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> Fri., Oct. 28, 2005
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Lewis Scooter Libby Indicted
Attack on Organic Standards in Congress
Wilma’s Impact on Cuba
Immokalee Workers Affected by Wilma
African-American Employment in New Orleans
Nuclear Waste on Indigenous Lands in Australia
FSRN Headlines
TEHRAN RALLY
Iran's controversial president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended
a massive demonstration in Tehran today. The anti-Israel march
has become an annual event in Tehran to mark the final Friday
of Ramadan. Ahmadinejad drew worldwide criticism for his statement
this week that Israel should be "wiped off the map".
This year's rally reportedly drew between 200 thousand and
one million people.
FRESH VIOLENCE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
A member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade died today during
an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip. This is the latest
fatality registered in a particularly tense and violent week
in the region. At least seven Palestinians were killed overnight
as Israel continues to respond to Wednesday's suicide bombing.
Manar Jibrin has the latest.
Israeli tanks and troops are gathering along the northern
and southern borders with the Gaza Strip in what appears to
be preparations for a possible land invasion. Meanwhile, thousands
of Palestinians today attended a funeral procession for seven
Palestinians killed yesterday afternoon in the northern Gaza
Strip by an Israeli missile. Israeli soldiers arrested twelve
Islamic Jihad, Hamas, and Fattah activists during sweeps in
the West Bank yesterday. Israel has begun to restrict the
movement of West Bank residents by installing road blocks
that separate the northern part of the West Bank from the
rest of the territory. The Israeli Air Force fired two missiles
into the northern Gaza Strip Friday morning after Palestinian
resistance fighters fired three home made Qassam shells into
Israel. No casualties were reported in either incident. After
a period of relative calm, Hamas has announced that in the
wake of Thursday's missile attack, it will no longer commit
to a cease-fire.
AID WORKERS ATTACKED IN UGANDA
Humanitarian aid agencies operating in northern Uganda have
suspended operations after three separate attacks by suspected
LRA rebels. Joshua Kyalimpa reports from Kampala.
LRA rebels shot dead Mr Balam Bongonyinge of Acord and seriously
injured three others outside of the town of Pader on Wednesday.
A staff member of a Catholic NGO, Caritas, was killed on the
Kitgum-Mucwini Road later that same day. This comes after
two Christian Children's Fund workers were wounded in Tuesday
attack. These incidents have prompted AID Agencies like Oxfam,
Medicines Sans Frontiers - Holland, and the Christian Children's
Fund to pull out of the Kitgum district in Northern Uganda.
The United Nations has suspended non-essential field visits
until further notice. The suspension is likely to have far
reaching consequences since northern and much of rural Uganda
depend on aid agencies for social services and other community
development programmes. Aid agencies have formed the backbone
of humanitarian assistance to thousands of people living in
internally displaced people's camps. The International Criminal
Court issued arrest warrants earlier this months for LRA rebel
chief Joseph Kony and four of his top commanders for crimes
against humanity. Joshua Kyalimpa FSRN Kampala, Uganda
FRANCE TO INVESTIGATE IVORIAN DEATH
France has promised a full investigation into last May's killing
of a civilian by French soldiers during unrest in one of its
former colonies. This after a Paris-based magazine accused
the military of a cover-up. Tony Cross reports from Paris.
French prime minister Dominique de Villepin yesterday promised
a criminal enquiry into the killing of an Ivorian man by French
troops in a buffer zone between the government-held south
and the rebel-held north. The Ivorian man was reportedly the
leader of a highway gang. But that only comes after Le Point
Magazine claimed that the man was killed by suffocation by
a plastic bag - a claim which sources in the Defence Ministry
have confirmed - and that higher officers ordered a cover-up.
