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> Thur., Aug. 4, 2005
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Iraqi National Assembly Strikes Agreement on New Political
System
Countdown to Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza
Pentagon Requesting $1.3 Billion for New High Tech Mine
Human Rights Groups Denounce New Pro-Nazi School Books in
India
Female Candidate for Chilean President Leads in the Polls:
A Symbol of Progress for Working Women
FSRN Headlines
Unrest continues in Sudan's capital Khartoum following the
death of the country's vice president in a helicopter crash
over the weekend. At least 130 people have been killed in
three days of violence despite a call for calm from all sides
including Jesica Nyandeng Garang, the widow to the late Dr
John Garang. Joshua Kyalimpa reports
The United States will transfer Afghan detainees being held
at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Afghanistan. An agreement between
the two countries was made today. The transfer of detainees
will give full discretion to Afghan to hold, investigate,
or prosecute the detainees. An exact date of the transfer
was not given, but it will begin once Afghanistan has the
facilities to hold detainees and has trained workers to run
those facilities. The U.S. will assist Afghanistan in building
and personnel training, according to the agreement. Gina Gutierrez,
an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, who
represents many detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including many
Afghans.
CUT:
The U.S. embassy says that the detainees will be treated
with in guidelines of international law. Of the more than
500 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, 110 are from Afghanistan.
The Argentine government voice concern about the state of
public, but they refuse to meet the wage demands of workers
from Argentina's largest children's hospital, who are continuing
a 72-hour strike. Marie Trigona has more from Buenos Aires.
A group of thirteen Polish workers at a French shipyard have
ended a hunger-strike - to win the wages they were owed. Tony
Cross reports from Paris on a case of cross-border discrimination.
[top]
Iraqi National Assembly Strikes Agreement on New
Political System
Three US troops were killed in Baghdad today by a roadside
bomb, bringing the number killed in the last week in Iraq
to 24. 14 US Marines and an interpreter were killed in a separate
attack yesterday by a roadside bomb - the deadliest such attack
since the 2003 US invasion. Nevertheless, President Bush rejected
any plans for an early withdrawal from Iraq. Meanwhile, the
Iraqi National Assembly has struck an agreement on the shape
of the country's new political system. David Enders reports
from Baghdad.
[top]
Countdown to Israel's Withdrawal from Gaza
Thousands of Israeli settlers who had planned a march into
Gaza to stop the planned evacuation of about 9,000 settlers
have scrapped their plans after security forces blocked their
efforts. Some small groups of settlers have evaded security
forces in the last few weeks, but this is the second time
in the past two weeks that right-wing marchers have been blocked
from getting near Gaza. Meanwhile, up to 10,000 Palestinian
Gazans are celebrating Israel's pullout from the Gaza strip.
Joining us to talk about the latest developments in Gaza is
Peretz Kidron, freelance journalist involved with the peace
and refusnik movements in Jerusalem.
[top]
Pentagon Requesting $1.3 Billion for New High Tech
Mine
The Pentagon is on the verge of developing new antipersonnel
land mines for the first time since 1997. These would be the
first mines created since the Bush administration announced
last year that it would not sign onto the Mine Ban Treaty.
The Pentagon is requesting $1.3 billion to develop a high
tech mine that can be controlled remotely by military personnel.
Congress will consider the proposal when it takes up the military
authorization bill when it returns from its summer recess.
Mitch Jeserich reports from Washington.
[top]
Human Rights Groups Denounce New Pro-Nazi School
Books in India
Human rights activists in India are saying that the ruling
right wing pro-Hindu BJP government is attempting to run its
ideology through school textbooks as a way to marginalize
religious minorities. The books praise Hitler and the Nazi
movement, and many believe the parent organization of the
BJP nurtures such a dream of gradually driving out minorities
from the country by forming public opinion by distorting historical
facts. FSRN Correspondent Binu Alex has more from Ahmedabad.
[top]
Female Candidate for Chilean President Leads in the
Polls: A Symbol of Progress for Working Women
In Chile, support for left-leaning presidential candidate
Michelle Bachelet remains high. A recent poll indicates that
42% of Chileans support her bid for president- up from 36%
about 6 months ago. Bachelet is projected to become Chile's
first female President in the December elections. But women
in Chile still face many systemic and cultural barriers as
they increasingly enter the work force. Yet despite the many
obstacles, a shift in attitudes towards working women is already
underway. FSRN's Jorge Garretón explains.
[top]
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