PRAGOTI

Democracy Now! Host Amy Goodman was arrested on September 1, 2008 while questioning police about the unlawful detention of Producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, who were arrested earlier while they carried out their journalistic duties in covering street demonstrations at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul's. During the demonstration in which the Democracy Now! team was arrested, law enforcement officers used pepper spray, rubber bullets, concussion grenades and excessive force against protesters and journalists. Several dozen demonstrators were also arrested during this action, as was a photographer for the Associated Press. Amy Goodman writes about the crackdown on journalists.

Amy Goodman speaks with Michael Klare and Juan Gonzalez about the Russian-Georgian conflict.Professor and author Michael Klare talks about how the Russian-Georgian conflict is largely an energy war over who has access to the vast oil and natural gas reserves in the Caspian region

Amy Goodman speaks with Michael Klare, author of “Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Dependency on Imported Petroleum.” Klare says, “There’s a second war underway in Iraq that’s a war for the control of the oil wealth. That’s a war that is pitting Kurds against the Arabs of the country, Shiites against Sunnis, and Shiite against Shiite. Because eventually the Americans are going to leave and the people of Iraq know this.”