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> Wed., Oct. 8, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Schwarzenegger to Govern CA
Recall Voters Defeat Controversial Race Based Measure
Writing the Energy Bill in Secret
Reparations Movement at the UN
Iraq Says No to Turkish Troops
FSRN Headlines by Nell Abram
Biko's Killers Won't Be Charged
A number of South African groups reacted angrily today to
the announcement that five policemen accused of killing anti-apartheid
activist Steve Biko in 1977 won't be prosecuted because of
insufficient evidence. Na’eem Jenna is in Johannesburg.
Jordan Trains Iraqi Police
Jordan’s plans to train 30,000 Iraqi police recruits
were harshly criticized both by the Jordanian political parties
and members of Parliament. From Aman -- Oula Farawati
D.O.D. Sells Leftovers On Internet
The US Defense Department used the Internet to sell excess
lab equipment that can be used for making biological warfare
agents. Jay Tamboli reports from DC.
Media Merger
Vivendi Universal,.the French media and communications group,
is selling its entertainment business to NBC--the media branch
of General Electric. According to GE and Vivendi, the merger
will create one of the world's most profitable and fastest-growing
media companies with an estimated value of 43-billion dollars.
Salil Sarker reports from Paris.
Demonstrations Continue In Baghdad
Some Shiite Muslims in Iraq are again demanding the release
of a detained cleric. About two-thousand demonstrators marched
on the US-led coalition headquarters in Baghdad, and are vowing
to continue daily protests until he is freed. Moayed al-Khazraji
was arrested Monday as he led a 12-man delegation to negotiate
with American officials. US officials held talks with a group
of clerics at the mosque today but failed to resolve the standoff.
A US officer said the cleric is being held "on charges
of criminal and anti-coalition activities," but would
not elaborate. Shiites at the mosque say he had been wrongly
accused of keeping weapons in the mosque.
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Schwarzenegger to Govern CA
California voters dumped the unpopular Governor Gray Davis
and replaced him, by an overwhelming vote, with action star
and political novice Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an angry reaction
to a flagging economy and memories of the state’s worst
energy crisis, about 54.5 percent of the electorate sent Davis
packing only 11 months after he was re-elected to a second
term. Max Pringle reports.
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Recall Voters Defeat Controversial Race Based Measure
While movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger has been elected
to replace California Governor Gray Davis in yesterday's recall
election, voters did defeat a measure that would have prohibited
the collection of racial and ethnic data. Monica Lopez reports
from KPFK in Los Angeles.
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Writing the Energy Bill in Secret
Newspaper reports indicate the omnibus energy bill, which
is being written by just two Republicans who have ties to
the oil industry, would alter the Nuclear Non Proliferation
Act. A new provision of the bill would eliminate the limit
on exports of bomb grade uranium that is used for medical
isotope production. Such production creates enough bomb grade
uranium that if it fell into the wrong hands it could be used
as a reactor fuel for nuclear weapons. The Washington Post
reported the provision was added to the energy bill based
on extensive lobbying efforts by two isotope manufacturing
companies. This is just one of many provisions that have been
added to the energy bill behind closed doors and without public
scrutiny. Today environmentalists and public interest groups
protested outside the Capitol demanding the process of forming
the bill be opened to the public. Mitch Jeserich files this
report.
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Reparations Movement at the UN
Outside the United Nations yesterday a press conference
was held to announce the upcoming convening of the 12th Session
of the International Tribunal on Reparations for African People
in the U.S. This as remains of over 400 African slaves were
laid to rest in New York on Saturday, sparking African Americans
to escalate the pressure for the acknowledgement and compensation
for slavery and other violations of international law. Simba
Russeau has more from the United Nations.
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Iraq Says No to Turkish Troops
On the heels of the Turkish Assembly’s decision to
send Turkish troops to Iraq, today the top US official in
Iraq, Paul Bremer, was not able to convince the Iraqi Interim
Council to allow the Turkish soldiers into the country to
help US troops. The council speaker Haydar Ahmad declared
that Iraqi’s don’t want to see any forces from
neighboring countries. And as Ezgi Saritas reports from Ankara,
the debate has now begun between the United States and the
Turkish General staff about where the up to 10,000 Turkish
troops will be stationed.
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