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> Tue., Aug. 3, 2004
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
New National Center on Counter-Terrorism
East Timor Oil Talks Suspended
Church Bombings in Iraq
Los Alamos Breaches
Uninsured Children on the Rise
FSRN Headlines
Today the European Union condemned the Israeli government’s
plan to expand one of the largest Jewish settlements in the
West Bank. U.S. and British officials criticized the plan
to build 600 more housing units as a violation of the so-called
“road map to peace” for the region. Palestinian
activists cite this as another example of the Israeli government’s
clear intention to grab more land within the West Bank. According
to Ha’aretz Daily, George W. Bush promised Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon in April that Israel would be able to retain
portions of the West Bank if they pulled out of the Gaza strip.
Civil rights attorneys are seeking to halt military tribunals
at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Nicolas Ferreyros
reports from D.C.
60-percent of the nation of Bangladesh is under water leaving
10’s of millions homeless and food crops ruined. Now,
the United Nations cash strapped food agency is urging rich
nations to give generously. Susan Wood has more from the U.N.
Researchers may have to pay more to find out where government
money is going. Under a new outsourcing program, the central
database of information about government contracts will be
turned over to Global Computer Enterprises to design and operate
a new electronic data repository. Government officials at
the General Services Administration say they believe the system
will be more accurate, more timely, easier to search, and
more cost effective. A mainstay of journalists and academics,
all agree that the prices to create custom searches will cost
more, but no one is yet sure how much. Federal agencies and
members of Congress will be able to search for free. And,
about 40 types of standardized reports, like the ones used
to report on government contracts given to small and minority
owned businesses will continue to be available without charge.
Environmental groups have confirmed that all of the fish
in the Environmental Protection Agency’s own tests are
contaminated with mercury. Erika McDonald has more.
[top]
New National Center on Counter-Terrorism
Today Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge denied that the
heightened security alert levels in several large cities were
politically motivated. This comes after it was learned that
the intelligence that spurred the action is over three years
old. Top administration officials say that some of the intelligence
was updated in January. In New York, while Wall St. is heavily
protected by armed guards, the Statue of Liberty has been
opened to the public for the first time since the 9/11 attacks.
And as Mitch Jeserich reports from DC, two Congressional committees
conducted hearings on new proposals to create a position for
National Intelligence Director and to create a National Center
on Counter-terrorism.
[top]
East Timor Oil Talks Suspended
Critics have warned East Timor to be cautious of expecting
a better deal from a future Australian Latham Labor government,
as its dispute with that country over oil revenues continues.
That's according to the Australia East Timor Association,
which says both major political parties have a poor record
on policies relating to East Timor. The comments come as talks
between the two countries over the fate of the Greater Sunrise
Unitisation Agreement remain stalled, following threats by
the Australian Government, that it would call talks off until
after the federal election. Australian Prime Minister John
Howard claims Labor has "undermined Australia's national
interest" by declaring that if the party won office,
it would restart negotiations with East Timor over royalties
that will be derived from oil fields in the Timor Sea. Meanwhile,
as FSRN's Erica Vowles reports, Woodside Petroleum has further
complicated matters with claims that unless a deal is struck
this year, it will pull out of the project entirely. Our report
begins with Labor Opposition Minister for Energy, Joel Fitzgibbons
speaking about Woodside's concerns.
[top]
Church Bombings in Iraq
The coordinated bombing of six churches across Iraq left
11 dead and raised the specter of further sectarian violence
in the country. Shiite and Sunni mosques have been targets
in past months, as well as Kurdish political party headquarters
and Shiite holiday celebrations. After recent attacks on Christian-run
liquor stores across the country, Christians say they are
being more cautious, though few expect such attacks. Meanwhile,
Occupation troops on Monday surrounded the home of Shiite
Muslim leader Muqtada Al Sadr, in Najaf, where the cleric's
army has exchanged gunfire with occupation forces. David Enders
and Salam Talib have more from Baghdad.
[top]
Los Alamos Breaches
Classified work at all the nation's nuclear research labs
has been on hiatus since July 26, pending the outcome of security
protocol reviews. On July 9, data storage devices containing
classified information were discovered missing from New Mexico's
Los Alamos National Laboratory. Days later, a twenty year
old student working at the lab shot herself in the eye with
a high powered laser. FSRN's Vinny Lombardo examines the recent
troubles plaguing the nation's premier nuclear research facility.
[top]
Uninsured Children on the Rise
A study conducted by the Center for Studying Health System
Change, a non-partisan group, was issued yesterday and found
that less private employers are financing the health insurance
of their employees while medical costs continue to rise double
the rate of inflation. Selina Musuta of WPFW's DC Radio Co-op
reports on what this means for uninsured children in the U.S.
[top]
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