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> Wed., Oct. 12, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Supreme Court Hears Whistleblower Case
Report Criticizes Government Logging Policies
Everyday Iraqi Stories; Part 3 in a Special FSRN Series
Children May be Playing with Toxic Toys
California Labor Leaders Slam Schwarzenegger
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: The Empire's Attack on Ojedo Rios
and Independence
Indigenous People’s Day
FSRN Headlines
SYRIAN OFFICIAL COMMITS SUICIDE
Syria's Interior Minister, Ghazi Kanaan, was found dead in
his office today. The cause of death was apparently a self-inflicted
gunshot to the head. Kanaan was questioned by a United Nations
investigator last month regarding a car bomb that killed the
former prime minister of Lebanon, Rafik Hariri in February.
The results of the United Nations investigation into Hariri's
death are expected in the coming weeks.
HUMAN SHIELD RULING
Israel's Defense Minister says the Army will seek a reversal
of last week's Israeli High Court decision to prohibit the
use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. Manar Jibrin
reports.
The Israeli army has repeatedly used Palestinian civilians
as human shields in military operations conducted in the West
Bank. Palestinian civilians have been forced to march in front
of Israeli troops during invasions and arrests to protect
soldiers from resistance gunfire. Marwan Dalal, the lawyer
representing the petitioners from said that a reversal of
the Israeli High Court ruling is unlikely.
(DALAL clip) (22seconds)
For FSRN from the IMEMC.ORG in Palestine, I am Manar Jibrin
UK JUDICIARY VS. BLAIR GOVERNMENT
As Tony Blair's administration published and presented to
Parliament their proposals for new anti-terrorism laws today,
the judiciary has publicly criticized politicians; applying
pressure on them to interpret the law in a way they say is
"wholly inappropriate." From London, Naomi Fowler
reports:
'It's very unusual for the judiciary to speak out in this
way and it signals just how serious relations are between
judges and Tony Blair's government. The senior judge in England
and Wales warned ministers not to attempt to 'browbeat' judges
over its new anti-terrorism laws. A constitutional crisis
looks ever more likely. Some judges have already said they
will not easily approve the government's attempt to deport
terror suspects to countries with poor human rights records.
The Labour government also faces cross-party rebellion in
Parliament on their other proposals. It plans to allow the
police to hold a terrorist suspect for up to 3 months without
charge. Many argue that another proposed offense of 'glorifying'
terrorism would catch supporters of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua,
or even Tony Blair's wife Cherie Blair; she gave a recent
speech saying she could understand the motives of Palestinian
suicide bombers. Tony Blair has claimed that the 'rules of
the game have changed.' But the judiciary may not agree upon
the legality of Blair's 'rules.' And Parliament may find them
unconstitutional. This is Naomi Fowler in London for Free
Speech Radio News.'
COLOMBIAN MOBILIZATIONS CONTINUE
Labor leaders in Colombia expect a huge turnout at a demonstration
today calling on President Alvaro Uribe to abandon his bid
for re-election. This - as thousands of indigenous people
continue marching in opposition to a proposed Andean Free
Trade agreement. The indigenous demonstration has been prohibited
by the Uribe administration and on Monday one demonstrator
died as police gassed the march.
LIBERIA
Liberians are awaiting the results of the country's presidential
election. The election is the first in the West African country
after the end of a 14-year civil war. Sam Olukoya reports
from Lagos.
Liberians are hoping that the presidential election will
help heal the bitter wounds inflicted by the country's fourteen-year
civil war. The country's infrastructure and basic services
like running water and electricity are in ruins after years
of fighting. All twenty-two presidential candidates promised
to rebuild the country if elected. With so many candidates,
it seems unlikely that any of them will be able to secure
fifty percent of the votes - a key requirement for electoral
victory. If no clear winner emerges, a second round of voting
will take place between the top two presidential candidates.
Ex-international footballer George Weah and former World Bank
economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf are the front-runners. Freed
slaves from the United States re-settled in Liberia after
the end of the slave era. The descendants of the freed slaves
constitute five percent of the country's population. Tension
between this group and the indigenous population was partially
responsible for the country's civil war. However, the peaceful
conduct of the election is seen as a sign that Liberians are
now ready for peace. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Sam
Olukoya in Lagos
[top]
Supreme Court Hears Whistleblower Case
(2:42)
The Supreme Court heard the first of several free speech
related cases that will be on their docket this fall. The
high court reviewed a 9th circuit court decision that ruled
in favor of a Los Angeles government employee who said that
he was demoted after reporting possible wrongdoing by the
local sheriff's office. Lawyers for the Los Angeles district
attorney's office who are fighting the 9th circuit’s
ruling argue that free speech protection only applies to citizens
not employees. Selina Musuta reports from the Supreme Court.
[top]
Report Criticizes Government Logging Policies
(3:02)
The National Forest Protection Alliance released a report
today on the nation’s twelve most endangered forests.
The report criticizes the federal government's pro-logging
policies, especially in road-less areas of this country which
provide a critical habitat for threatened and endangered species.
Anastasia Gnezditskaia reports from Washington DC.
[top]
Everyday Iraqi Stories; Part 3 in a Special FSRN
Series (2:35)
The Speaker of Iraq’s Parliament said a new compromise
had been reached on the Draft Constitution last night between
Shiite, Sunni Arab, and Kurdish lawmakers. The White House
welcomed the last minute agreement to gain Sunni Arab support
for the new Iraqi Constitution, but said it would likely do
little to stop the violence in Iraq they say will be directed
at Saturday’s referendum. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber
killed 30 Iraqis at an army recruiting center in the northern
city of Tal Afar. This follows yesterday’s attack, when
a different bomber plowed his explosive-packed vehicle into
a crowded outdoor market in Tal Afar, killing g30 civilians.
There were more casualties of the continuing violence in Iraq
today, including 2 US soldiers killed, bringing the US military
death toll since the 2003 invasion to 1,962 according to an
AP count. Regarding the latest compromise on the Constitution,
Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani said on national television
that there is now no excuse for Sunni to boycott the vote
on Saturday, since all of their demands and suggestions have
been accepted. FSRN correspondent Salam Talib spoke with Iraqi
lawyer Adnan Al Hasnawi, who lives in Baghdad, to get his
reaction to Iraq’s new democratic process.
[top]
Children May be Playing with Toxic Toys
(2:29)
A report released today shows that many children’s
toys like teethers, bath books and bath toys contain toxic
chemicals, which could affect the health of a young child.
FSRN’s Rebecca Myles files this report.
[top]
California Labor Leaders Slam Schwarzenegger
(2:50)
California state labor leaders are accusing Governor Schwarzenegger
of going back on a campaign promise to promote openness in
the government after the Governor quietly vetoed legislation
last week that would list the names of large businesses whose
employees are forced to use public health care programs. Max
Pringle reports.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Commentary: The Empire's Attack on
Ojedo Rios and Independence (3:09)
[top]
Indigenous People’s Day (2:00)
Today marks Indigenous People’s Day, to remember this
day in 1492 when a European named Christopher Columbus landed
on what he thought was India, en event which started the process
of the mass slaughter of millions of native people throughout
the Americas. Los Angeles recently hosted a reading of historian
Howard Zinn’s A Voice of a People’s History. Viggo
Mortensen read from Bartolomeo de las Casas’ account
of that genocide in 1542.
[top]
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