Investigative journalist Steve Hendricks talks about his fascinating book, A Kidnapping in Milan: The CIA on Trial; economist and activist Theresa Hughes alerts us to the largely invisible but growing crisis of Hepatitis C. Hendricks has written an important book on a subject that’s had limited US coverage: the brazen kidnapping of Abu Omar from the streets of Milan in February, 2003 by the CIA. Hendricks has deconstructed the events, and describes Abu Omar as a minor jihadist who was snatched as a trophy for the ambitious CIA chief in Italy, then sent to his native Egypt where he was held without charge and tortured under US supervision. He also exposes the sloppy spy work of our CIA agents, who left tracks via cell phones and fancy hotel bills that enabled the Italian
magistrate to identify, indict and convict most of the US operatives in absentia. We talk also about a new book on these issues by Asim Qureshi, Rules of the Game: Detention, Deportation, Disappearance. And near the end of the interview, Hendricks talks about his weird meetings with Abu Omar after he was released. In our second segment, starting at 1:00:45, we talk with Theresa Hughes, Founder and President of Wings for Life. Hughes is an economist who has studied the growing Hepatitis C epidemic, which is spiraling out of control in our prisons–she describes the impact on cost not only on the carriers of this deadly liver disease, but on the community at large and our health care system.
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