Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Fri., May. 13, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Pentagon Recommends Closure of Bases and Outposts
The Race for the Mayor of Los Angeles
Activists Rally at Brazilian Embassy in Washington
French Muslims Prepare to Vote in European Constitution Referendum
Global Marriage in a South Indian Village Causing Problems
FSRN Headlines
In Uzbekistan a clash between protesters and government forces
is simmering on the brink of open rebellion. Last night protesters
stormed a jail in the eastern city of Andizhan to release
23 businessmen the government accuses of being involved with
a banned Islamic group. They also freed all the prisoners
there-nearly 2000 in total-took some soldiers hostage, and
occupied an administrative building in the city. Today soldiers
opened fire on a crowd of 4,000 protesters there, with estimates
of the death toll running as high as 50. The Associated press
reports that protesters controlled a large swath of the city
today, but that columns and troops and armored vehicles were
moving toward it. The European Union blamed the unrest on
the Uzbekistan government's failure to address widespread
poverty and human rights violations. The Bush regime-which
backs Uzbekistan's authoritarian regime as a key ally in the
war on terror, called for both demonstrators and the government
to show restraint.
In neighboring Afghanistan, widespread protests escalated
today as clashes with police left at least eight people dead.
Demonstrators first took to the streets on Tuesday after Newsweek
magazine reported that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay put
copies of the holy Qu'ran in toilets to unsettle prisoners.
The protests are by far the largest under U.S. occupation.
Nazif Shaharani is a professor of anthropology at Indiana
University-he says the U.S.-backed government's violent response
could further destabilize the country:
[They have confronted the demonstrators with use of force,
and violence, and that obviously is not good because it is
going to produce martyrs. And when you have martyrs it produces
a vicious circle.]
Shaharani says the protests show the Bush Administration
has squandered the goodwill it had following the invasion
of Afghanistan-he attributes that to the failure to establish
a democratic political system and abuses of Afghanistani prisoners.
New allegations are surfacing that connect the abuses at
Guantanamo Bay to those in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. Former
Brigadier General Janice Karpinski has accused a high-ranking
general who oversaw Guantanamo of introducing the most controversial
torture techniques used at Abu Ghraib. Brian Zinn has more
from Washington.
In Britain, the newly-elected government headed by Tony Blair
has just announced its first major policy initiative--increased privatization
of health services. Britain's universal health care system has
been the envy of many countries since it was established
during the reform movements of the 1950s, but many fear today's announcement
is the beginning of a plan to dismantle it. From London,
Naomi Fowler reports:
In Connecticut, A flurry of last-minute legal appeals failed
to stop New England's first execution in 45 years. Michael
Ross was executed early this morning while some 300 opponents
of the death penalty held vigil outside. Melinda Tuhus reports
from the Osborne Correctional Facility in Somers, Connecticut.
[top]
Pentagon Recommends Closure of Bases and Outposts
(4:09)
Today the Pentagon released its recommendations to close
33 major military bases and 775 smaller military outposts
throughout the United States. President Bush has until September
to consider the recommendations, which would result in the
loss of tens of thousands of military positions and civilian
jobs. Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington.
[top]
The Race for the Mayor of Los Angeles (4:29)
Los Angeles residents are set to head to the polls next
Tuesday to select their choice for Mayor. This year's race
harks back to four years ago when the same two candidates-
James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa, faced each other. Hahn's
latest television ads attack Villaraigosa's efforts at gaining
clemency for a convicted drug dealer. Villaraigosa has once
again, accused Hahn's camp of launching an all-out smear campaign.
Both sides accuse the other of corruption. Joining us to talk
about this mayor's race is Luis Rodriguez, author of Always
Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.
[top]
Activists Rally at Brazilian Embassy in Washington
(3:26)
Every day nearly 8,500 people die from AIDS. AIDS activists
from around the world are calling on Brazil to keep its promise
to make generic AIDS medicines more available. Ingrid Drake
from the DC Radio Co-op reports from the Brazilian Embassy
in DC.
[top]
French Muslims Prepare to Vote in European Constitution
Referendum (3:43)
Many French Muslim organizations are in favor of the upcoming
referendum on the European Constitution. Although no organizations
are not taking an official position and will not call on their
members to vote for or against the constitution, some members
are campaigning in favor of the treaty to be voted on by French
citizens on May 29. So far, only Tariq Ramadan, a Swiss citizen,
who is very influential among the French Muslim middle class,
has publicly called for a vote against the constitution. But
as Rapha l Krafft reports from Paris, most Muslims in France
will not be voting according to community beliefs.
[top]
Global Marriage in a South Indian Village Causing
Problems (3:57)
Poverty and social problems have forced girls from a South
Indian village into global marriage. So far, some 600 girls
have married foreign tourists. While some men stick to the
marriages, many of them simply leave the women and children
behind. Binu Alex reports from Trivandrum
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
