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> Wed., Oct. 19, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Saddam Hussein Trial Begins in Baghdad
Condoleeza Rice Appears Before the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations
A Look at the Recent Violence in Southern Russia
Increased Protections for Business Interests on Capitol Hill
The Battle between the Self Employed Women’s Association
and the Government of Gujarat
Protest against Military Recruiters at UC Santa Cruz
FSRN Headlines
U.S. SOLDIERS WANTED
A Spanish judge today issued arrest warrants for three American
soldiers in connection with the April 2003 shelling of the
Palestine Hotel in Baghdad. A Spanish cameraman and a Ukrainian
journalist were killed after a U.S. tank fired at the hotel;
a known residence for many unembedded reporters covering war.
The judge, Santiago Pedraz, said he issued the international
arrest order after the U.S. authorities failed to cooperate
with two prior requests for interviews with the suspects.
DATE SET FOR MIERS
In Washington, a date has now been set for the pending Supreme
Court nomination hearings. Katia Al-Awwad has more from the
capital.
Senator Arlen Specter announced today that confirmation hearings
for Supreme Court candidate Harriet Miers will begin on November
7th. Harriet Miers is President Bush's nominee to replace
outgoing Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner. Miers
has never served as a judge and, until recently, was a close
legal aide to President Bush and the White House. Ralph G.
Neas of People for the American Way says, "It's wrong
to rush a hearing on this nominee for a lifetime appointment,".
Supporters and opponents to the President's nominee have been
looking into Miers past to gain insight on her views on issues
like abortion and affirmative action. Many on both sides of
the aisle are gearing up for what is expected to be an intense
debate.
PINOCHET BANK SCANDAL
Today the Chilean Supreme Court gave the green light to prosecute
former dictator Augusto Pinochet for financial crimes. From
Santiago FSRN's Jorge Garretón has more.
This morning the Supreme Court lifted the former dictator's
immunity in the so-called Riggs Bank case. Pinochet is charged
with tax evasion, illicit enrichment and forgery of official
documents. This case came to light earlier this year when
an investigation by a U.S. Senate commission found that Augusto
Pinochet held secret multi-million dollar bank accounts in
Washington-based Riggs Bank. The Supreme Court allows the
prosecution to charge Pinochet; his closest advisers; and
family members. Pinochet allegedly held some 27 million-dollars
in secret bank accounts. The prosecution argues the funds
come from the illegal sale of arms. The defense argues Pinochet
can only be charged with tax evasion between the years of
2000 to 2004, and that all other charges have expired because
of the 5-year statue of limitations. This case against Pinochet
joins a number of other cases of human rights violations.
For FSRN this is Jorge Garretón in Santiago.
NUCLEAR ACCORD
The United States and India are close to agreement on a plan
that would pave the way for a nuclear energy cooperation deal.
Vinod K. Jose reports from New Dehli.
U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas
Burns begins a two-day visit in India tomorrow. A bi-lateral
nuclear accord could be finalized when President Bush visits
New Delhi early next year. As a conditionality, The US has
asked India to separate its civil nuclear programme from its
military one. For nearly 30 years the United States opposed
Indian access to nuclear technology because of India's development
and testing of nuclear weapons. Bush reversed this approach
in July with an agreement to allow U.S. nuclear cooperation
with India. He is seeking changes in U.S. laws and international
regulations to allow India to obtain restricted items, such
as nuclear fuel. Also interested in the treaty are the American
companies waiting to get engaged in civil nuclear cooperation
with India. From New Delhi in India, I'm Vinod K. Jose for
Free Speech Radio News.
HURRICANE WILMA
After claiming several lives in the Caribbean, Hurricane Wilma
may be headed towards Florida's storm-battered Gulf Coast
by the weekend. From WMNF radio in Tampa, Andrew Stelzer has
more.
