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> Tues., Apr. 1, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Humanitarian Workers Stalled
Turkish Army Dissenters
Military Families Speak Out
Affirmative Action on Trial
Land Day in Palestine
Dalit 100 Day Campaign
Humanitarian Workers Stalled
CNN is reporting that the Iraqi Information Ministry today
said that the shootings earlier today of two buses which left
9 Iraqi civilians dead in fact also took the lives of American
Human Shields who were aboard the buses. He said, "Those
people on those two buses are human shields coming to participate
in defending civilian installations like water sanitation
stations, electricity generation stations, and so on."
U.S. Central Command said it is investigating the claim. Efforts
by FSRN to contact Human Shields in Baghdad to confirm this
report were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the Australian government
today said its navy's role in the war with Iraq had almost
ended and two frigates involved in operations in the Persian
Gulf will return to Australia by the end of the month. And
as the war intensifies, the situation for people inside Iraq
is critical. Cassandra Nelson of Mercy Corps is currently
based in Kuwait, she tells Deepa Fernandes that many AID agencies
are growing increasing worried that they will not be able
to bring necessary relief to the now very needy in Iraq.
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Turkish Army Dissenters
Secretary of State Colin Powell is on his way to Turkey
today as part of a global travel swing that will also take
him to NATO headquarters in Belgium as he tries to drum up
more international support for what many around the world
see as a failing war against Iraq. Powell will also try to
convince the Turkish Army not to invade Northern Iraq, a move
the Turkish Parliament approved two weeks ago. Turkey has
the third largest Army in the world after the United States
and Russia and the fourth most powerful after the US, Russia,
and Israel. Every male Turk must serve in the Army, but as
Aaron Glantz reports from Ankara as 90 percent of Turks oppose
the war, so too do many of the rank and file of the Turkish
Army.
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Military Families Speak Out
Meanwhile, it is not just the Turkish Army that is in opposition
to the war, a growing number of American families whose loved
ones are being sent to the front lines are voicing their opposition
to the war. Charlie Richardson from Military Families Speak
Out tells Deepa Fernandes he and many other families are speaking
out in the hopes of stopping the deaths of their children
and innocent Iraqi civilians.
[top]
Affirmative Action on Trial
Today, the University of Michigan will defend its affirmative
action policy in front of the Supreme Court. Legal analysts
warn that not only could a ruling ban race-sensitive admissions
policies, but could also lead to the re-segregation of all
sectors in society. A racially and economically diverse group
of young people have lead the national effort to preserve
affirmative action, and have since been joined by civil rights
groups, labor unions, and professional organizations. Ingrid
Drake caught up with thethousands of civil rights activists
mobilized in Washington, DC, to hear about the significance
of this case.
[top]
Land Day in Palestine
In a speech Sunday to the American Israeli Political Action
committee, or AIPAC in Washington, Secretary of State Colin
Powell said Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
and Gaza Strip are “inconsistent with President Bush's
two-state vision”. Before Powell’s speech in Washington,
a suicide bomber blew up a café in the Coastal Settlement
of Netanya, injuring 49 Israelis and killing the bomber. This
as Palestinians across the Occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip
marked the 27th anniversary of "Land Day" with demonstrations.
On March 30th 1976, the state of Israel confiscated a large
swath of land from Palestinians living inside Israel’s
"green line." During ensuing demonstrations, six
Palestinians died and now the date is marked each year. Kristen
Ess reports from Derebelah Gaza on how land confiscation and
the bulldozing of Palestinians farm land by the Israeli Military
and increased settlement activities have Palestinians worried
that the war in Iraq will distract international attention
from human rights violations in the Occupied territories.
[top]
Dalit 100 Day Campaign
Tensions are increasing this week in the Indian state of
Gujarat as the Dalit community is fighting to have a statue
of their heroic leader Dr B R Ambedkar installed at a proper
site in Mandvi by next month as promised earlier by government
officials. Dalits have threatened to launch a widespread agitation
if the right-wing Hindu government, the BJP denies them the
statue. This as late last week the World Council of Churches
denounced increasing violence against Dalits in India. Meanwhile
as a Dalit 100 day campaign to end discrimination draws to
a close, the Dalits or the lowest rung in the Indian caste
hierarchy are visiting the villages with banners, cups, saucers
and other vessels as they attempt to end systemic caste discrimination
which Dalits say is on par with racial discrimination. Dalits
constitute one fourth of India's one billion population. Two
thirds of these 250 million Dalits are illiterate and most
all are poorly paid and exploited landless laborers. Binu
Alex reports from the 100 day campaign in Gujarat.
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