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> Thur., Oct. 27, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Harriet Miers Withdraws Nomination
Hurricane Victims Denied Federal Assistance Due to Past Drug
Convictions
Evicting New Orleans Residents
Cancer Malignancies in Iraq
Ireland’s New Immigration Policies under Fire
Demonstration in San Diego for Over 2,000 US Soldiers Dead
in Iraq
Some Local Residents Attempting to Block Opening of Latino
Supermarket
FSRN Headlines
FOOD-FOR-OIL REPORT
Over 2000 companies have been implicated in wrongdoing during
the Food for oil program. This, according to a report presented
today at the United Nations. The program allowed the Saddam
Hussein regime to sell oil in order to purchase humanitarian
items during the years of economic sanctions. Today's report
- the result of an exhaustive probe - found that the Hussein
regime received approximately 1.8 billion dollars in kickbacks
and surcharges during the Food-for-Oil program.
ISRAEL-IRAN TENSIONS
In other UN news, Israel is calling for Iran's expulsion from
the international body after Iran's president said yesterday
that Israel should be "wiped off the map". UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan is scheduled to visit Iran in the coming
weeks.
ISRAEL-PALESTINE VIOLENCE
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has called
off plans for a summit meeting with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas amid escalating violence in the region. Manar
Jibrin reports from the West Bank
Israeli military vehicles rolled into the West Bank city
of Jenin today, after a suicide bomber killed five people
in Hedera on Wednesday. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility
for the suicide bombing saying that it came in response to
the assassination of an Islamic Jihad commander in Tulkarem
on Sunday night. The Israeli army carried out air strikes
in the Gaza Strip last night and today launched a series of
operations targeting Palestinian resistance groups in the
West Bank. Israeli troops arrested Islamic Jihad leader Shiekh
Abdulhalim Izziddin during today's incursion into Jenin. In
addition to the military operations, Israel has once again
closed the Gaza Strip border crossings to Israel.
GUANTANAMO RULING
U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler ruled yesterday that
the U.S. government must provide medical records to defense
attorneys for hunger-striking Guantanamo Bay detainees. Don
Anque reports from Washington DC. Detainees began a hunger
strike in August to protest conditions at the camp and the
call attention to their legal situation. Judge Kessler called
the testimony of forced feedings "deeply troubling".
Lawyers representing the detainees allege that U.S. personnel
and soldiers at the naval base have brutally shoved feeding
tubes as thick as fingers through the men's noses into their
stomachs. The detainees say neither sedatives nor anesthesia
are used during the procedure. Dr. John Edmondson, commander
of the U.S. Navy Hospital at Guantanamo, denied all of the
detainee allegations in a brief filed with the court. The
defense attorneys expressed urgent concern over their clients'
failing health after two and a half months of an ongoing hunger
strike. Most of the approximately 500 detainees held at the
U.S. naval base have never been charged with a crime.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA OFFICE
City Officials in Santa Cruz, CA have approved a measure to
create an office to regulate medical marijuana distribution
to city residents with a doctor's prescription. Vinny Lombardo
reports.
Recognizing marijuana's therapeutic value, the Santa Cruz
City Council voted this week to establish the Office of Compassionate
Use. The new office will consist of a five-member advisory
board that will coordinate medical marijuana distribution
within the city. Local and federal authorities have been wrestling
over its legal status of medical marijuana since California
voters passed Proposition 215 nine years ago. Prop 215 permits
marijuana use by chronically ill patients, provided they have
a doctor's prescription. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court decided
the federal government can still arrest and prosecute patients
for marijuana possession. Santa Cruz is the first city in
the U.S. to propose a medical marijuana dispensary. Vinny
Lombardo. FSRN. Santa Cruz.
DELPHI VS. UAW
The United Auto Workers union is facing it's most serious
challenge in decades. Doug Cunningham has the story.
