Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Thur., Mar. 4, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Haiti Next Afghanistan?
Bioweapons: Part 1
Haitian Detainees and Black Caucus Members Grill Roger Noriega
Guarani Indians Occupy Farmer's Land in Brazil
Report on Pakistan: Aftermath of Attacks on Shia's in Quetta
FSRN Headlines
Carribean Leaders Want Haiti Investigation
Carribean leaders are calling for a full-scale investigation
into the departure of Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide.
Patrick Scudder reports from Jamaica.
Bus Strike in Twin Cities
Public transport in Minneapolis-St. Paul ground to a halt
today as 2,200 drivers, mechanics, bus cleaners and clerical
workers with the Twin cities' Metro Transit walked out on
strike. With the Workers Independent News Service,
John Hamilton reports.
CA Loses Big Dollars for AIDS
California AIDS activists are highly critical of the recent
Bush administration cuts to programs that help poor people
living with HIV. Max Pringle reports from KPFA.
HRW Accuses South Africa of Poor AIDS Policy
HRW accuses the South African government of undermining its
own initiative to provide HIV drugs to prevent infections
resulting from AIDS. Na’eem Jinah reports from Johannesburg.
Venezuelan Ambassador Resigns
Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations, Milos Alcalay,
is resigning and charging his government with human rights
abuses after the beating of an anti- Chavez protestor was
videotaped. This week, the National Electoral Council ruled
the political opposition failed to collect enough valid signatures
to obtain a mid-term recall vote on President Hugo Chavez.
After further review, that decision may be overturned at the
end of the month. Carter Center and Oraganization of American
states observors criticized the council’s decision,
leading to the protests.
[top]
Haiti Next Afghanistan?
2000 Aristide supporters took to the streets of Port Au
Prince protesting the ouster of the former President. Many
church leaders are calling for the population to rise up and
demand the return of Aristide, but the self-decared military
authority is warning against congregating in the streets.
People in the Northern Haitian city of Cape Haitian where
the military is now in total control are accusing these newly
uniformed men of extortion. Meanhwile, 1000 U.S. Marines are
patrolling the streets of Port Au Prince and 200 French troops
are also on the ground in Haiti. FSRN’s Deepa Fernandes
and Kody Emmanuel report from Cape Haitian that - as the U.S.
presence is asserted more forcefully, people on the ground
are saying Haiti will be the next Afghanistan.
[top]
Bioweapons: Part 1
The American Society of Microbiologists is holding a biodefense
meeting in Baltimore this weekend. Presenters will include
representatives of the Centers for Disease Control, the Defense
Threat Reduction Agency, and USAMRIID, the United States Army
Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease. In the first
of this two part series, Kellia Ramares looks at the biological
research being conducted by these agencies as well as ethical
questions being raised by those skeptical of current biological
research trends.
[top]
Haitian Detainees and Black Caucus Members Grill
Roger Noriega
Human Rights organizations are blasting the Bush administration
for using war ships to intercept fleeing Haitians and returning
them to Haiti where they fear persecution for supporting deposed
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The Bush administration
claims it will not accept refugees while other neighboring
countries keep their borders closed as well. Mitch Jeserich
reports from DC.
[top]
Guarani Indians Occupy Farmer's Land in Brazil
In the aftermath of the paraguay war, Brazil began seizing
lands from Paraguay in 1928, much of which was inhabited by
the indigenous Guaranis-Kaiwas people. During the course of
the twentieth-century, those lands were taken over by farmers
and all of the indigenous people were displaced and sent to
reservations-- an area groups like UNICEF say lacks the basic
resources needed for survival. Environmentalists point to
the deforestation and to the destruction of soy crops as cattle
ranchers usurp land, leaving the Guarani people without a
place to hunt, live or practice their culture. Religious agencies
say suicide rates among the Guarani youth are among the highest
in the world. Today, the Guarani are maintaining a two-month
old occupation of some farms on colonized lands. FSRN's Toya
Mileno reports.
[top]
Report on Pakistan: Aftermath of Attacks on Shia's
in Quetta
Tens of thousands of Shia Muslims in Pakistan's violence-hit
city of Quetta took to the streets as curfew was briefly lifted
today for the mass burial of the nearly 50 people killed in
a sectarian attack on Tuesday. The mourners are demanding
removal of government officials responsible for law and order.
At least 47 people, including six policemen, died after gunmen
threw grenades at a procession of muslims aimed at the Shia
minority, sparking mob violence and rioting. Parts of Pakistan
are tense; schools have been closed for three days and the
city of Quetta is once again under curfew and . Although General
Pervez Musharaff has ordered a judicial inquiry, the incident
will have serious repercussions for peace in the region. Masror
Hussain reports from Islamabad.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
