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> Fri., Oct. 17, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Iraq Reconstruction - A Loan?
Iraq Six Months After Occupation
No Parole for Battered Women in CA
Congressional Delegation Travels to Ciudad Juarez
Ghettopoly – Racism or Satire?
FSRN headlines, produced by Randi Zimmerman
Bush to Asia
President Bush landed in Japan today on the first leg of his
extensive Asian tour. Talks between Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi and Bush ended unsatisfactorily. Reportedly, the President
was unable to convince the Prime Minister to strengthen the
yen and help make the U.S. dollar more attractive to foreign
importers. As part of the trip Bush is scheduled to meet with
Myanmar government officials, also known as Burma, about the
release of pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. She is
currently under house arrest in Rangoon.
Burmese Activists at D.C. Embassy
And in D.C. today, Burmese activists protested at the embassy.
More from Irene Fitzgerald.
More Protests, Possible Resignation in Bolivia
Bolivian president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada is on the brink
of resigning. There has been a month of massive uprisings
against the export of natural gas to the United States and
Mexico, with over 70 dead since the protests started in mid
September. Pauline Bartolone and Tomas Eliaschev report with
Sebastian Hacher in Cochabamba.
Israeli Military Knocks Down Houses
The Israeli military continues to mow down homes in the Rafah
refugee camp, leaving behind dozens of homeless in the Occupied
Territories and expanding the already wide buffer zone between
Gaza and Egypt. Mohammed Ahmed reports from the Gaza Strip.
Judge Steps Down Over Racial Ruling
A Nebraska judge agreed to step down from a case in which
he has been accused of racial bias. Last month, the Sarpy
County Judge Ronald E. Reagan told the father of a 5-year
old girl not to “instruct and teach her the Hispanic
language.” The judge said the girl was frightened when
on one visit, the father, Eloy Amador who speaks both English
and Spanish, took the child to a restaurant where the people
spoke only in Spanish. Reagan decided yesterday to step down
after commenting that he believes others would think any further
action he took would be seen as a result of media pressure.
At least nine people and one state senator issued formal complaints,
calling the initial ruling discriminatory.
[top]
Iraq Reconstruction - A Loan? (3:53)
Both branches of Congress are poised to pass President Bush's
87 billion dollar supplemental request for Iraq. Human rights
groups say U.S. priorities are not in the right place when
the supplement contains almost as much money to search for
weapons of mass destruction as it does for reconstruction
of Afghanistan. The U.S. Senate passed an amendment to make
half of the 20 billion dollar reconstruction funds a loan,
while the House rejected a similar measure. But anti war protesters
say that the U.S. has an obligation under the Geneva Convention
to rebuild Iraq and what should be debated is not the 20 billion
dollars for reconstruction but the 66 billion dollars to keep
the military in the occupied country. Mitch Jeserich reports
from Washington D.C.
[top]
Iraq Six Months After Occupation (4:26)
Vice President Dick Cheney today issued a statement defended
the price of oil being charged by his former company Halliburton.
This comes as two Democratic lawmakers say Halliburton is
gouging U.S. taxpayers while importing gasoline into Iraq.
Reps Henry Waxman of California and John Dingell of Michigan
complained to the Bush administration that Halliburton's KBR
subsidiary is billing the Army between $1.62 and $1.70 per
gallon, while the average price for Middle East gasoline is
71 cents. Meanwhile, in Tikrit today, the commander of the
3rd army Corps, Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz said U.S. troops might
have to stay in Iraq until 2006 to fully secure the country
they invaded in March. This as now some six months have passed
since the United States and Britain occupied Iraq, and as
our correspondent in Baghdad, Ahmed Al-Rawi reports, most
Iraqi‘s have felt little improvement in their daily
lives.
[top]
No Parole for Battered Women in CA (4:08)
Recently recalled California Governor Gray Davis has a history
of refusing parole to survivors of domestic abuse who are
incarcerated for killing their abusers. Davis’s own
parole board granted parole to 15 such incarcerated survivors,
and Davis overturned all but three cases. In fact, former
conservative California Governor Pete Wilson paroled more
battered women in one year than Gray Davis did in his entire
time in office. There are a number of women in California
prisons who have been approved for parole, and are anxiously
waiting to hear from Davis before he leaves office. Sarah
Olson has more.
[top]
Congressional Delegation Travels to Ciudad Juarez
(3:39)
After ten years of growing violence against Mexican women,
some members of the United States Congress are demanding that
the issue take center stage in bilateral relations between
Washington and Mexico City. The interest comes on the heels
of mounting international protest against the rape murders
and disappearances of hundreds of young women in northern
border-states. A delegation of Congressional democrats returned
this week from a fact-finding mission to the border city of
Ciudad Juarez, where they heard dramatic, first-hand testimony
from relatives of victims and testimony from relatives of
suspects who claim they are being framed for the crimes. Kent
Paterson has more.
[top]
Ghettopoly – Racism or Satire? (3:23)
Only last week, while African Americans were laying their
ancestors to rest in New York and immigrants were fighting
for increased civil rights, a new controversy was brewing.
At the center of it is the new Monopoly style-game Ghettopoly,
which according to the creator is inspired by music videos,
and was in fact launched over six months ago. The game, which
has characters named Pimps and Hoes and even encourages players
to get people in their fictional neighborhood addicted to
crack in order to collect $50, has received intense criticism
for its portrayal of communities that live in the NYC boroughs.
Stores like national retailer Urban Outfitters, which sold
Ghettopoly, have pulled the game after intense community outcry.
Ama Buadi reports in New York.
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