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> Thu., Aug. 26, 2004
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
State of Poverty and Social Services
GOP Platform
Iraq Update
Israeli Bedouin Villages
Gujarat Victims
FSRN Headlines
Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet has lost
his immunity by order of the country’s Supreme Court.
Pinochet overthrew democratically elected socialist President
Salvadore Allende and ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. Over
charges he knew about the deaths and disappearances of thousands
of leftists, Pinochet previously received immunity as a head
of state in Chilean courts. Last December the former dictator
gave an interview to a Miami television station that seems
to counter his lawyers claims that he suffers from dementia.
This month the U.S. Senate released a report showing that
Pinochet has as much as 8-million dollars in secret off shore
accounts. Again, the Chilean Supreme Court voted 9-8 to strip
Augusto Pinochet of immunity from being charged with crimes
he may have committed during his dictatorship. Argentina’s
Supreme Court has ruled that there is no time limit for prosecuting
crimes against humanity. Mat Goldin reports from Buenos Aires.
United for Peace and Justice organizers say they will go
ahead with their march in New York City despite a judge’s
ruling against their proposed Central Park rally site. Sarah
Turner has the story from New York.
A federal judge says he will grant bail to two Muslim men
in jail on charges of conspiring to launder money because
the FBI admits their chief piece of evidence was mistranslated.
Catherine Komp has the story.
The U.S. government is moving ahead with plans to arm commercial
airliners with missiles; and has handed out 2 - 45-million
dollar contracts. From D.C., Emily Schmall reports.
[top]
State of Poverty and Social Services 4:02
Poverty and income inequality for various groups in the
United States increased or remained stagnant from 2002 to
2003 according to annual data released today by the Census
Bureau. Some critics are accusing the Bush-appointed Census
Director of publishing the information earlier than usual,
in order to benefit the Bush campaign less than a week ahead
of the Republican National Convention. FSRN's Nell Geiser
takes a look at the numbers and the impact of the Bush administration's
policies on working families.
[top]
GOP Platform 3:40
In more news ahead of next week's Republican National Convention,
the GOP Platform Committee in New York adopted language that
supports a constitutional ban on same sex marriage in the
2004 Platform that delegates will consider at the convention
next week. The GOP is quickly moving to form a platform that
they say promotes a culture of life, which includes further
restrictions on abortion and on stem cell research. However,
as Mitch Jeserich reports, there are some factions that are
trying to get the GOP to adopt more moderate views on those
issues, while others are trying to bring the GOP further to
the right.
[top]
Iraq Update 4:29
A US General has admitted that torture was used at Iraq's
Abu Graihb prison. 35 soldiers and civilian contractors have
been found to be particularly to blame for the detainee abuse.
Two of the unnamed contractors work for CACI and TITAN. Meanwhile,
a 24-hour ceasefire has been declared in Najaf, just hours
after several journalists were detained by Iraqi Police under
dubious circumstances. Chris Toesing is the Executive Director
at the Middle East Research Information Project, as well as
the Editor of the Middle East Report. He joins us today from
Washington DC.
[top]
Israeli Bedouin Villages 2:30
Israeli troops sectioned the Gaza Strip into three parts
today after Palestinian militants fired rockets and mortars
at Israeli settlements in and outside of Gaza. Away from the
fighting, however, Israeli Bedouins in a pair of small towns
in southern Israel have gone without water for most of the
long, hot summer. David Enders has this report from the Negev.
[top]
Gujarat Victims 4:42
The victims of the 2002 Hindu-Muslim violence in the western
Indian state of Gujarat are a grim reminder of the past failure
of civil society. Victims believe no punishment is enough
to compensate the miseries they endured. As threats and intimidation
continue, a ray of hope has emerged by way of the Indian Supreme
Court that has severely reprimanded the investigating authorities
and has ordered them to review as many as two thousand cases
which were closed. However, there are hundreds of people whose
cases were never filed and therefore are ineligible to come
under review. From Panchmahals, Binu Alex has more.
[top]
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