his presentation about the connections between baghdad and al qaeda. You get people like that who are at the top. That screens all of the many dedicated, high moral, high character professionals down in the bowels of the dia, the cia, the nsa, and elsewhere. Views, whichtheir are often accurate, with the probably ate a percent of the time very accurate, from the decisionmakers. So what you get is people like tenet and brennan and mclachlan who shape whatever they can to fit the policies that the president wishes to carry out. The intelligence, therefore, gets corrupted. So i am still down on the u. S. Intelligence community. Amy is really interesting because a number of people that you mention from the past are the current commentators on television. Yes. Lied to thean secretary of state of the United States on more than one occasion during the preparation for the february 5, 2003 Un Security Council. Any go all want to turn to President Trump speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in september. Pres. Trump the iran deal was one of the worst and most onesided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States. And i dont think you have heard the last of it. Believe me. Worldtime for the entire to join us in demanding that itss government end pursuit of death and destruction. It is time for the regime to free all americans and citizens of other nations that they have unjustly detained. Governmentll, irans must stop supporting terrorists and begin serving his own people and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors. Amy colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, responder President Trump and talk about the clock input ever closer to midnight. That agreement, the jcp oa, the Nuclear Agreement between the Un Security Council are members germany, iran, that agreement is probably the most insidious and likely way to war with iran. , and a very,ime very difficult diplomatic situation, achieved the best it could. That best is a Nuclear Agreement that keeps iran from a Nuclear Weapon and gives us over a year of time should they try to secretly break out of it to inspect and find and stop. Even if we had to bomb. So it is an agreement unparalleled in regard to stopping irans search for, if it ever had the desire to, a Nuclear Weapons. If trump undermines that, if this administration undermines that, then there is no and theyre moving fast to do that alternativeno other if you look at it. Now, my colleagues and some of my opponents and this will say, oh, no, that doesnt necessarily mean more. It certainly does if you continue this march toward iran s unaccountability of irans having a Nuclear Weapons. Then we would have intelligence the foundation will never let this rest. We will have everyone telling us that iran, whether they are or not, is going after a Nuclear Weapon once the agreement is aggregated. That means the only way you assure the amerco people and international community, the region, saudi arabia celebrating with a war with iran with american lives at the front, that means the only way you stop iran under the circumstances is to invade. 500,000 soldiers and troops, you better have some allies, 10 years, for trillion dollars, five threeup for tree knows my 5 trillion. That is what youre looking at over the long haul if you say this agreement is no good an aggregator. If it is still unacceptable that iran not get a Nuclear Weapon, the only way that you assure that is by invasion. Bombing wont do it. All bombing will do is drive them underground and there will develop a weapon. They will work with the North Koreans and so forth. We know they have worked with the North Koreans in the past. And they will develop one. Then there will be like kim jongun, they will does the proliferation is a real threat right now and i agree with the bulletin of the atomic scientist that the hands on the Doomsday Clock are now at two and half minutes from midnight. We are more in danger of a Nuclear Exchange on the face of the earth than we were probably anytime since 1945. And that includes the cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the berlin crisis that more or less preceded it. This is a dangerous time and we have a man in the white house who is a dangerous president. Amy colonel wilkerson, unless a, james mattis definitive pentagon request to develop new socalled low yield Nuclear Weapons, telling reporters the u. S. Needed a more complete range of nuclear options. And this comes as the Trump Administration has unveiled its new Nuclear Weapons strategy which involves spending at least 1. 2 trillion to upgrade they say the u. S. Nuclear arsenal. Your response . Make that about two dollars trillion or even four dollars trillion. That is what we will spin over years and we dont need of. Were looking at the 20 bomber that is going to be so expensive the air force one even tell the congress how much it is going to cost. Were looking at a nuclear to Cruise Missile bomber which negates the need for the bomber. It is redundant. But we are one to do it anyway. This is to assuage the militaryindustrial complex in america that deals with Nuclear Weapons. This is to spend lots of money and keep lots of nuclear site test and others scientists and their jobs. I understand that, but i dont condone this kind of money being spent. This is to respond of arrests and seized military doctrine now includes using small yield Nuclear Weapons should they be invaded by nato. It is written in their doctrine. Raided to further assess withtion china. The is all because of United States. It is all because of what is happening in the world postcold war that we all thought was going to be more peaceful and is turning out to be more catastrophic. Amy trump just tweeted just signed bill. A military will now be stronger than ever before we your response . Not the firstime. Ronald reagan did it and he did politicized. That is what trump is doing. Hes using the military to gain more votes. Amy a want to thank you so much for being with us, colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, served as the secretary as the chief of staff of the secretary of state of colin powell from 2002 to 2005. That does it for our show. Very happy birthday Mohamed Taguine democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, new york 10013. 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