Hurricane Wilma is now the Atlantic's strongest storm in
recorded history. With Sustained winds measured at 175 miles
per hour, its also the most rapidly intensifying Hurricane
on record. Wilma has caused mud slides In Haiti that have
killed 10 people. One person is reported dead in Jamaica;
where low lying areas have been flooded. Wilma is currently
forecast to graze Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba
by Friday, and hit the west coast of Florida this weekend.
It could be downgraded from category 5 to 3 by then. Tourists
have been ordered to evacuate the Florida Keys and the same
order may soon apply for residents. Where Wilma may make landfall
in Florida is still unclear. In coastal areas like Port Charlotte,
hundreds of Floridians who were effected by hurricanes in
2004 still have FEMA issued tarps instead of roofs on their
homes. Wilma is the 12th hurricane of this years season, which
ties a record set in 1969. The National hurricane Center says
they've run out of English language names for this years tropical
storms, so any new storms will be named using the Greek alphabet,
beginning with the first letter, Alpha. For FSRN from WMNF
radio in Tampa, I'm Andrew Stelzer
[top]
Saddam Hussein Trial Begins in Baghdad (3:49)
The trial against Saddam Hussein is underway in Baghdad
today, where he faces crimes against humanity charges, including
forced expulsion and failure to comply with international
law. Hussein mocked the court today, responding angrily when
asked to identify himself. The trial is now adjourned for
40 days, to give Hussein’s defense time to prepare its
case. Saddam’s lawyers say the trial is pure theater.
Joining us to talk about this historic trial is Rahul Mahajan,
author of Full Spectrum Dominance.
[top]
Condoleeza Rice Appears Before the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations (2:30)
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice testified before
the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations today about the
situation in Iraq. Senator’s questions revolved around
the role of Syria in sponsoring insurgency in Iraq, engaging
the Sunni minority in the political process, and the possible
attraction of international groups to solving economic and
security problems in the country. Anastasia Gnezditskaia reports
from Washington, DC.
[top]
A Look at the Recent Violence in Southern Russia
(2:45)
Nalchik, the capital of the republic of the Kabardino-Balkaria
province near Chechnya, saw the largest terrorist attack on
Russian soil since Beslan, with a large number of militants
attacking official installations across the city. The coordinated
raids of Islamic guerrillas targeted police stations, regional
security forces headquarters, and the city airport. The attack
left dozens of rebels, civilians and Russian servicemen killed.
The incident came on the heels of nearly daily reports of
violence scattered across the region. The republic of Dagestan
alone witnessed nearly 100 terrorist attacks in the past 10
months. Danuta Szafraniec reports from Warsaw.
[top]
Increased Protections for Business Interests on Capitol
Hill (3:31)
The House of Representatives approved a measure today to
shield the food industry from lawsuits concerning prepared
food, including fast food. The House is also on the verge
of passing another bill to shield the gun industry from product
liability lawsuits. Many consider this to be one of the most
successful years for corporations on Capitol Hill as Congress
has passed other business friendly laws, including limiting
class action lawsuits and bankruptcy claims - all of this
while Congress is on the verge of cutting billions of dollars
for programs for the poor. Mitch Jeserich reports from Capitol
Hill.
[top]
The Battle between the Self Employed Women’s
Association and the Government of Gujarat (4:10)
A tug of war between a 32 year old organization, the Self
Employed Women's Association, and the government of Gujarat
in India, has rendered some hundred and fifty thousand poor
women without wages for the past six months, as the result
of what started as a financial audit. FSRN’s Binu Alex
has more from Ahmedabad.
[top]
Protest against Military Recruiters at UC Santa Cruz
(3:34)
US military recruiters, who were forced out of a UC Santa
Cruz job fair by a rowdy demonstration six months ago, returned
to the campus for the first time Tuesday, amid loud, disruptive
protests. But as FSRN's Vinny Lombbardo reports, UC officials
were determined to prevent another shut down of the campus
job fair.
[top]
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