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> Mon., May. 3, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Report from Inside Fallujah
Gaza Part 1: Likud Votes Against Pulling Out of Gaza
Gaza Part 2: Palestinian React
New Medicare Card to Benefit Seniors of Businesses?
Cuba Part 1: Report from Mexico
Cuba Part 2: Report From Havana
Praise for the Soybean in Argentina?
FSRN Headlines
Note the last story was read by the Headlines Editor for
the 1st and 2nd feeds.
The death penalty may be back on the books in Massachusetts.
A commission appointed by Republican Governor Mitt Romney
today offered what they call a “foolproof” formula
for carrying out state sponsored executions. In their report
they recommend that the death penalty only be used for what
they call “the worst of the worst murders” like
torture murders, murders of multiple victims and murders of
police officers. They also recommend raising the bar from
“beyond a reasonable doubt” to “no doubt
about a defendant’s guilt;” and, insisting on
physical and scientifically verifiable evidence to issue a
death warrant. The governor’s office refused to comment
on the report or say when they would try to reinstate the
death penalty in Massachusetts where they’ve had a 20
year reprieve from the ultimate state imposed penalty. The
commissioners were not tasked to investigate the moral issues
surrounding state sponsored executions.
The U.S. government’s use of wiretaps to investigate
possible terrorists outpaced other criminal wiretaps in the
year 2003. Darby Hickey from the D.C. Bureau reports.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations reports discrimination
against Muslims rose dramatically last year. Sogomon Tarontsi
reports from D.C.
New York City’s university system is about to implement
a plan they hope will increase the dwindling number of African-American
and Caribbean-American men enrolled at the 19 campuses. Gail
Walker reports from WBAI.
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Report from Inside Fallujah
The CIA announced today that its inspector general is conducting
an investigation into the death of an Iraqi prisoner while
being held at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad. This comes
as the New Yorker magazine is reporting this week that a US
military investigation carried out by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba
uncovered evidence of “war crimes” against inmates
of Abu Ghraib prison, with such “crimes” as breaking
chemical lights and pouring phosphoric liquid on detainees;
pouring cold water on naked detainees; beating and threatening
male detainees with rape and sodomizing a detainee with a
chemical light. The graphic images of torture being committed
by US soldiers has also brought to light the growing and largely
unregulated role of private contractors in the interrogation
of detainees. While today seven soldiers have been reprimanded
for their involvement, lawyers for some of the soldiers say
the soldiers are acting in part under the instruction of mercenary
interrogators hired by the Pentagon. Meanwhile, FSRN’s
Iraq correspondent Aaron Glantz spent the weekend visiting
Fallujah and he brings us this report.
[top]
Gaza Part 1: Likud Votes Against Pulling Out of Gaza
Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has failed to convince
his party to support his controversial plan for removal of
Jewish settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. As
Irris Makler reports from Jerusalem, the referendum of right
wing Likud voters showed the strength of the minority settler
population.
[top]
Gaza Part 2: Palestinian React
Meanwhile for Palestinian react we turn to Bilal al Amin,
Editor of Left Turn Magazine. He tells Deepa Fernandes that
Sharon’s overture towards pulling out of Gaza was a
smokescreen that the Israeli Prime Minister knew would get
shot down by his party thereby making him look like the man
of peace.
[top]
New Medicare Card to Benefit Seniors of Businesses?
Today senior citizens can begin registering for Medicare's
new prescription discount card that the Bush administration
says will save seniors anywhere from 17 to 40% for drugs.
However critics contend that even with the discount the price
of prescriptions will still be substantially more than drugs
from Canada. They also say the discount card program is confusing
and that this will advantage the program's business sponsors
over the consumers. Mitch Jeserich has more.
[top]
Cuba Part 1: Report from Mexico
This morning U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, praised
the administrations of Mexico and Peru for severing their
diplomatic ties with Cuba. We begin this two part report with
Vladimir Flores in from Mexico City.
[top]
Cuba Part 2: Report From Havana
Our correspondent in Havana, Joseph Mutti, has the latest
react from Cuba.
[top]
Praise for the Soybean in Argentina?
Two years after hitting rock bottom, Argentina's economy
is on the rebound. And while the 10-month-old government led
by President Néstor Kirchner has taken credit for the
upswing, economists are praising the soybean. Reed Lindsay
reports from Córdoba, Argentina.
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