Last week the Defence Ministry for the first time admitted
that the French soldiers weren't acting in self-defence, as
had been previously claimed. And General Henri Poncet, who
was in charge of the operation, was suspended, along with
two other officers. The troops were supposed to be there as
peace-keepers in the former colony ... a role which led to
anti-French riots there last November, after French soldiers
destroyed the small Ivorian air-force in reprisal for an earlier
attack. Foreign embassies in Ivory Coast are warning of the
potential for more unrest on Sunday. Elections scheduled for
the weekend have been called off because of disagreements
among the country's armed factions. For FSRN, I'm Tony Cross
in Paris.
STRIKE IN NEPAL
Residents of Kathmandu observed a one-day strike today in
protest of heavy restrictions imposed on the media in Nepal.
A law that took effect on October 9th bans news reports on
most radio stations and criminalizes criticism of Nepal's
royal family. Nepal's king seized total control of the country's
political system in February and immediately imposed harsh
censorship rules on the news media. Asia director at Human
Rights Watch, Brad Adams, said in a statement today, "Press
freedom in Nepal is moving from endangered to extinct,".
[top]
Lewis Scooter Libby Indicted
Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted on 5 charges
that include lying to federal agents and lying under oath
in the CIA leak investigation. Libby has resigned his position
of Chief of Staff for Vice President Dick Cheney. However,
Libby, who is also considered a main architect of the Iraqi
invasion, was not charged for leaking the identity of a covert
CIA operative. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove
was not indicted; however the Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald
says he is continuing his investigation into the case. Washington
Editor Mitch Jeserich reports.
[top]
Attack on Organic Standards in Congress
The US Congress voted to allow some synthetic materials
to be used in the processing of organic foods, a move that
some activists are calling a sneak attack to weaken organic
standards. A group called The Organic Trade Association, or
OTA, along with food processors such as Kraft and Smucker’s,
have been pushing for the changes that will not allow synthetic
materials to be used in food labeled “USDA Organic”.
Joining us to talk about this amendment is Ronnie Cummins,
National Director of Organic Consumers Association.
[top]
Wilma’s Impact on Cuba
Tropical storm Beta has now become the 23rd storm in a record
season. Beta, is expected to become a Hurricane by the time
it hits Nicaragua, close to the border with Honduras on Sunday.
Villagers along the Nicaraguan coast are evacuating and hospitals
are stocking up on medicines and bracing for another possible
devastating storm this record-breaking season.
Before wreaking havoc in Florida, Hurricane Wilma dealt a
severe blow to Cuba, causing a different kind of harm than
usual to its capital, Havana. FSRN’s Joseph Mutti -
who lives in one of the worst affected areas - explains how
Cuba has reacted to damage to the island that is even more
severe than the famous Storm of the Century in 1993.
[top]
Immokalee Workers Affected by Wilma
Millions of people in South Florida are still without power
due to Hurricane Wilma; President Bush visited the area with
his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush. Jeb is calling on
the public to blame himself, not FEMA, for what many are saying
is a slow response in distributing water and ice. The most
common complaint seems to be lines for gasoline, often stretching
for miles; due to power outages, most gas stations pumps are
not working. But away from Florida's populated coasts, there
has been extensive damage to the area’s agricultural
lands, and Florida's farm worker population may end up suffering
the most. From WMNF radio in Tampa, Andrew Stelzer has the
story.
[top]
African-American Employment in New Orleans
While the rebuilding of New Orleans is costing the government
billions of dollars, few locals- particularly the poorer,
African American residents, are being employees in the process.
Chrisitan Roseland talks with labor and community leades about
why those in need of work in New Orleans are not the ones
getting it.
[top]
Nuclear Waste on Indigenous Lands in Australia
Decades of public education and campaigning about the hazards
of nuclear power and its toxic waste have hampered the development
of this industry in Australia. But now, the Australian federal
government is making renewed efforts to build a waste repository
in central Australia, earmarking several sites close to small
Indigenous communities. As Rachel Maher reports, the selection
of remote desert sites, located far from the populated coastlines,
raises grave concerns about the government’s attitude
to the rights Indigenous people and the value of their lands.
[top]
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