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> Wed., Apr. 21, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Missile Defense System Ready to Go?
Iraqi’s Respond to Kerry’s Plans for Iraq
March For Women’s Lives Part 1: Largest March in 10
Years
World Bank Protesters Call for Debt Cancellation
Jordan Cancels Meeting with Bush
FSRN Headlines
VIOLENCE IN BASRA
Suicide bombers killed 68 people today in Basra – among
them 17 children incinerated in two minibuses on their way
to school. More than two hundred people were injured. The
coordinated strikes targeted police stations. The bombings
brought yet another front of violence while an agreement aimed
at bringing peace to Falluja met troubles only a day after
it’s implementation. A heavy battle broke out there
today and by mid-day noone had surrendered any heavy weapons.
The US military has warned it may resume its assault on Falluja
if the agreement falls through.
LEYLA ZANA RE-CONVICTED
A Turkish Court today convicted human rights advocate Leyla
Zana and three other former Kurdish lawmakers in a re-trial
ordering them to serve out 15-year sentences handed down in
1994. The EU reacted quickly warning Turkey that all political
prisoners must be released before the country can join the
EU. Ezgi Sarytap reports from Ankara.
MORDECHAI VINUNU FREED AFTER 18 YEARS
Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vinunu emerged defiant
after 18 years in prison today, saying he was proud of revealing
secrets that exposed the Jewish state as an atomic power.
Vinunu’s 1986 revelations to a British newspaper about
the top secret Dimona reactor led security analysts to conclude
Israel had amassed an arsenal of 100 – 200 nuclear warheads
– one of the world’s largest stockpiles. Fearing
he could leak more classified information, Israel put him
under close surveillance and slapped restrictions on his movements
including a one-year ban on travel abroad.
UC LIMITS ENROLLMENT
Some 7,600 graduating high school seniors were refused University
entry in California this year. From KDVS, Steven Valentine
reports.
UNICEF
In a move to protect children who are sexually abused by the
travel industry, the United Nations has launched a code of
conduct for North American tour companies. Haider Rizvi reports
from the UN.
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Missile Defense System Ready to Go?
The Pentagon is set to deploy the first step of a missile
defense system this fall, even though the 70 billion dollar
program has not been successfully tested. Mitch Jeserich has
more from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Iraqi’s Respond to Kerry’s Plans for
Iraq
The Pentagon has drawn up plans to send fresh troops quickly
to Iraq in case it decides it must keep 135,000 or more American
soldiers deployed beyond the formal end of the US occupation
June 30th. According to the New York Times the Pentagon's
contingency plans for summer, fall and beyond were driven
partly by the lack of new foreign troops and the refusal of
Iraqi Forces to join in American military activities. While
American commanders in Iraq have not asked for more troops,
the Pentagon's detailed planning, is the strongest indication
that the recent decision to delay for 90 days the return of
20,000 troops at a time of intense fighting might not be the
temporary measure officials had described. The Democratic
Candidate for President John Kerry has also declared his support
for additional troops to keep the peace in Iraq. From Baghdad,
Aaron Glantz has Iraqi reaction to Kerry's plan
[top]
March For Women’s Lives Part 1: Largest March
in 10 Years
On Sunday, April 25th, women from all walks of life will
rally in Washington for what’s expected to be the most
significant and massive reproductive rights march in over
a decade. Principal organizers include the National Organization
for Women, Planned Parenthood, the Black Women’s Health
Imperative, NARAL Pro-Choice America and the National Latina
Institute for Reproductive Health. In preparation, women in
cities around the nation have been coming together to mobilize
and strategize. FSRN correspondent Martha Baskin takes us
to one such gathering in Seattle.
[top]
World Bank Protesters Call for Debt Cancellation
A gathering outside the World Bank kicked off the upcoming
protests this weekend with participants calling for the cancellation
of debt owed by poor countries. FSRN’s Jenny Johnson
has our story.
[top]
Jordan Cancels Meeting with Bush
King Abdullah of Jordan has postponed a meeting scheduled
with President Bush in Washington because of questions about
U.S. commitment to the peace process. Bush's recent promise
to Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has put Jordan, a key
ally for the US in the region, in an embarrassing situation,
Oula Farawati has more.
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