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> Thur., July. 17, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Protests in Baghdad
Pre-War Iraq Intelligence Still Under Fire
International Day of Global Justice
Chicago’s Congress Hotel Strike Continues Into 4th Week
The Niger Uranium Debate
Free Speech radio news Headlines
Shots Fired Korean DMZ - Ngoc Nguyen
Oakland to pay $2,000,000 to Earth First! activists - Christopher
Martinez
African Leaders Ask Coup Leaders to Return Power in Sao Tone
- Sam Olukoya
African Black Caucus Chair Turns Down Meeting With Bush -
Jay Tamboli
[top]
Protests in Baghdad (3:17)
Many Iraqis feel that the American administration’s
decision in appointing an interim council is an act of negligence.
They had neither been consulted nor had the opportunity to
express their aspirations to nominate their representatives.
In Baghdad yesterday a pro-American mayor and at least one
U.S. soldier was killed. This as today marks the anniversary
of the 1968 Baathist coup that elevated Hussein to power.
Meanwhile, the new commander of U.S. forces in Iraq General
John Abizaid declared yesterday that the U.S. is involved
in a guerilla warfare contradicting earlier statements by
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. This as Iraqis took
the streets yesterday to protest the Americans decision to
appoint an interim government. Ahmed Al-Rawi reports from
Baghdad.
[top]
Pre-War Iraq Intelligence Still Under Fire (4:03)
The White House is disputing remarks by one Democratic lawmaker,
concerning what was said behind closed doors yesterday in
the Senate intelligence committee. Illinois Senator Richard
Durbin claims CIA chief George Tenet testified that a White
House official had insisted that questionable evidence of
an Iraqi nuclear weapons program be included in the State
of the Union speech. If Durbin is correct, it would add fuel
to the theory that Tenet is taking the fall for a President
accused of cooking evidence to justify a war. As Josh Chaffin
reports, the controversy makes a grim backdrop for what was
supposed to be a victory visit to DC today for British Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
[top]
International Day of Global Justice (4:09)
Today is the international day of global justice, marking
the 5th anniversary of the Rome Statute. The Rome statute
set up the International Criminal Court, which has been active
since June 2002. The US however, put forth article 98, requesting
impunity for all US citizens. Article 98 requests that all
countries involved in the court sign the agreement or lose
their military aid. Costa Rica did not respond to the June
30th deadline to sign the Article 98 agreement. But as Pauline
Bartolone reports, losing military aid, may not be of much
concern to Costa Ricans.
[top]
Chicago’s Congress Hotel Strike Continues Into
4th Week (3:44)
The strike by 130 workers at Chicago's Congress Hotel entered
its second month this week. Both union and hotel representative
failed to reach an agreement over a 7 percent wage and benefit
cut, which has serious implications for thousands of hotel
workers across the city. The workers are members of H.E.R.E.
Local 1 -- the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Emloyees union
-- and the local's striking rank and file says they cannot
afford -- and will not tolerate -- givebacks. Chris Geovanis
from the Chicago Indymedia reports.
[top]
The Niger Uranium Debate (4:12)
The West African country of Niger has been at the center
of global controversy since Bush’s State of the Union
Address accused Iraq of trying to import uranium from Niger.
This comes on the heels of Bush’s five-country tour
of Africa. But, little is known about Niger’s struggle
to establish sustainable development based upon farming rather
than uranium production. Dependence upon uranium production
has pulled the economy into severe decline for over a decade,
and has created debate surrounding the future of Niger’s
economic development. Dena Montague files this report.
[top]
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