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> Wed., Nov. 16, 2005
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Today's lead stories:
World Summit on the Information Society Kicks of In Tunis
Low Tech Solutions for Rural Communities
Political Aftershock of Growing Demand for an Independent
Kashmir
Youth Used as Human Shields by Indian Army Killed in Search
Operation
Indigenous People Occupy Land in Southwestern Colombia
The Aftermath of the Amman Bombings
FSRN Headlines
ENERGY TASK FORCE
A White House document obtained by the Washington Post shows
that executives from big oil companies met with the Vice President's
energy task force in 2001 -- a claim denied by industry officials
testifying last week before Congress. Anastasia Gnezditskaia
reports from Washington DC.
President Bush appointed Vice President Dick Cheney to lead
the Energy Task Force created for the purpose of crafting
a national energy policy. In a joint hearing last week of
the Senate Energy and Commerce committees, the chief executives
of Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips said their firms
did not participate in the task force. The task force's activities
drew allegations by environmentalists, who said they were
shut out of the task force discussions while corporate interests
were present. The meetings were held in secret, and the White
House would not release a list of participants. Dave Willitt,
National Press Secretary of the Sierra Club: [SOUND Willitt
00:25] "The actual operations and the writing of the
document were done by the lower level staff. These oil company
executives didn't actually meet with the official task force,
but they definitely met with the staff. So they clearly had
an impact on the policies that the energy task force ended
up putting out. What is clear is that the oil companies and
the White House went to great lengths to try to cover up this
information." The executives were not under oath when
they testified before Congress last week and are, therefore,
not vulnerable to charges of perjury. But a person can be
fined or imprisoned for up to five years for making "any
materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or representation"
to Congress. For Free Speech Radio News, I am Anastasia Gnezditskaia
in Washington, DC
TIME LINE FOR UK WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ
The Iraqi and British governments are expected to publish
a joint statement this week describing plans for an exit strategy
for British troops in Iraq. From London, Naomi Fowler reports.
Speculation about dates for troop withdrawal grew after Iraqi
President Jalal Talabani publicly stated last week that foreign
troops could withdraw from Iraqi territory by the end of next
year. An Iraqi/British statement is expected to say that preparations
for a phased withdrawal are at an advanced stage. However,
British ministers have made it clear that Britain will not
be withdrawing their 8,500 troops from Iraq without US agreement.
British military personnel have confirmed today that May next
year is the date being discussed for withdrawal. Britain's
ongoing military commitments mean May's also the month when
4,000 British troops are due to be deployed to Afghanistan
to take over from US troops. This is Naomi Fowler in London
for Free Speech Radio News.
LIBERIAN ELECTION UPDATE
Liberian presidential contender George Weah submitted a formal
complaint to Liberia's National Electoral Commission today.
The former soccer star is alleging that widespread fraud occurred
in the recent run-off that pitted him against ex-World Bank
economist Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Although official results
are still pending, all of the votes have been counted and
indicate that Johnson-Sirleaf will be Liberia's next president.
The potential for unrest stemming from the allegations of
fraud PROMPTED the government of Liberia to ban all street
demonstrations as of last night.
MCI BOYCOTT
In New York families with loved ones in State prisons are
staging a boycott of MCI for the cost of prison-based phone
services. They SAY the average phone call is marked up BY
630%. Rebecca Myles has more.
At a rally in New York today, families and advocates marched
to the third avenue office of New York Governor, George Pataki
to protest the high cost of phone calls from state prisons.
Families, lawyers, and religious counselors are for one day
boycotting MCI. They say outgoing calls from prisons must
be made collect and that MCI is the only available service.
MCI charges $3 to initiate a call and 16c per minute. The
average prison phone call is billed at 19 minutes, costing
just over $6 - a mark up of 630% over consumer rates. The
Department of Correction Services reportedly receives a 57.5
percent kickback on MCI's profits; estimated at $20 million
a year. Although DCS uses the funds for prisoner's health
care, families feel they are being extorted. A family members'
phone bill frequently runs to $400 a month and many of these
families are low-income. This isn't the first time MCI has
been criticized for how it operates its prison phone business.
In Florida, the company was fined $10,000 in 1997 and ordered
to pay more than $190,000 into a prisoners' rights fund when
authorities caught the company overcharging inmate families.
And complaints from inmate families in Virginia led to renegotiation
of the state's contract with MCI to lower its surcharge. New
York prison families warn they will continue to publicly pressure
Governor George Pataki on the issue. For FSRN I am Rebecca
Myles.
FBI TO PAY SETTLEMENT
The FBI has agreed to settle with a falsely accused environmental
activist for $100,000 and a letter of apology. Kelly Barnes
reports from KPFK.
