I had a nice note from Marina Forti of Italy’s il Manifesto, Giuliana’s newspaper for writing about their travail. I hope to learn more from Italy today.

Daryl Bowles writes again from Madrid:

“Thanks for your reply and just an update….”The opposition in Italy is of course, up in arms and demanding an investigation as they definitely do not believe what the White House is saying; surprise, surprise! And the problem for Berlusconi is, tomorrow he has to have a hero’s funeral for the agent who died and all of Italy asking why? This compounded by the news that the Italian govt. has paid something between 3 and 6 million dollars for her release. How do you
explain this if she was then to be murdered by the Americans?

“And on another front, the Turkish army has now sent 1500 men into Iraq to combat the Kurds. How is Bush going to explain this? The Kurds are = our “Best friends” in Iraq and we give the Turks free hands to hunt them down and murder them?

(My niece is married to a Kurd who escaped Saddam only to be imprisoned in Turkey where they shot his father and brother and almost tortured him to death, he was rescued finally by the international red cross, so I do have a little first hand knowledge of this.)”

ON HUNTER THOMPSON

Mark and May Belle write: We just watched WMD and thank you for your cogent analysis of main stream media/newstainment as it exists today.

“After reading in il Manifesto, I believe Giuliana was deliberately targeted by US. She was working on another Fallujah story about questionable weapons. She also wrote for a publication that the neocons have a rabid hate for. I hope the Italian people can have some influence on Berlusconi.

“For us the news reports and comments from friends in Aspen have shed a less conspiratorial light on the suicide of Hunter S. He had rheumatoid arthriitis and had suffered from it for least 15 years and likely more. Early 90’s video interviews reveal his hands and knuckles with the typical swelling, damage and joint drift common to rheumatoid victims. My wife has had rheumatoid for about 30 years with back, neck, knee, knuckle, wrist and cervical spine surgeries/joint fusions and replacements. We know what this looks and feels like.

“In addition Hunter S. had undergone hip replacement and back surgery in the not too distant past. One typically has these types of major surgeries when the pain becomes unacceptable. The capper was a broken leg in the recent past that was not healing well. Smoking and drinking are not favorable to good outcomes when it comes to bone and joint healing. Due to his ongoing pain he had to be helped to his kitchen stool where he ruled the roost. His latest broken leg episode was likely the final straw in a lifestyle that was increasingly being hobbled.”

Larry Houghteling sent a note cautioning me on the conspiracy theories suggesting that Hunter was killed for investigating 9ll. He notes that the full Globe and Mail piece in Canada hints at that in the lead but dismisses it in the body of the sory. Alas, his lefter has disappeared in my in-box. My mistake, no doubt….. UNLESS…..

WMD SCREENS IN EDINBURGH

Paul O Hanlon, our man in Scotland, writes

“WMD weapons of mass deception had its first (but certainly not last!)showing in Edinburgh on Thursday March 3rd. I organized the showing on very short notice. Didn’t really get the word out to enough people - I didn’t give it time to build up. We had a good half hour discussion afterwards and everyone got a pack with info on Global Vision. I was a little too fast in organizing the showing, still that’s just lack of experience. many people have expressed an interest in the film - I sent out an e-mail to a small number of contacts and then that found its way on to a list of 700 people and so on. Rose Gentle (whose son was killed in Basra last year) would like to screen it in Pollok, Glasgow. She has sent you an e-mail, I believe.

“I’m confident of showings in the build up to the March 19th demos (there will be demos in both London and Glasgow).I’ll keep you posted about future showings and I guarantee there will be many!”

JOIN THE SCREENINGS MOVEMENT

We need more Paul O’ Hanlons, activists who recognize the importance of the issue and take INITIATIVE to set up screenings. We are planning a global day of screenings on the anniversary of the war to fight lies with truth on Sunday March 20. Please check in with the wmdthefilm.com website and offer your home or host a community screening. The DVD becomes available tomorrow, International Women’s Day.

Last week, WMD played at he Zagreb film festival in Croatia. We are still being invited to festivals worldwide.

I had an enthusiastic reception when I spoke about the film last night on Laura Flanders great show on Air America. She is a real radio talent. I was also at the huge Educators To Stop the War conference in New Yorki, Mike Zweig and his group packed Hunter High School with students and teachers and union members. It was very impressive. I hung out with Brian Drolet of Deep Dish TV who was promoting their must see “Shocked and Awful” series.

Another week is upon us. Next week I am touring Hawaii and then speak at Santa Monica College on the 18th. Details to come.

Be in touch. Write: Dissector@mediachannel.org