As talks to bring about a resolution in Bahrain get underway, this report from the start of the unrest offers a rare insight into the tactics of a government determined to quell dissent though brute force. "They're using every single means possible to kill us, target us and stop us from speaking", one protester, Ali, tells the camera. At Salmaniya hospital masked and heavily armed soldiers roam the corridors, instantly insisting the camera is switched off. Yet Bahrain TV presenter Ahdeya Ahmed supports the stream of government propaganda, insisting, "I have not seen any violence". With government officials refusing an interview, Ali says their line is simple: "what they're saying is, you breath because I let you breath".
ABC Australia
(Ref: 5126)
Afghanistan - The Taliban Spring
- 12' min 36'' sec [16 April 2012]
Woman's execution grim reminder of rising Taliban influence
The Taliban have vowed to reclaim their control of Afghanistan and their aggression is growing. This incisive report investigates what a future with the Taliban will really mean for the Afghans. "For them it's not a peace process", Amrullah Saleh, former head of Afghan Intelligence tells us. Saleh is adamant that the Taliban's "maximalist agenda" will lead to civil war once the West leaves Afghanistan. In a rare interview, Maulvi Qalamuddin, former Deputy Minister of the Taliban, bristles: "You cannot show me one woman in Afghanistan who was ever punished by the Taliban". Yet Fawzia Koofi is fully aware of the implications of returning to life under the extreme Islamists; an MP and single mother, she has faced numerous death threats and assassination attempts."They want to kill me: I am against their beliefs and I'm proud of that".
Prue Lewarne
(Ref: 5489)
UK - Lockerbie: Case Closed
- 46' min 00'' sec [16 April 2012]
Cameron rejects inquest plea in wake of Megrahi death
This powerful film goes in search of answers to a 24-year-old mystery. In the only TV interview Megrahi ever gave about his case, he claims new evidence will prove him innocent. Was he wrongly convicted?
The Lockerbie disaster was the worst terrorist attack to hit Europe and a painstaking investigation ensued. The final case relied solely upon the evidence of one man, Tony Gauci, and a tiny piece of circuit board found amongst the wreckage. But according to those involved in the investigation, "Gauci was coached and given money for his evidence". More importantly, the crucial piece of circuit board turned out to not be linked to Libyan equipment. Revealing the results of new tests and previously secret assessments, this film offers a fresh consideration of whether it is true that "this is Britain's worst miscarriage of justice: the wrong man was convicted and the real killers are still out there".
Network Features
(Ref: 5491)
Bahamas - The Crime Wave
- 15' min 06'' sec [16 April 2012]
To the outside world, the Bahamas are an idyllic holiday hotspot, but for its residents, a surge in violent crime is turning these islands into one of the most dangerous places in the Caribbean.
Type 'Bahamas' into Google and it throws up pictures of beautiful beaches and luxury resorts. But there's another side to this holiday haven. Easy access to weapons from the United States along with the country's weak laws has brought a rise in violent drug and gun crime. "I don't see my country the same way I saw it 10 years ago. We sell it as a paradise. That's a sales pitch", says Jerome Sawyer, a well-known TV reporter. With elections coming up, the Bahamas government has to decide whether it supports popular public demands for capital punishment, or comply with the United Nations' demands for an end to state executions. With its economy almost entirely reliant on tourism, any worsening of the crisis could prove catastrophic. "If you drive through the communities, all the homes are barricaded. That's the fear that people live in." SBS
(Ref: 5490)
World - The World Tomorrow Episode 1
- 12 X 30' min 00'' sec [16 April 2012]
Nasrallah revealed as Assange's first guest in controversial new series
A freedom fighter to some, a terrorist to others, it is his first interview in the West since 2006. From a secret location in Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah gives Assange a rare and frank insight into his vision for the future of the Middle East.
"This is exactly what America and Israel want for Syria", Nasrallah insists. He also blames Al Qaeda for "trying to turn Syria into a battleground". He's certainly not holding back and with Assange throwing the questions the revelations keep on coming. He believes in Bashar al Assad: "I personally found that President Assad was very willing to carry out radical and important reforms. But the opposition needs to agree to dialogue." But it's not only Syria that's on the agenda. He vehemently denies allegations of corruption pointed at Hezbollah. "This is part of the rumours that they wanted to use to discredit Hezbollah and distort its image. It's part of the media war against us." What about Hezbollah's violent past? "Hezbollah resorted to bombing civilians only to prevent Israel from shelling our civilians" he says. So what is next for Hezbollah's campaign against Israel? And what does Nasrallah really want for the future of the region?
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