Delphi - the largest U.S. auto parts supplier -is demanding
harsh wage and benefit cuts it's demanding of United Auto
Workers members in bankruptcy proceedings. Delphi's proposal
slashes wages by more than 60 percent to as low as $9.50 an
hour. Cuts in health benefits will amount to thousands of
dollars a year per family. UAW Local 292 in Indiana says it's
a ridiculous demand that no UAW leader or member could agree
to. City University of New York Professor Stanley Aronowitz
says this is a serious assault on wages and benefits built
up in U.S. manufacturing over decades of hard struggle by
workers and their unions.
(Aronowitz ) : "They're filing for bankruptcy primarily
to break the back of the union and to subordinate the workers
to a starvation wage."
Aronowitz says the UAW has the strength to fight but it's
not clear right now what the UAW leadership will do.
(Aronowitz 2) : "The problem is not whether they're stronger
or weaker in terms of numbers or whether they have the money
or whether they have the membership. They have all of the
above. The problem is whether they have the political and
the labor will to make the fight." Delphi wants an answer
from the UAW by December.
[top]
Harriet Miers Withdraws Nomination (3:24)
It’s a major victory for religious conservatives today
as Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to the Supreme Court.
In a letter to the President, Miers said she feared that her
nomination would be a burden to the White House as she expected
the Senate Judiciary Committee to continue requesting documents
that the President has refused to hand over. But, as Mitch
Jeserich reports, many believe Miers’ move was due to
the far right’s strength.
[top]
Hurricane Victims Denied Federal Assistance Due to
Past Drug Convictions (3:14)
Despite receiving short-term aid from FEMA and private organizations,
thousands of hurricane victims from the Gulf Coast are being
denied public assistance like food stamps or housing, since
Federal law prohibits individuals with past drug convictions
from receiving public benefits. Legislation introduced on
Capitol Hill today would change that, temporarily allowing
victims of Katrina and Rita to receive benefits from federal
programs. Darby Hickey reports from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Evicting New Orleans Residents (2:15)
As Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco's emergency freeze
on evictions in the New Orleans area was lifted this week,
landlords throughout New Orleans have begun to serve notices
to thousands of tenants. Jenka Soderberg reports from New
Orleans
[top]
Cancer Malignancies in Iraq (1:40)
At least one Iraqi civilian was killed and several others
were wounded, and at least 3 US troops were killed and three
were injured as roadside, car bombs and gun fire continue
in Baghdad. The presence of US armed forces in Iraq is at
an all time high of 161,000 as the country heads for elections
in December. Meanwhile, medical assistance to those Iraqis
affected by cancer malignancies appears to be increasing and
ongoing violence and security issues hampers their ability
to get the treatment they need. FSRN’s Salam Talib spoke
with Dr. Sadik Al Amash, a pediatrician who works at Baghdad’s
only radiology center, who addressed some of the major problems
he encounters as a doctor.
[top]
Ireland’s New Immigration Policies under Fire
(2:57)
Despite widespread criticism and protest Ireland deported
50 asylum seekers last week, after having refused their refugee
status. This was the fourth and largest mass deportation held
this year, and 3 people were arrested while protesting them.
Deportations and accusations of police overreaction towards
protestors brought another demonstration outside the National
Immigration Bureau today. FSRN's Maeve Conran was there and
files this report.
[top]
Demonstration in San Diego for Over 2,000 US Soldiers
Dead in Iraq (2:37)
More than 100,000 people gathered at over 1,300 candlelight
vigils in all 50 states and DC last night to honor the 2,001
US troops who have lost their lives so far in Iraq. More than
10% of the American casualties come from California. In San
Diego, about 100 people came together to remember those who
gave their lives and to call for the end to the war. Miles
Ashdown has more from the streets of San Diego.
[top]
Some Local Residents Attempting to Block Opening
of Latino Supermarket (2:14)
Some residents of Valencia, a suburb north of Los Angeles,
are seeking to block plans to replace an abandoned Albertson’s
grocery store with a popular Latino market. From KPFK in Los
Angeles, FSRN’s Leilani Albano reports.
[top]
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