Summary of Foreign Assignments

Source: CBC.ca

 

Note: These are only some of the Foreign Assignments we have watched. This should help for the Current Events section of the exam.

 

WATER AS A WEAPON?
Why was Baghdad's civilian water supply targeted in the last Gulf War? And will it be targeted again?
Attacking civilian targets is illegal under the Geneva Convention. But during Desert Storm 12 years ago, coalition bombs seriously damaged a water purification plant in Baghdad-- striking the Al Wathba facility on three sides. The sanctions that followed have slowed repairs and cut outside supplies of chlorine.
On top of that, the distribution system is old and cracked-- allowing sewage to seep into the water supply. The resulting tainted water has brought disease-- and in some cases death-- to many in the city. The very young and the very old have been particularly vulnerable.
Now, there are fears a new war could bring new attacks on the crippled facility...and more suffering.

 

THE KOREAN QUESTION
In South Korea, Joe talked to some of the more than 20 million people in the Seoul area, living within firing range of the artillery guns in the North. And he found a generational split. The old, who remember the Korean War, support the presence of U.S. troops on their soil. The young, used to recent prosperity and relative stability, say it's time for Koreans to "make their own way in the world".
Joe found politicians are split, too.
New President Roh Moo Hyun has been pursuing detente with the North, while trying to keep the U.S. happy-- morphing the "Sunshine Policy" of his predecessor into a "Peace & Prosperity" policy. While supporters say extending the hand of friendship has softened the North's hardline stance, detractors say the policy has backfired-- instead softening the South Korean perception of the North Korean threat. Joe sits down with both sides to get their insights.

RUN-IN WITH NORTH KOREANS
Joe makes a rare trip into North Korea as well-- but all doesn't go according to plan. While staying at an odd South Korean-run resort inside North Korea, Foreign Assignment camera operator/editor Bob Hilscher runs afoul of North Korean authorities and almost gets arrested. Despite having their tapes confiscated and erased, Joe still manages to tell the tale-- And Bob's ordeal serves as a prime example of the level of paranoia and suspicion inside North Korea.

Can North Korea ever open-up? Can South Korea ever end its dependence on U.S. military protection? And will the 2 Koreas ever find peace-- and unify?
Join Joe Schlesinger & his team for this special edition of "Foreign Assignment".

 

AFRICA'S YOUNGEST VICTIMS
It's the heartbreaking tale of children in Kenya, orphaned and ravaged by the disease that's sweeping a continent. "Left Behind" is the work of Christof Putzel, a young American filmmaker who spent 8 months volunteering in a Children's Home outside Nairobi. Putzel was so moved by the children he met, so intrigued by their forthright discussion of the virus that's killing them, he decided to commit their stories to film.

Outside the Home, Putzel ventured into the slums of Kibera, to see how AIDS has affected children there. He found a community clutched by the disease: prostitute widows selling unprotected sex in order to feed their children, AIDS-stricken fathers sick about leaving their little ones behind. And he found the kids who have no parents, now living by their wits on the slums' mean streets. Starved of food, love and knowledge of AIDS prevention, many of these kids are already beginning to have sex themselves.

Chistof Putzel's "Left Behind" has won several awards, and was screened this month at the Cannes Film Festival. The film makes its television debut this weekend on Foreign Assignment.

ANARCHY IN AFGHANISTAN
As the United States wrestles with how best to bring stability and democracy to Iraq, there's one example it probably doesn't want to repeat.
Afghanistan fell to U.S led forces almost 18 months ago. The Taliban regime was ousted, and stability as well as peace was promised. But since that war, life in that troubled country has remained chaotic. There have been hit & run attacks and political assassinations...The Taliban and Al Qaeda have been regaining strength...And just this past week, Afghanistan's government painted a grim picture of health conditions in the country:

-1 in 4 children still die before the age of 5
-87 percent of the population has no access to safe drinking water
-More women die in childbirth there than anywhere else in the world

Reporter Ginny Stein recently traveled to Afghanistan. She found that despite the presence of U.S. and international forces, the country is wracked by lawlessness and ruled by warlords.
We'll have her special report on "Foreign Assignment"-- "Unfinished Business".

Growing Saudi Concern
Like most Arab states, Saudi Arabia strongly opposes the war and has said it will not allow attacks on Iraq from its soil. Saudi Arabia is a key ally of the United States. But this past week, top Saudi officials warned that a prolonged war could damage its relationship with the U.S.

To many observers, this sentiment reflects a growing concern amongst Saudi leaders, that the Iraq situation could fuel Islamic extremism within their borders. And their fear could be justified. Anti-U.S. feelings have been on the rise in the kingdom, birthplace of Osama bin Laden. Saudi charities may have funded the terrorist responsible for the September 11th attacks. And as Evan Williams of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation tells us, there's evidence they may have also bankrolled last year's bombing in Bali.

DEADLY DROUGHT
One of the worst famines in recent memory hit in Ethiopia in 1984. One million people died. Now, 19 years later, drought & mass starvation are once again threatening this poor nation in the horn of Africa-- and the death toll could be five times worse, if the world doesn't respond.
So far, the looming humanitarian disaster has attracted little attention. The world is preoccupied with the Iraq crisis. But more people could soon die in Ethiopia than in a war with Iraq. The next 2 months will be critical.

HOPING FOR A HOMELAND
For centuries, the Kurds have fought for a homeland. Among the largest ethnic groups without a country to call their own, they have their own language and culture-- and many follow their own brand of Islam. Most live in a massive 520 thousand square kilometre region that sweeps from eastern Turkey, through Syria, to Iraq and Iran. They call it "Kurdistan"-- and have fought, often at tremendous cost, to make it a country. But Kurdish nationalism has been brutally suppressed in countries like Turkey and Iraq.