Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Fri., Apr. 16, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Tony Blair Visits the Capital
Iraq: Hospitals Lack Resources Needed to Treat Patients
African Countries Vie for Iraq Reconstruction Contracts
Mexico Pressured to Censure Cuba
Informal Trade Talks for the FTAA
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments on Fallujah
FSRN Headlines
Today, D.C. residents held a parade to mark the anniversary
of the end of slavery in the district. Gladys L. Brooks from
the DC-Coop reports.
Spain’s new socialist Prime Minister promises sweeping
social reforms including gay marriage and stronger domestic
violence laws. From Madrid, David Oancia reports.
The Chinese government announced they will begin wide-spread
HIV testing after a decade of denying the very existence of
AIDS in the country. Severine Brandon reports from Beijing.
Nike’s labor record is being challenged at the United
Nations. Sarah Turner from the Workers Independent News Service
has more.
A University of Idaho graduate student and activist charged
with aiding terrorists faced accusations that he lived a double
life. Leigh Robartes reports from Moscow, Idaho.
[top]
Tony Blair Visits the Capital (4:01)
Today President George Bush said he could not remember whether
he told Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to secretly draw
up war plans for Iraq just two months after the invasion of
Afghanistan began. The Associated Press reports that in a
book to be released next week, Bob Woodward quoted Bush as
saying he kept the plans secret because it would look like
he was anxious to go to war. Bush was joined today by British
Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington D.C. today where they
discussed Iraq and Bush’s support for Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan for Palestine. Mitch Jeserich
has more.
[top]
Iraq: Hospitals Lack Resources Needed to Treat Patients
(3:23)
The body count in Iraqhas now reached 10,000 Iraqis, and
as the death toll rises, so does the number of people needing
medical treatment as a direct result of the war, as well as
for existing health concerns. Although thousands of Iraqis
suffered under stringent UN sanctions, medicine then was still
more readily available than it is under the current occupation.
From Baghdad, Aaron Glantz reports on overcrowded and under
resourced hospitals.
[top]
African Countries Vie for Iraq Reconstruction Contracts
(3:48)
Mounting resistance to the US occupation in Iraq is dashing
even the slim hope that US African allies could get a share
of the $18.6 billion's worth of contracts for Iraq re-construction.
US African allies lost out in their initial bid for a share
of the lucrative deals because of technical deficiencies and
lack of security capacity to protect them against possible
terrorist attacks, and have been trying to secure sub-contracts.
Joshua Kyalimpa Reports from the Uganda capital Kampala.
[top]
Mexico Pressured to Censure Cuba (2:42)
Yesterday in Geneva, The United Nations Human Rights Commission
passed a U.S. backed resolution to rebuke Cuba for human rights
violations. The resolutions, which passed by a one vote margin,
was rejected by all of the African and Arab countries voting.
The vote has become a yearly occurance- preceeded by heavy
lobbying of Latin American countries by the US. White House
press secretary, Scott McClellan announced on Tuesday that
Mexico's vote was secured after George Bush personally called
Mexican President Vicente Fox to urge the country to vote
against Cuba. The Fox administration denied that a decision
had already been reached regarding the vote, but declined
to comment on the specifics of Bush's call. Vladimir Flores
looks at the reaction in Mexico City to the UN vote.
[top]
Informal Trade Talks for the FTAA (2:56)
Last week, informal Free Trade Area of the America talks
were held in Argentina, at the request of the United States.
In attendance were representatives from Canada, Mexico, Costa
Rica, Ecuador and Chile. Bolivian participation in the talks
was vetoed by the USA without objections from participating
countries who have voiced oppossition in the past. On the
agenda was the drafting of a new FTAA agreement which is scheduled
to take place later this month in Puebla, Mexico, meeting
that has been just postponed with no certain date. Mat Goldin
has more from Buenos Aires.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments on Fallujah (2:35)
Journalist and Free Speech Radio News commentator Mumia
Abu Jamal speaks from his cell on Pennsylvania’s Death
Row on the situation in Fallujah and the history of collective
punishment.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