Environmental activist Josh Connole was placed on surveillance
after a neighbor placed an anonymous phone call to the FBI
in the wake of a highly publicized crime spree. Connole spent
four days in jail, often chained to the floor, and was repeatedly
urged by FBI agents to confess to the multi-million dollar
vandalism and arson spree on SUVs at four Los Angeles-area
car dealerships in August 2003. Connole's attorney, Bill Paparian,
characterized those leading the investigation as rogue FBI
agents. The U.S. prosecutor on the case repeatedly argued
that the agents did not have probable cause to arrest Connole.
The anonymous caller who originally reported Connole said
that young people living in the environmental co-op in Pomona
did not appear to have jobs, and their cars had environmental
bumper stickers. The prosecuting attorney, Beverly Reed O'Connell,
later became the star witness for the defense. The FBI has
agreed to pay Connole a $100,000 settlement. In Los Angeles,
I'm Kelly Barnes for FSRN and the People without Borders Collective.
[top]
World Summit on the Information Society Kicks of
In Tunis (1:25)
The World Summit on the Information Society kicked off in
Tunis today, after negotiators from over 100 countries agreed
to leave the US in charge of the internet’s addressing
system. Both Iran and China are demanding the UN form a group
that would oversee the internet, but the US is arguing against
it, saying such a move would increase censorship and suppress
creativity. The EU, meanwhile, is asking for an international
forum to discuss not who, exactly, runs the internet- but
how it should be run. While the UN-sponsored conference on
the future of digital technology continues, human rights activists
are is using the opportunity to bring attention to the country’s
intolerance of political dissent. Elizabeth Robinson has more.
[top]
Low Tech Solutions for Rural Communities (2:04)
The first phase of the 2003 Information Summit created a
Declaration of Principle and a Plan of Action. At the second
phase, scheduled to end on Friday, the goal is to set implementation
targets, and to agree on unfinished business of the issues
of Internet governance and financing mechanisms. But while
debate and criticism over world standards on Internet governance
take center stage, people in poor and rural areas are focusing
on more immediately accessible forms of media and communication.
Grace Owali is the coordinator of development support communication
for rural women in Zambia. The former agriculturalist now
works with Zambian government radio to get information to
and from rural women. According to Owali, low-tech solutions
serve the immediate needs of women living in areas without
high-tech infrastructure.
[top]
Political Aftershock of Growing Demand for an Independent
Kashmir (4:08)
To the anger of Pakistan’s military establishment
hardliners, the country’s President, General Pervaiz
Musharraf, is dropping hints about the emergence of an independent
Kashmir. Musharraf has proposed to open the ceasefire border
with India, also known as the line of control, and to pull
back military forces from the Pakistani side of Kashmir as
a result of strong political will in Islamabad. Meanwhile,
US involvement in the reconstruction of earthquake-hit Kashmiri
areas is viewed by many as the preparation for the colonization
of the strategically-located Kashmiri region. FSRN’s
Masror Hussain reports from Islamabad.
[top]
Youth Used as Human Shields by Indian Army Killed
in Search Operation (3:18)
Four people were killed and about 50 injured in a powerful
car bomb blast in Srinagar in Indian administered Kashmir
Wednesday. The attack was aimed at the vehicle of a former
state minister Usman Majid, who was also injured in the blast.
The blast came a day after suspected guerillas lobbed a grenade
at a political rally in another town killing 3 people. Violence
and human rights violations continue in the state, despite
the devastation the killer quake left behind last month, and
the Indo-Pak peace process. In another incident, residents
of a village in Indian administered Kashmir allege two youth
from the area were killed while being used as human shields
by the Indian army during a search operation. FSRN’s
Shahnawaz Khan reports.
[top]
Indigenous People Occupy Land in Southwestern Colombia
(3:42)
Hundreds of Indigenous people occupying a hacienda in southwestern
Colombia have been surrounded by police sent to forcibly evict
them from the land. Eviction attempts thus far have resulted
in 100 injuries and one death. FSRN’s Vladimir Flores
spoke with some members of the land occupation.
[top]
The Aftermath of the Amman Bombings (2:59)
King Abdullah of Jordan has dismissed his royal court chief
and named a new national security adviser following last week's
suicide bombings in Amman. New Security Chief Maaruf Bakhit
was formerly Jordan's ambassador to Israel. Nine of the king's
advisers have also resigned. And, as Oula Farawati reports
from Amman, although officials said the shake-up was planned
and not linked to the blasts that left more than 60 dead,
many link it to the bombings that shocked the social and political
scene.
[top]
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