CNN Student News Transcript: November 6, 2007
(CNN Student News) — November 6, 2007
Quick Guide
Pakistan: State of Emergency - Hear how the U.S. is responding to a political crisis in Pakistan.
Unscripted Drama - Find out why thousands of television and movie writers are on strike.
Women Warriors - Visit a memorial to the women who have served in the U.S. armed forces.
Transcript
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MONICA LLOYD, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: Thanks for joining us for this Tuesday edition of CNN Student News. From the CNN Center, I’m Monica Lloyd.
Fast Facts
CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for some Fast Facts! The nation of Pakistan is in a state of emergency, and its constitution has been suspended, which means it’s temporarily powerless. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says all of this is to protect Pakistan from rising tensions and spreading terrorism. But opposition leaders say it’s because the country’s Supreme Court was about to take away Musharraf’s October election win. The opposition boycotted that election, telling the court that the Pakistani constitution won’t allow a sitting military ruler, like Musharraf, to run for president.
First Up: Pakistan: State of Emergency
LLOYD: Pakistan’s prime minister had said that Musharraf will continue to control the country with the army and police for as long as it is necessary. But some of the country’s allies are weighing in on the situation and letting President Musharraf know they want it resolved soon. President Bush urged his Pakistani counterpart to step down from his military post and try to find a peaceful solution. But as Alphonso Van Marsh explains, the tension is Pakistan seems to be rising.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALPHONSO VAN MARSH, CNN REPORTER: Pakistan security forces used tear gas and batons to beat down lawyers protesting President Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of emergency rule. When the tear gas settled, the protestors among more than 1,500 opposition activists detained or placed under house arrest.
AFTAB AHMED KHAN SHERPAO, PAKISTANI INTERIOR MINISTER: Section 144, which prohibits taking out processions, and they were trying to do that. And these arrests have been made, but in due course they will be released.
VAN MARSH: General Musharraf says he’s suspending the constitution for emergency rule because of terrorism and judicial activism. The political intrigue comes as Pakistan’s Supreme Court was set to determine if General Musharraf’s own third term re-election is valid. Justices who did not support his emergency declaration are under house arrest. Over the weekend, Pakistan’s prime minister said parliamentary elections set for January may be delayed up to a year.
SHAUKAT AZIZ, PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER: We are committed to making sure that elections are held. Now, as a result of what has happened, there could be some timing differences.
VAN MARSH: General Musharraf’s most prominent opponent, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to Pakistan from self-imposed exile, is not under house arrest. And she’s got some advice for the general.
WAJID HASAN, BHUTTO SPOKESMAN: If General Musharraf wants a peaceful solution to diffuse the situation, then he should revive the constitution as soon as possible and promise the nation a fixed election date.
VAN MARSH: Protest is not limited to within Pakistan’s borders. Outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, protesters said General Musharraf’s declaration isn’t a state of emergency, it is martial law.
JAFFER RAZA, PROTESTOR: We want free elections, and we want the martial laws to be removed from the country.
HINA JILANI, HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN: We have obviously one major demand, which is that Musharraf back out, now!
VAN MARSH: The protesters say they’ll be back later this week and that they’ll keep protesting here in London in front of the High Commission until democracy is restored to their home country. Britain’s foreign secretary says elections in Pakistan should go ahead as planned. Washington is reviewing its financial aid package to Islamabad, and postponed a scheduled meeting between U.S. and Pakistan officials.
ROBERT GATES, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We urge President Musharraf to return his country to law-based constitutional and democratic rule as soon as possible.
VAN MARSH: General Musharraf says his decision is part of a transition to democracy in a young country not yet ready for the level of democratic freedoms experienced in the West. Alphonso Van Marsh, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Today’s Learning Activity
LLOYD: And if you want to help your students learn more about Pakistan, we’ve put together a Learning Activity that’ll get them started. Students can research the history, government and economy of the Asian nation. Check out the free resource at CNNStudentNews.com!
Word to the Wise
AZUZ: A Word to the Wise…
strike (noun) an arranged stoppage of work to compel an employer to give in to workers’ demands
source: www.dictionary.com
Unscripted Drama
LLOYD: There’s a strike going on right now that could interrupt your regularly scheduled programming. In fact, for some viewers, it already has! When the clock struck midnight on Sunday, thousands of TV and movie writers put down their pens and picked up their picket signs. Brooke Anderson explains what led to the work stoppage and just how far its effects might be felt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN REPORTER: Reality is hitting hard in Hollywood and the Big Apple, as nearly 12,000 writers employed by TV and film studios take to the picket lines today. Their message, loud and clear: no contract, no shows.
ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR: It’s never good timing. It’s horrible to cripple the business, because it raises a kind of panic.
ANDERSON: The issue? New media. The writers want more money as studios distribute shows and movies on computers, cell phones and MP3 players.
RYAN MURPHY, NIP TUCK CREATOR: Our shows are being downloaded on the Internet. We receive nothing, not even a penny.
ANDERSON: Viewers will see immediate changes in late night TV ,where shows are written fresh daily and can’t stockpile scripts. So, expect more repeats and a lot of reality-based shows. Network heads say they’re ready.
KEVIN REILLY, FOX, PRESIDENT: We’re advantaged over the other guys because we have American Idol.
NINA TASSLER, CBS, PRESIDENT: We’re prepared, you know. We’ve got plenty of reality, plenty of news.
ANDERSON: But a long-lasting strike could have a devastating impact on Southern California’s economy. The film and TV industry is responsible for 1.3 million U.S. jobs, and many other unions are paying close attention.
MAUREEN RYAN, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: This is an extremely defining moment for Hollywood as a whole, because the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, they’re all looking at these same issues. And the writers are kind of the canary in the coal mine for this process.
ANDERSON: As you heard, late night shows will be impacted first. They’ll be impacted immediately, followed by daytime TV, talk shows and also soap operas. And then prime time scripted dramas and comedies. They have scripts, but they’ll dry up late December, early January. So, depending on how long this strike lasts, it could be paralyzing for the industry and also have a tremendous impact on the economy, at a potential cost of $1 billion or more. Reporting from the Writers Guild of America in Los Angeles, I’m Brooke Anderson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Send Us Your I-Reports!
LLOYD: We’ve got a special program coming up this Friday: CNN Student News - Salute to Veterans. And you can be a part of it! Just send us an I-Report video with a Shoutout to a particular service member or military unit, and we might air some of them on our show. Head to our Web site, CNNStudentNews.com, to find out more information on how to send in your I-Reports.
Women Warriors
LLOYD: Those veterans are our fathers and brothers and our mothers and sisters. The legacy of women in the military stretches all the way back to the American Revolution, and there’s a memorial to their service at Arlington National Cemetery. On the tenth anniversary of its dedication, Fredricka Whitfield looks at the history of these women warriors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOMAN VETERAN: How did you decide to come down here today?
WOMAN VETERAN: I got the letter.
WOMAN VETERAN: You got the letter?
WOMAN VETERAN: Oh yes, and I signed up right away!
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN REPORTER: These women are from different generations, in some cases, different countries.
LANCE CPRL. SONA BABANI, U.S. MARINES: I became a citizen on, I want to say, the 27th or 24th of July of this year. And it was pretty exciting, you know. Finally, I’m a citizen of a country I’m fighting for.
WHITFIELD: But all of them have something in common: They’ve all served in the U.S. military.
WOMAN VETERAN #1: Did you feel like a freak when you joined? Did you feel like a freak when you joined?
WOMAN VETERAN #2: Yes.
WOMAN VETERAN #1: I did too.
WOMAN VETERAN #2: I was the only girl in my class.
WOMAN VETERAN #1: I was the only one from my town.
WOMAN VETERAN #2: The boys all joined up.
WHITFIELD: Since the Revolutionary War, some two-and-a-half million women have served in or with the U.S. military. But it wasn’t until 1997 that their service was recognized with a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
ROBERT GATES, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: In the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, there are few front lines. Women are coming in contact with the enemy. They are performing with courage and distinction.
CAPT. DAWN HALFAKRE (RET.), IRAQ WAR VETERAN: I was in the first vehicle in the convoy. We came around a corner and just got ambushed and got hit with all kinds of fire — small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades. And one of the RPGs came through the front of my truck and just took off my arm.
WHITFIELD: Sisters. The women who play an increasingly vital role in today’s armed forces, and the women who paved the way. Linked together not just by one special day, but by history.
WOMAN VETERAN: Without you all, none of this could be happening.
WHITFIELD: Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Goodbye
LLOYD: And that’s where we come to a close for today. But don’t forget to send us those Veterans Day I-Report Shoutouts. We’ll see you tomorrow for more CNN Student News. Thanks for watching, everyone. I’m Monica Lloyd. E-mail to a friend
