This International Dateline episode includes three segments: How the U.S. Learned to Love the Bomb (Again), The Hunt For Mladic, Mladic Discussion with Tanner & Goldstone, and Maher Arar: The Verdict.
How the US Learned to Love the Bomb (Again)
The segment explores the US's nuclear program, aimed at upgrading the nuclear arsenal, including the development of tactical weapons - mini-nukes that could be used on the battlefield.
The Hunt For Mladic
International authorities have bombed all attempts to hunt down the indicted Balkan war criminal Ratko Mladic. Recently, the world's media reported that Mladic was about to be handed over to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. However, the deadline has already passed and the press is now reporting that his handover by Serbia will not take place until early April - yet another intriguing chapter in this long-running international saga.
Mladic Discussion with Tanner & Goldstone
So what is this Mladic caper all about? Judge Richard Mladic was the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague and actually drew up the indictment against Mladic. Dateline's George Negus interviews Judge Goldstone along with journalist, Marcus Tanner, from The Independent, who has covered Balkan politics for years.
Maher Arar: The Verdict
Regular viewers of Dateline will have heard, more than once, that curious euphemism 'extraordinary rendition,' a controversial US policy which transports suspected terrorists to countries where the use of torture is common. Previously, Dateline reported on a Canadian suspect of Middle Eastern origin, who was rendered to Syria, tortured, and later released. This particular case is being seen as a decision with far-reaching negative consequences, for the rights of the individual in the so-called war on terror.
About International Dateline
SBS Dateline, which began in 1984, is Australia's longest-running international current affairs program. It has a well-earned reputation for authoritative and incisive reporting. Dateline has taken the traditional way of producing TV current affairs and turned it on its head. Reporters who used to travel with a cameraperson and sound recordist now travel alone and have the responsibility of both filming and reporting their stories. The reporters became video-journalists, gaining access to people and places that the conventional camera crews cannot.
