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> Mon., Dec. 15, 2003
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Iraqi React: Saddam Arrest
Arab React: Saddam Arrest
Washington React: Saddam Arrest
World Summit Ignores Real Issues
India: Man Freed After Bogus Terrorism Charge
Free Speech Radio News Headlines by Nell
Abram
IRAQ UPDATE
Two suicide bombers exploded cars outside Iraqi police stations
today, killing nine Iraqis and wounding 22. The bombings followed
a car bomb attack yesterday that killed 17 people. That attack
occurred just 12 hours after the former Iraqi leader Saddam
Hussein was pulled from an underground hovel in northern Iraq.
Hussein is being held in an undisclosed location but Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the captured former Iraqi dictator
will have the protections that are accorded to prisoners of
war under the Geneva Conventions. Officials say Hussein continues
to deny his government had weapons of mass destruction or
ties to al-Queda. The current president of Iraq's Governing
Council says he believes Saddam Hussein could face the death
penalty when he goes on trial under the recently established
Iraqi War Crimes Tribunal. However, Human Rights Watch and
Amnesty International argue that the provisions of the tribunal
law, made under the influence of the U.S., are flawed and
lack essential elements to ensure legitimate and credible
trials. Russia today played down the importance of the capture
of Saddam Hussein. Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov called
the move a mainly symbolic event and said the arrest does
not significantly change the situation in Iraq. Iran's government
said today it is preparing a criminal complaint to present
at any international court that may try Saddam Hussein over
the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Iran has long held that the United
States and western European countries armed Saddam against
Iran which, after the 1979 Islamic revolution, was perceived
as the larger regional threat by the West.
MUSHARRAF SURVIVES ATTACK – Masror Hausen
Pakistani President Pervez Musharref narrowly escaped an explosion
detonated by unknown terrorists. Masror Hussein reports from
Islamabad.
GAO REPORT – Brandi Howell
A new GAO report finds that the US is still struggling to
prevent the flow of money to terrorist groups. From Washington
D.C. -- Brandi Howell
US SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CHENEY CASE – Erica MacDonald
The US Supreme Court said today it will hear an appeal from
the Bush administration. The White House wants to make certain
that secret documents from Vice President Dick Cheney’s
task force remain a secret. Erica MacDonald reports from Houston.
LAUREN HILL -- Ama Buadi
Performer Lauren Hill made a political statement about the
sex-scandal that rocked the Catholic Church during an appearance
at the Vatican. Ama Buadi has more.
[top]
Iraqi React: Saddam Arrest (4:40)
The world awoke Sunday morning to the news that the American
armed forces had captured former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
We begin our coverage in Iraq. Deepa Fernandes talks with
our correspondent Urban Hamid and Corpwatch Managing Director
Pratap Chatterjee.
[top]
Arab React: Saddam Arrest (2:33)
Arabs had mixed reaction to the news. Oula Farawati has
more from Amman, Jordan.
[top]
Washington React: Saddam Arrest (4:37)
Time Magazine is reporting that Saddam Hussein has told
interrogators that the United States fabricated the weapons
of mass destruction charge to create a reason to invade the
country. Meanwhile President Bush told reporters that the
U.S will work with the Iraqi people to set up a trial for
Hussein that will stand up to international scrutiny. President
Bush also said the capture of Hussein does not necessarily
affect how long U.S. troops will remain in the occupied country.
Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington DC.
[top]
World Summit Ignores Real Issues (4:03)
Strong concerns were expressed at The World Summit on the
Information Society in Switzerland by civil society groups
and organizations over just how serious the United Nations
and member states really are about including them in policy
formulation and planning. Critics say vital issues that affect
us all are simply not being addressed at the summit. A key
area of concern is what they see as the failure to address
inequality and poverty and to ensure that infrastructures
are in place to protect democracy before farming out communications
to the private sector and the highest bidder. Naomi Fowler
brings us this report from Geneva.
[top]
India: Man Freed After Bogus Terrorism Charge
(4:13)
This weekend marked the second anniversary of the attack
on the Indian Parliament, which the Indian government claimed
was the work of "Pakistani Muslim terrorists". Yet,
two years on, it is still not known who is responsible for
the attack. Last year, India’s post-911 Terrorism Court
tired and found guilty 3 suspects, sentencing them to all
to death. But last month the high court of India acquitted
one man, Delhi University professor S.A.R. Geelani. He was
behind bars for two years and was given 2 death penalties.
When Mr Geelani was first standing trial 2 yrs ago, Free Speech
Radio News reported on his repeated protests of innocence,
including the worldwide outcry from writers and intellectuals
such as Noam Chomsky and Arundati Roy who came to his defense.
Mr. Geelani is now out of jail, and our correspondent Vinod
K. Jose obtained this recorded conversation between Mr. Geelani
and his lawyer, Nandita Haksar.
[top]
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