September 3, 2010, 7:50 am
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War. The first hot proxy-war in the Cold War period, US relations with North Korea have always been marked by high tensions on both sides.
Since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the stalemate between the US and North Korea has been bolstered by the US policy of economic and political containment. This containment policy has only lead to increases in militarisation and the likelihood of war in the region. If changes are to come to North Korea, the US maintained barrier to the rest of the world must be lifted.
Haeyoung Kim is a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and member of the National Campaign to End the Korean War.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 1st of September.
August 25, 2010, 8:16 pm
The recent elections in Colombia saw a new president and renewed tensions with the country’s neighbours, especially Venezuela. The most stanch US ally in Latin America, we investigate the role Colombia plays as the region moves away from US influence and towards economic and political independence.
Conn Hallinan is a columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus, part of the Institute for Policy Study, a progressive think tank based in Washington. He is the former director of the journalism program at the University of California Santa Cruz, and has been a journalist for 40 years. He blogs at Dispatches from the Edge.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 25th of August.
August 25, 2010, 8:07 pm
The conflict in Israel/Palestine is a political one but is often presented in an entirely cultural or religious framework.
Christian Zionism is a religious based reading of the conflict that is a major political force in the United States.
Stephen Sizer is the senior pastor at Christ Church, Virginia Water. He has spoken extensively about Christian Zionism and is the author of Christian Zionism: Roadmap to Armageddon? His personal website is stephensizer.com.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 25th of August.
August 19, 2010, 8:54 pm
Although the Gulf of Mexico oil spill recently highlighted the ways in which world governments, especially that of the United States, are overly subservient to the interests of multi-national corporations, it was 50 years ago that the US overthrew a government at the behest of BP. That coup took place in Iran and was the first in a series of US backed actions to install regimes more suited to the needs of corporations.
Stephen Kinzer is the author of All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror and Bitter Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 18th of August.
August 4, 2010, 10:34 pm
Should identity or ethnicity determine our response to what is happening in Israel?
Peter Slezak is Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Program in Cognitive Science in the School of History & Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. Dr. Slezak’s teaching areas include philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, Galileo, philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Peter was co-founder of Independent Australian Jewish Voices in 2007.
Peter will be appearing, along with Alex Whisson, at The University of Adelaide for an event in Action for Palestine’s “Israeli Apartheid Awareness Week” on Friday the 13th in the Lower Napier building LG29 at 6pm.
Action for Palestine is a Palestinian solidarity club at The University of Adelaide.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 4th of August.
August 4, 2010, 10:34 pm
What does it mean to say Israel is an apartheid state? Why is it justified to do so?
Alex Whisson is the newly appointed public advocate for Australians For Palestine, and was previously convener of Friends of Palestine, Western Australia (FOPWA). He has taken postgraduate studies in History at the University of Western Australia, and was a producer and presenter of a community radio program at RTFM. He has contributed articles to Palestine Chronicle, Perth Voice as well as other publications on the net.
Alex will be appearing, along with Peter Slezak, at The University of Adelaide for an event in Action for Palestine’s “Israeli Apartheid Awareness Week” on Friday the 13th in the Lower Napier building LG29 at 6pm.
Action for Palestine is a Palestinian solidarity club at The University of Adelaide.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 4th of August.
July 29, 2010, 9:53 am
Inka Stafrace is the director of Hope in a Slingshot, a documentary film about the realities of the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank.
Inka is touring Australia promoting screenings of the film after the ABC controversially cancelled plans to broadcast it.
The film is being screened in Adelaide at the Mercury Cinema on Wednesday the 11th of August at 6pm.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 28th of July.
July 29, 2010, 9:53 am
Gemma Weedall is the Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Adelaide while Renfrey Clark is on the Socialist Alliance South Australian Senate ticket.
With the upcoming Australian Federal Election, Back Story took the opportunity to speak with the two candidates about issues including environmental, refugee, aboriginal intervention and industrial relations policy.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 28th of July.
July 23, 2010, 12:54 am
Back Story spoke to William Astore about the close to decades long United States military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Why is the US still involved in these countries and what kind of arguments or reasons are given for this continual state of war?
William Astore is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. He now teaches history at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology and is a regular contributor to Tom Dispatch.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 21st of July.
July 14, 2010, 11:35 am
In September 1999 the Howard government initiated a military intervention in East Timor as the province was emerging from under Indonesian occupation.
Sam Pietsch is the author of a PhD on Australia’s military intervention in East Timor. An article based on his research recently appeared in Marxist Interventions.
Back Story spoke to Sam about the political background of the intervention and the way in which it characterised a new direction in Australian foreign policy.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 14th of July.
