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> Wed., Aug. 18, 2004
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
US to Support 'Friendly' Militias
Mistranslation Leads to Terrorist Accusation
LA Jobs and the Economy
Homeless Management Information Systems
Leadership Crisis in Kashmir
FSRN Headlines
Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr signaled today that he would
dissolve his Mehdi militia and agreed to leave the sacred
Imam Ali shrine in Najaf. In a letter delivered to delegates
at the Iraqi National Conference - al Sadr agreed to end the
uprising – but demanded a cease-fire first with U.S.-led
forces in Najaf. However, fighting continues in the holy city,
where Mr Sadr's forces have battled US-led troops for nearly
two weeks. The Iraqi national Conference did approve a slate
of 81 members their interim national council today –
the final 19 seats of the 100 member body will be filled by
members of the former U.S.-appointed Governing Council who
were not included in the interim government. The Australian
reports that in Najaf today -- Iraqi police threatened to
kill every journalist working there. Ten uniformed policemen
walked into the Sea of Najaf hotel and demanded that the al-Arabiya,
Reuters and AP correspondents go with them. A uniformed lieutenant
then told the assembled journalists and hotel staff: "We
are going to open fire on this hotel. I'm going to smash it
all, kill you all, and I'm going to put four snipers to target
anybody who goes out of the hotel. You have brought it upon
yourselves."
Terror Suspects Appear in UK Court
Eight men appeared in court today accused of plotting terrorist
attacks in Britain and the United States. Naomi Fowler has
more from London.
EPA Proposes Rule Changes
The US Environmental Protection Agency is considering a proposed
rule that would set uniform standards on power plant emissions.
A report released yesterday by Environmental Defense makes
a case for the rule clean air advocates say could save lives.
Erika McDonald reports from Houston.
AFGE Rally
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 12 union
staged a protest outside the Department of Labor to oppose
the outsourcing of government jobs to private contractors.
Jenny Johnson reports.
Soweto Settlers Sue Over Water
A Community of informal settlement dwellers in Johannesburg
is waging a legal battle against Johannesburg Water over the
legality of its pre-paid water meters. Na’eem Jennah
reports from Johannesburg.
[top]
US to Support 'Friendly' Militias - 3:47
The Pentagon is proposing to spend hundreds of millions
of dollars on what it calls friendly militias around the world
to help fight its war on terrorism. However some worry that
such a proposal could be a throw back to US policies that
helped fund the Taliban in the 80's and paramilitaries throughout
latin america that resulted in hundreds of massacres. Mitch
Jeserich reports from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Mistranslation Leads to Terrorist Accusation
- 4:00
A note written in Kurdish that led to the arrest of two
Muslim men in Albany New York was mistranslated. This mistranslated
message was the primary evidence that spurred a year and a
half investigation of two men who the government said has
terrorist ties. The two men have been in jail without bail
for two weeks now. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell has this report
from WBAI in New York City.
[top]
LA Jobs and the Economy - 4:09
Democractic congressional leaders hosted a forum in Los
Angeles yesterday on jobs and the economy, in which business
leaders and economists addressed hundreds of community members
and students at a local college campus. Democratic leaders,
including Senator Barbara Boxer and local congresspeople,
called Bush's tax cut for the rich and the costly war in Iraq
bad economic policies. While more Americans are concerned
about outsourcing, Democrats say thousands of jobs have been
shipped overseas under the current administration. Ngoc Nguyen
reports from LA
[top]
Homeless Management Information Systems
- 4:06
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development is requiring
federally-funded homeless assistance providers to implement
a Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS. HUD says
the purpose of HMIS is to get a Congressionally-mandated,
unduplicated census of America's homeless and to evaluate
the effectiveness of federal homeless assistance programs.
But others see it as an invasive tracking system. Under HMIS
local service providers will ask clients for personal identifying
information such as name, date of birth and social security
number. The proposed standards for HMIS implementation that
were released for public comment last year allowed domestic
violence programs to provide non-identifying information about
victims for government reports. But that exemption has been
removed from the final rule, which becomes effective on August
30. Kellia Ramares has more.
[top]
Leadership Crisis in Kashmir - 3:58
This year India and Pakistan have held various discussions
on many levels and expressed willingness to discuss Kashmir,
the major bone of contention between the two nuclear neighbors.
Both countries claim rights to Jammu and Kashmir, presently
divided between the two by a ceasefire line called the line
of control. In view of an armed insurgency going on in Indian
administered Kashmir; the international community has been
urging both sides to resolve their differences. Kashmiri separatists
have been pressing for their inclusion in the talks, as many
of them seek an independent Jammu and Kashmir. However, the
separatist camp in Kashmir is a divided lot. FSRN Correspondent
Shahnawaz Khan has more
[top]
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