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> Tue., June 15, 2004
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Karzai Speaks to a Joint Session of Congress
Nader’s Conflict of Interest With Citizen Works?
Electronic Voting Machines – More Controversy
Kashmir Elections Revisited
12,000 New York City 3rd Graders Held Back - NYC Students
Talk About Standardized Tests
FSRN Headlines
Abu Ghraib Guards Told to Treat Prisoners "Like Dogs"
In an interview with the BBC, Brigadier General Janis Karpinski
said the military officer now managing the Abu Ghraib prison
in Iraq told her that all prisoners should be treated like
dogs. Major General Geoffrey Miller, who managed the detention
camp at Guantanamo Bay, met with Karpinski prior to his transfer.
(SOUND) A military spokesman said Miller never made the statements.
Yet, the Army is investigating the deaths of 127 prisoners
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Evidence compiled by military and
congressional investigators indicates that top civilian and
military leaders issued contradictory orders regarding how
far to push the limits of the law on torture and whether all
people being held by the U.S. government were to be protected
by international law.
.... the Scandal In England
Now the scandal moves to coalition partner England. Naomi
Fowler reports from London.
9-11 Commission Investigations Flawed?
The group CitizenWatch says the September 11th commission
is not asking the right questions. Nicolas Ferreyros has more
from D.C.
New Checkpoint Divides the Gaza Strip
The Israeli military has re-instituted a checkpoint along
the Gaza strip, essentially cutting the small piece of occupied
territory in half. Laila El-haddad reports from Rafah.
Delay Charged with Ethics Violations
TX Republican Tom Delay is facing a rare inquest from a member
of his own party on charges of ethics violations. Renee Feltz
reports from KPFT. Ethics complaints were filed today against
House Majority Leader Tom Delay. The complaint came from a
a fellow Texas Congressman. Renee Feltz reports from KPFT
in Houston.
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Karzai Speaks to a Joint Session of Congress
Hamid Karzai, interim president of the Afghan transitional
administration, began a two-day high profile visit to Washington,
DC today meeting with of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
and Secretary of State Colin Powell. Selina Musuta reports
from Washington DC that tomorrow Karzai will meet with President
Bush.
[top]
Nader’s Conflict of Interest With Citizen Works?
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is coming
under fire from campaign watchdog groups and finance experts
for the appearance of a conflict of interest between his campaign
and a public charity he created. Sunday’s Washington
Post reported that Nader's campaign has been using the same
downtown Washington, D.C. offices that until recently housed
the charity Citizen Works. The campaign moved into those offices
in October. Ben Adler reports.
[top]
Electronic Voting Machines – More Controversy
The League of Women Voters rescinded its support of paperless
voting machines yesterday after hundreds of angry members
voiced concern that paper ballots were the only way to safeguard
elections from fraud, hackers or computer malfunctions. Last
year in a move that threatened to split the non-partisan political
education group, leaders had endorsed paperless terminals
as reliable alternatives to punch card and lever systems.
Also yesterday California approved touch screen voting machines
for Santa Clara County after officials agreed to stock paper
ballots and the manufacturer of the machines, Sequoia Voting
Systems, agreed to hand over the source code for review. Last
month California decertified electronic voting machines statewide
until counties take specific security – Santa Clara
is only the third to do so. Resistance to the controversial
Diebold voting machines is intensifying the company's home
state of Ohio as Ohio's secretary of state has ordered at
least one county to lease Diebold units for the November elections
over the objections of that county's board of elections. Evan
Davis has more from Ohio.
[top]
Kashmir Elections Revisited
Last month’s elections in India removed from power
the BJP led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Congress- led by
Sonia Ghandi – emerged the winner – but Ghandi
refused the post of Prime Minister amid outrage that she was
not born in India. The Congress ultimaty elected Manmohan
Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms and a respected
consensus builder. As part of the parliamentary elections,
polls were also held in the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir
or the Indian administered Kashmir – where violence
dominated the elections. Elections in Kashmir assume significance
as the separatists groups asking for independence from India
boycott the polls. India claims the participation of Kashmiri
people in elections as evidence of their faith in Indian democracy,
but violence and allegations of coercion and fraudulent voting
are the norm. Shahnawaz Khan files this report.
[top]
12,000 New York City 3rd Graders Held Back - NYC
Students Talk About Standardized Tests
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg took over the New York
City public school system in an attempt to show he could improve
public education ion the city. Last Friday, nearly 12,000
third grade students received “hold-back” notices
indicating they failed the “one test determines promotion”
standardized test. Yesterday, the New York City Council announced
that Harlem has the cities lowest performing eighth grade
students. The Radio Rootz collective of 8th grade students
from Harlem tell us of their experience with the test, the
shortcomings of the exam and alternative ways to evaluate
student performance. Ana Gelman reports.
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