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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Happy Tax Day Folks! This Monday is only half way over and it's already shaping up to
be a huge news week....Where to start? The FBI has issued a bomb threat alert to
Washington, DC banks, most of which closed down this afternoon to be on the safe
side...A new bin Laden tape surfaces...Powell is looking into a suggestion from Sharon
to hold a summit meeting between Arab countries and Israel...Sharon doesn't want
Arafat there, though...Israel arrests a top aide to Arafat today...At least four
American soldiers were killed Monday and others were missing after ordnance they were
trying to destroy exploded...Plus a Mullah Omar e-mail surfaces and there's a huge
pro-Israel rally going on at the Capitol today...
We'll do Christopher Dickey on his Newsweek cover story "Middle East: A Blueprint For
Peace...Amid appalling violence, coexistence seems impossible. But the key now may be
to concentrate on the endgame" http://www.msnbc.com/news/737949.asp
Heeeeee's baaaaack: "Osama bin Laden, his top deputy and a man identified as a Sept.
11 attacker were shown in brief video excerpts aired Monday by the pan-Arab satellite
station Al-Jazeera. It wasn't clear when the tapes were made." (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020415/ap_on_re_mi_ea/bin_laden_tape_7
Needless to say Yossef will be here to add some color to the story.....Other guests
include Raghida Dergham of Al-Hayat, Tom Rose of the Jerusalem Post...And it's tax
day, so Armey will be making the rounds today...Did you catch the SNL skit of Hardball
with Armey, Caddell and Begala? Funny stuff folks...We'll probably show a clip...
Howard will be here for the buzz and will do the Wolfowitz/Iraq/U.N. inspections story
plus he'll report back on the Orlando Democrat confab this weekend...
The Democrats: The Second Coming...After a year in exile, Gore opens fire in Florida.
Let Campaign 2004 begin. (Yep, here we go again.)" http://www.msnbc.com/news/738477.asp
"Skirmish on Iraq Inspections...Wolfowitz Had CIA Probe U.N. Diplomat in Charge"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48537-2002Apr14.html
Lots of background material today...Sorry...This Briefing was compiled and edited by
Dominic Bellone...Chris is going out to LA tonight to do Leno tomorrow...Stay
tuned...The show will originate from Burbank tomorrow and then from San Francisco on
Wednesday and Thursday..
"Banks in the Washington, D.C., area have been ordered by law enforcement officials to
close their doors temporarily due to a bomb threat, according to a local branch of
Bank of America." (Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020415/ts_nm/financial_banks_bombthreat_dc_1
"Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday he is holding talks with Arab and Israeli
leaders about an Israeli proposal to hold an international Mideast peace conference
that might not include Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat." (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&ncid=716&e=1&u=/ap/20020415/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_mideast_1342
"Pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Monday what it said was a statement from one of
Washington's most wanted men, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who has been out of
public contact for months." (Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020415/wl_india_nm/india_69123_2
"Israeli forces on Monday captured Marwan Barghouti, a close aide to Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat and a leader of the current uprising, Israeli and Palestinian
officials said." (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20020415/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_arrest_6
Marwan Barghouthi http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020415/161/1efyk.html
"Powell Warns of Danger on Lebanon-Israel Border...Secretary of State Colin Powell
today urged Lebanon to stop Hezbollah guerrillas from turning the border with Israel
into a second Middle East battle zone." (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49477-2002Apr15.html?referer=email
Judy Miller: "Before Yasir Arafat condemned "terror against civilians" on Saturday,
his wife, Suha al-Taweel Arafat, told an Arabic-language magazine that she endorsed
suicide attacks as legitimate resistance against Israeli occupation."
http://nytimes.com/2002/04/15/international/middleeast/15SUIC.html?pagewanted=print&position=top
"At least four American soldiers were killed Monday and one was injured in an
accidental explosion near this southern Afghan city, U.S. officials said. New attacks
against U.S.-led forces were also reported, ending a brief lull in combat activity."
(AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=716&e=3&cid=514&u=/ap/20020415/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan_660
"Mr. Sharon met with Secretary Powell and proposed an international summit meeting on
the Middle East along the lines of the Madrid conference sponsored in 1991 by the
first President Bush. But Mr. Sharon insists that Mr. Arafat not take part in any such
meeting." (NY Times)
http://home.post-dispatch.com/channel/pdweb.nsf/TodayMonday/86256A0E0068FE5086256B9C003A57E9?OpenDocument
"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat harangued Secretary of State Colin L. Powell about
Israeli military action and told him he would not discuss a cease-fire until Israeli
forces completely end their occupation of West Bank towns and villages. Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon said he will not yet withdraw." (The Washington Times)
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020415-55477729.htm
There is "no hope" of reconciliation with Israel, and Palestinians will continue using
human bombs as their leading weapon, the official news agency of the Palestinian
Authority says. (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20020415-79511431.htm
"When Al Gore is good, he's very good indeed. He reminded fellow Democrats of that
over the weekend with a passionate bill of particulars against the Bush
administration, by turns barbed and funny, in the state that delivered the deathblow
to his White House bid." (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washdc/2002/04/15/usat-gore-full.htm
"Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, among a chorus of Democratic leaders calling it
time to speak out against President Bush, said Sunday that the administration has
"muddied our moral clarity" in pressuring Israel to withdraw forces attacking
Palestinian terrorists." (Orlando Sentinel)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-loc-dems041502.story?coll=orl%2Dhome%2Dheadlines
Drudge: "The Republican Party of Florida had a gift for actor Alec Baldwin, who was
the featured speaker Saturday night at the Florida Democratic Party's state conference
at Walt Disney World: A one-way Greyhound ticket to Montreal!"
http://www.drudgereport.com/flash4.htm
"The White House drive for control of Congress was sending both President Bush and
Vice President Dick Cheney on Midwest fund-raising swings Monday." (AP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20020415/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_334
Balz Analysis: "Democrats Intensify Attacks...Seven months after the terrorist attacks
of Sept. 11, Democrats have shed their hesitancy to criticize President Bush. The
question now is whether they can find a winning message for midterm elections"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48224-2002Apr14.html?referer=email
"Yes, We Know It's 2002...But Al Gore and his rivals already are campaigning like it's
2004. And then there's Tipper"
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,218284,00.html
Powell expands peace mission...U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell traveled to
Lebanon and Syria on Monday, seeking to prevent violence in the region from expanding.
Powell's talks with Mideast leaders Sunday raised the slight possibility of a regional
peace conference. http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/677951.asp
"Thousands of Jews will rally in Washington today in a major show of support for
Israel's battle against terrorism." (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/2002-04-15/News_and_Views/Beyond_the_City/a-147683.asp
U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan..."Several" U.S. soldiers were killed and others
injured Monday when a weapon they were attempting to disarm and dismantle exploded
near Kandahar in Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/627086.asp
"Attacks Target U.S., Afghan Forces...U.S. military forces and their Afghan allies
came under fire in three separate incidents reported Sunday, further heightening
security concerns as authorities moved forward with plans to bring home Afghanistan's
former king." (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48348-2002Apr14.html?referer=email
"Two new attacks were reported Monday against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan. Also, an
unknown number of U.S. soldiers were killed and injured in what the military said was
an accidental explosion." (AP)
http://nandotimes.com/special_reports/terrorism/story/361395p-2931484c.html
"Five Linked to Al Qaeda Face Trial in Germany...Prosecutors Focus on Alleged Bombing
Plans" (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48500-2002Apr14.html?referer=email
"'Bonior Republicanism' rises in Michigan...David Bonior has won re-election six times
in his district, which is centered in Macomb County, the place that gave birth to the
'Reagan Democrat.' (The Washington Times)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20020415-78733372.htm
"The Bush administration is poised to complete the biggest increase in government
spending since the 1960s' "Great Society," the result of conducting the war on
terrorism while substantially boosting the education and transportation budgets,
according to a detailed analysis of government spending patterns." (The Washington
Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48583-2002Apr14.html
"Daschle Allies Play Defense...Stung by four months of attacks branding their leader
as the sole impediment to legislative progress, Senate Democrats have begun to mount
an organized inside defense of Majority Leader Thomas Daschle (D-S.D.). The move comes
just as Daschle's outside allies have launched an air campaign to promote their
agenda." (Roll Call) http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/04/news0415a.html
Opinion/Editorial
Powell's ill-advised trip...Colin Powell's trip to the Mideast was spectacularly
ill-advised, writes George Will in Newsweek. He says Bush needs a new policy, and
perhaps a new Secretary of State.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/738341.asp
Wall Street Journal: "Castro's Man in Caracas...Chavez's return won't further
democracy in Latin America."
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=105001931
Novak: "Conservatives bash Bush"
http://www.suntimes.com/output/novak/cst-edt-novak15.html
Gingrich: No substitute for victory
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20020415-99893373.htm
Saunders: Drill Alaska -- for the children
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0402/saunders.html
The Washington Times: "Bush on human cloning...Because cloning has become a reality
with important implications for society, it demands political attention. The
president's tendency to see issues in clear moral terms is superbly suited to a topic
such as human cloning." http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20020415-30530837.htm
Hentoff: Rumsfeld's military tribunals
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/hentoff.html
Garner: http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/garner.htm
Mallard Fillmore http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/mallard.asp
Doonesbury http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/viewdb.cfm?uc_full_date=20020415
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