News and Analysis
For The Week Ending May 26, 2000

Listen to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines or any of the individual interview segments below (All in RealAudio, needs RealPlayer 7 or RealPlayer G2).

This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:

Broad coalition working to defeat bill granting China permanent normal trade relations status
Interview by Scott Harris.

The Clinton Administration, working with Congressional Republicans, are pulling out all the stops to win passage of a bill that will grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations status. The trade agreement, a precursor toward China's admission to the World Trade Organization, will commit Beijing to lower import tariffs and allow U.S. businesses greater access and investment in the People's Republic's financial and telecommunications industries. In exchange the U.S. agreed to end its textile import quotas in five years. If written into law, however, the legislation will do away with the annual review of China's human and labor rights record.

While multinational corporations are spending millions of dollars lobbying for passage of the agreement, eager to do business with the largest population of any nation on earth, many critics of the accord are warning of grave consequences for human rights in China and U.S. workers. With lower labor and environmental standards, U.S. unions and their allies fear that with passage of this trade bill many American industries will either relocate to China or pit worker against worker in a contest that will drive down wages.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Scott Nova, director of Citizen's Trade Campaign, who explains why a broad coalition of groups are working hard to defeat the U.S./China trade pact.

Contact the Campaign by calling (202) 624-8136 or visit their Web site at www.tradewatch.org

Opponents of proposed anti-missile defense system say field tests insufficient
Interview by Scott Harris.

In July 1999 President Clinton signed the National Missile Defense Act -- allocating billions of dollars for the development of a limited anti-missile defense system. Backers of the plan, which is estimated to cost $60 billion dollars, say it will protect America from missile attacks launched by so-called rogue states such as North Korea, Iran and Iraq. But Russia, China and many U.S. allies oppose the system which President Clinton is slated to make a decision on deploying this fall.

A series of field tests of the missile system, many of which failed, have been carried out to prove the viability of the scaled back Star Wars program. But critics, including the American Physical Society fault the Pentagon's test program, asserting that it falls far short of what the president needs to make an informed decision.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Gordon Clark, executive director of Peace Action, who examines the U.S. anti-missile defense system and the danger that it may spark a new global nuclear arms race.

Peace Action can be contacted by calling (800) 228-1228, or visit their Web site at www.peace-action.org

Sierra Club director examines Clinton administration's 11th hour land preservation plans
Interview by Melinda Tuhus.

In his more than seven years in office, there has often been a yawning gap between Bill Clinton's environmental rhetoric and his policy initiatives. Nowhere was this more evident than in his forest policy, which included the infamous budget rider of his first term that allowed clearcutting in America's old-growth forests.

As he nears the end of his second term in office, Clinton seems determined to carve out an environmental policy, and land preservation at its core. Clinton has used the Antiquities Act in recent years to set aside national monuments, which doesn't require Congressional approval. Other initiatives include preventing new roads from being built in national forest areas.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Melanie Griffin, director of land protection programs with the Sierra Club. She describes the Clinton preservation plan and the obstacles it has encountered.

To contact the Club, call (800) OUR-LAND or visit their Web site at www.sierraclub.org

This week's summary of under-reported news
Compiled from alternative media sources by Denise Manzari and Bob Nixon

• U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee sends a bill to the Senate which calls for lifting food and medicine sanctions against Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Sudan. House Appropriations Committee soon to be taking action on lifting Cuba food and medicine sales sanctions only.
  
• In These Times, May 1, 2000: Spanish Judge Baltazar Garzon once again hunting for human rights violators in Argentina.
  
• Washington Monthly, April 2000: "Patient Protection Act" currently undergoing Congressional debate won't alleviate the financial pressures doctors and providers feel from health maintenance organizations.