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> Wed., Feb. 15, 2006
FSRN
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Today's lead stories:
Feingold Attempts to Block Patriot Act
Rangel Re-Introduces Draft Legislation
DHS Budget to Increase Despite Hurricane Katrina Response
Failure
Undocumented Immigrants in New Orleans Build Relationships
with Small Contractors
São Paulo’s MSTC Garnering Public Attention to
Housing Crisis
South African Shack Dwellers Protest Lack of Service Deliveries
FSRN Headlines
GRAPHIC IMAGES FROM ABU GHRAIB BROADCAST IN AUSTRALIA
Australia's SBS television channel today broadcast graphic
and disturbing footage of apparent abuse of Iraqi detainees
by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison. The footage includes
images that were reportedly viewed by US lawmakers in 2004,
but prevented from public release by a court battle. The Australian
broadcaster says it is confidant of the authenticity of the
footage. This comes just days after the release of a video
showing British soldiers beating boys thought to be civilians
from southern Iraq.
ELECTION REVIEW IN HAITI
In Haiti, controversy surrounding last week's presidential
election has escalated with the discovery of marked ballots
in a state-run garbage dump. In the first days after the election,
front-runner Rene Preval held a strong lead with at least
60% of the vote. Preval and his supporters made allegations
of fraud after his lead dipped to below the 50%-plus-one margin
needed to avoid a run-off. Even the contested official vote
count shows the second place candidate trailing by 37 percent.
The vote count has now stopped and Haiti's interim government
has promised an investigation into the fraud allegations.
CONTROVERSIAL WARSHIP ORDERED BACK TO FRANCE
French president Jacques Chirac has ordered the aircraft-carrier
Clémenceau to return to France, after a long campaign
to stop it being broken up in India. Ecology campaigners claim
that the ship is lined with hundreds of tonnes of asbestos
which would endanger the lives of shipyard workers. Tony Cross
reports from Paris.
Chirac ordered the Clémenceau to return home just
minutes after the country's highest court, the Council of
State, suspended the ship's journey. It will be the end of
a year and a half on the high seas, during which green campaigners
have boarded the vessel and courts of law have wrangled over
whether it can dock in the Indian port of Alang. Greenpeace
representative, Pascal Hufting, says it's a victory for civil
society and for Indian workers. Chirac has ordered the ship
to be examined to check claims that officials overstated the
amount of asbestos removed before the ship left. And he's
called for Europe, which doesn't have any yards big enough
to tackle the Clémenceau, to expand its capacity for
clearing toxic material. The president took personal control
of the dossier yesterday, ahead of a visit to India on Sunday
and Monday, during which he hopes to discuss co-operation
on nuclear power and defence. Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi company
today announced that it has bought the French ship, Norway,
with a view to dismantling it ... the Norway also contains
asbestos. For FSRN, I'm Tony Cross in Paris.
ABESTOS BILL FAILS IN THE SENATE
In Washington, a contentious bill that would have created
a 140 billion dollar trust fund for asbestos victims has failed
in the Senate due to a procedural vote. Supporting Senators
say the bill is far from dead and could be revisited in coming
weeks. The bill will now go back to the Judiciary Committee,
where it was created. No asbestos reform bill has managed
to pass Congress for two decades.
NY STATE VS. THE EPA
New York State has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental
Protection Agency over its refusal to provide records on what
ingredients of household and industrial products might contribute
to air pollution. Rebecca Myles has the story.
The lawsuit filed yesterday by New York State, on behalf
of the Department of Environmental Conservation, came after
a two-year battle with EPA to obtain records about the chemical
compounds in household products and paints. The suit claims
the EPA has violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing
to provide the information to state officials who need the
records to come up with a plan to comply with the Clean Air
Act. According to the lawsuit, paint and household manufacturers
claim information about potential pollutants are proprietary
trade secrets...but records received by the State show that
paint producers have paid to bypass certain federal regulations.
New York's Attorney General, Elliot Spitzer, said about the
lawsuit, "the EPA has no grounds on which to deny such
a request and is entitled to this critical information...to
preserve public health." The Environmental Protection
Agency was created in 1970 to protect human health and the
environment. For FSRN, I am Rebecca Myles reporting from New
York.
KASHMIR TALKS IN DEHLI
Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has invited Kashmiri
Separatist leader, Yasin Malik, for talks on Feb 17. Shanawaz
Khan has more.
Accepting the invite for talks, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation
Front Chairman, Yasin Malik, today said he and JKLF General
Secretary, Ghualm Rasool Eidi, will meet with Indian Prime
Minister, Manmohan Singh, on Friday. Malik is the second leader
outside the separatist, Hurriyat Conference alliance to be
called for talks by the Indian Prime minister. Malik, however,
said he was going for consultations with the Indian Prime
Minister and not for a dialogue. The JKLF leader criticized
past talks between various Kashmirs Separatists and New Delhi
as photo ops, rather than sincere inclusion in the decision-making
process.
[top]
Feingold Attempts to Block Patriot Act (3:40)
Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin is blocking all progress
on The Patriot Act, which is supposed to be taken up by the
Senate today. Feingold is in staunch opposition to the Act,
because he says it violates basic civil liberties. Leigh Ann
Caldwell has more from Capitol Hill.
[top]
Rangel Re-Introduces Draft Legislation (1:42)
House Representative Charles Rangel has submitted a bill
calling to re-institute the military draft. Rangel says that
he is not optimistic that the bill will pass, but that he
has submitted it to illustrate the sacrifice that low-in!
come soldiers are making on the war’s front lines.
[top]
DHS Budget to Increase Despite Hurricane Katrina
Response Failure (3:09)
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security took up its twentieth
hearing today, grilling Department of Homeland Security Secretary
Michael Chertoff about the federal government's response to
Hurricane Katrina. Despite bipartisan criticism of the response,
the Department, which includes FEMA, is one of only two federal
Departments receiving an increase to its budget this year.
Darby Hickey has more from DC.
[top]
Undocumented Immigrants in New Orleans Build Relationships
with Small Contractors (2:59)
While there is no way to determine exact numbers, both documented
and undocumented Latino immigrants, are heading to New Orleans
for work. Although reports have highlighted abhorrent work
conditions and lack of pay, new developments indicate some
improvements in both working and living conditions, largely
due to a budding cooperative relationship with smaller contractors.
FSRN’s Rachel Clarke has more.
[top]
São Paulo’s MSTC Garnering Public Attention
to Housing Crisis (4:02)
Homeless movements in Brazil are growing, largely due to
the housing crisis. Groups take over empty buildings and land,
and condemn the lack of housing programs. The Downtown Homeless
Movement, or MSTC, of São Paulo has organized mass
demonstrations to preserve the largest high-rise building
occupation in Latin America, called Prestes Maia. FSRN’s
Natalia Viana has the story.
[top]
South African Shack Dwellers Protest Lack of Service
Deliveries (4:31)
As South Africa gears up for next month’s municipal
elect! ions, organized shack dwellers have been mobilizing
to protest the lack of service deliveries in their communities.
FSRN’s Na'eem Jeenah has more.
[top]
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