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	• NEWS >> ATW January 29, 2004 Yearly Script Program Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPEN/WELCOME Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of January 29th 2004. I’m Elissa Marra. In our top story this week…more danger and more controversy in Iraq. #1—IRAQ Did Iraq have banned weapons before the US and its allies invaded Iraq early last year? The top US inspector says the answer to that question is: No. David Kay says US intelligence agencies let the president and the country down and owe both an apology. Officials in the Bush administration insist that illegal weapons will still be found in Iraq. Kay says such weapons would have been found by now. The fact that they haven’t means-quote-“we’ve got to deal with that difference and understand why.” Elsewhere in Iraq, the search for a missing soldier turned deadly over the weekend. A helicopter used in the search reportedly hit some power lines and went down. At least three people were killed and an equal number are missing as a result. There was some good news from Iraq. Oil may soon be flowing from one of the countries biggest oil fields. That would help Iraq begin the process of repairing its economy. Insist(v) To be firm in a demand or course ATW FACT The land now known as the Republic of Georgia dates back to the most ancient times. The legendary home of the Golden Fleece, Georgia has been influenced by the Greeks, Romans, Persians, Turks, and Russians. Source: NY Times INTRO REST OF THE NEWS In the rest of the news this week… -Russia might have the wrong kind of democracy -signs of change in Libya -and fear of the bird flu spreads. #2—POWELL/RUSSIA/GEORGIA The former Soviet republic of Georgia has a new president and with him, hopes for better economic times ahead. Mikhail Saakashvili takes over a country wracked by corruption, a struggling economy, and strained relations with Russia. Those were some of the topics that US Secretary of State Colin Powell took with him after attending Saakashvili’s inauguration. Powell went straight to Moscow for formal meetings with top Russian officials. Powell was also expecting to discuss measures that the US and Russia could take in countering Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia. But Powell made news even before his meetings. The Secretary of State said Russia’s government doesn’t seem to have found the proper balance of power between the legislative, judicial and executive branches. His remarks also touched on the hard line Russia has taken in Chechnya and other former soviet states. Formal (adj) done in proper or regular form #3— — CONGRESSMEN IN LIBYA Thirty years of icy relations between the US and Libya began to thaw this week. A congressional delegation led by representative Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania touched down in Tripoli Sunday. Weldon said he is confident that the US will lift sanctions it imposed on Libya two decades ago. Libya then was accused of sponsoring terrorism. However, in recent weeks, Libya’s leader. Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, pledged to work with the US and Great Britain to dismantle Libya’s weapons of mass destruction. Congressman Weldon said Libya is situated in a key place as the gateway to Africa. He predicted that Libya can become an economic marketplace for other nations in the region. Weldon’s delegation also has scheduled stops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sanctions (n) a coercive measure against a nation violating international law #4— BIRD FLU The governments of 7 Asian countries are working quickly to try to contain avian influenza, better known as the bird flu. Millions of chickens and at least six humans have died from the flu. Millions more chickens have been killed to prevent any further spread of the virus. The extreme measures are being taken in Thailand , Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea and Taiwan. Imports to chickens and poultry products from those countries have been banned in many other nations. Investigators aren’t sure whether the strain of flu is the same in each case. For instance, most of the five million chickens that have died in Indonesia since last August had Newcastle disease, something that does not affect humans. Virus (n) microscopic agent that causes disease inside a living cell POP QUIZ #1 In our story about Iraq, what did we tell you may soon begin? Was it: 1. Direct elections 2. The flow of oil 3. a new Iraqi army And the answer is…number 2. Oil from some of Iraq’s largest fields is ready to resume traveling their pipelines. OLD CLUE #1— NEW HAMPSHIRE And now it’s time for the answers to our clues in the news… Our first clue is the location of Concord, New Hampshire. Although its one of our smallest and least populated states, New Hampshire is one of the most important every four years. During the process of picking presidential candidates, those who come out of New Hampshire with a finish in the top two or three have an advantage in raising money as well as increased media coverage. Those who finish near the bottom often either end their campaigns or try to hold on until primaries in some of the larger states. A total of 7 states will hold their primaries next Tuesday. OLD CLUE #2—KWASNIEWSKI Our second clue was a newsmaker. Alexander Kwasniewski is the president of Poland. He met Tuesday with President Bush as part of a state visit. That visit took on more serious tones after new US visa rules required visitors to be photographed and fingerprinted. Those procedures have angered Poles, one of the few European countries to offer help in the war in Iraq. Poland recently had its first combat death in Iraq. President Kwasniewski is nearing the end of his second and final term. OLD CLUE #3—OPPORTUNITY LANDS And finally, unscramble our third clue and you have Opportunity lands. The identical sister to Spirit landed on the other side of the Red Planet Sunday. Members of NASA’s mission control cheered when the first images from Opportunity started to arrive. Those images revealed a flat plain filled with dark red dust and slabs of bedrock. Both Spirit and Opportunity will work over the coming weeks to search for signs of water on Mars. Opportunity’s mission comes in what’s thought to be the smoothest, flattest region of the planet. THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY This week in world history…February 1, 1709, a British sailor named Alexander Selkirk was rescued after being shipwrecked for 5 years. Author Daniel DeFoe would later immortalize the story under a different name, Robinson Crusoe. FEATURE Music plays a major role in many different cultures. Wyatt Doremus caught up with an choir that uses their talents to not only entertain but also educate audiences about the African-American experience in this country….Check it Out. (Singing) (Wyatt Doremus) “Meet the soulful and talented women of Akoma. Akoma is an African American all women’s gospel choir here in Rochester, New York which does a tremendous service for their community. They not only entertain, but they also educate audiences about the proud and often difficult history of African descendants here in America.” (Dolores Trimieu) “The group has been together for eight years; we have 35 members at this time, ladies of different ages, different professions and different denominations from across this community. Well our program tonight is divided into two parts. The first part of the program is going to take the audience with us from our African beginnings here on this continent to the Civil Rights era, and then after a brief intermission the second half of the program will feature some of what we consider to be our signature songs and so many of the songs we will sing tonight, most of them are Gospel music.” (Singing) (Delores) “Well Gospel music, a lot of it comes out of the struggle of our people from the African beginnings here as being brought here by as slaves and through that whole era and up through the present time. We hope in our singing that people will be touched and that their lives will be blessed.” (Wyatt) “For ‘Assignment: The World’ I’m Wyatt Doremus.” ISN’T IT COOL THAI SKYDIVERS They came from forty two different countries…all in an effort to set a new sky-diving record. 672 people jumped from six aircraft over the Thai capital of Bangkok…. Breaking the previous record for a mass jump of 572 set in Thailand in 1999. In addition to setting a new record the jump was to honor Thailand’s Queen, who celebrates her 72nd birthday this year. ISSUE Cambridge University in England has canceled plans to build a laboratory that would have conducted research on diseases of the brain and nervous system. That research would have involved experiments on monkeys. The university says protests from animal rights groups pushed the costs of the project far beyond original estimates. The laboratory would have been the first in Britain to offer a place where top neuroscientists could concentrate on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and other diseases. Proponents say animal testing is important since so little is known of the human brain. That makes computer modeling difficult. They say experiments with primates is a regrettable necessity. But animal rights activists argue that experiments on any animals are unethical and unnecessary. They say primates in particular have advanced nervous systems which increases the likelihood that they will feel fear, pain and distress. So, what you think… “Should animal testing continue?” Discuss this issue with your classmates after the show and then write to us with your opinions. MAILBAG We received nearly xxx hundred responses to our issue question…”Should the Constitution apply to Americans that are suspected of terrorist ties?” The majority of you, x percent, say yes, the Constitution applies to all Americans. X percent say it should not apply to terrorists. X percent are undecided. Many of you feel that American citizens with terrorists ties are traitors and therefore do not deserve the rights promised under the Constitution. Collin G. of Sheboygan, Wisconsin writes, “When they made the choice to carry out their plan on America… they were saying they don’t like America. Why should we give them something that they obviously don’t want?” Matt D. of Waynesboro, Virginia adds, “Americans with terrorists ties are not true Americans and do not deserve to be protected.” The majority of you, however, feel the Constitution guarantees all American citizens certain rights, even those with terrorist ties. Kim K. of Wittenberg, Wisconsin writes, “If the Constitution says “every American” then we have to follow those words.” Aaron S. of Crimora, Virginia adds, “Americans who turn and fight against their own are Benedict Arnolds, but the Constitution gives no exceptions…you are still an American citizen.” Finally, Miriam L. of Aurora, New York is afraid of what might happen if we do not honor the rights of any American citizen. Miriam writes, “If the government were to start denying certain people their rights, where might they stop? The reason we have a Bill of Rights is to give all American citizens the same rights regardless of background.” MAILBAG CLOSE We look forward to receiving your responses to our two latest issue questions…“Should the Hubble Space Telescope be abandoned?” and … “Should animal testing continue?” If you would like to receive an Assignment: The World Press card, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You may write to us here at Assignment: The World, Post Office Box three-zero-zero-twenty-one, Rochester, New York… one-4-6-zero-3… or you may contact us at the A-T-W website at http://atwonline.org./ We also read e-mail at atw@wxxi.org. POP QUIZ #2 In our story about New Hampshire, how many states did we tell you will hold their own primaries next Tuesday. Was it 1) 7 2) 8 3) 9 And the correct answer is number one. Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Caroline…a total of 7 states hold primaries next Tuesday. NEW CLUES And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news… Our first clue a location… 29 Degrees, 80 minutes north latitude 95 Degrees, 38 minutes west longitude Our second clue is a fill-in the blanks. Its three words: C__NG__E__S O__ T__M__R__OW And finally, our third clue is a scrambled letter…two words: ARMIESRIP OUNCENIT These are clues to stories we think will happen in the coming week. You can find the answers on radio and television newscasts and in newspapers and newsmagazines. We’ll reveal the answers on next week’s show. Good luck! GOOD-BYE And that’s it for this week’s show. From all of us here at Assignment: The World, I’m Elissa Marra. We’ll see you again next week. © 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.