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> Fri., Mar. 17, 2006
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Today's lead stories:
Other Massive Offensive Likely in Iraq
Kurdish Ceremony in Iraq Turns Violent
Thousands Likely to Participate in Anti-War Rallies Tomorrow
Nancy Pelosi Asks for Special Envoys to Sudan to Install Peace
in Darfur
The Future of Blue Gold Debated in Mexico City
Maoist Rebels Block Nepal’s Capital
Call for Independent Review of New Orleans Police Department
FSRN Headlines
UN: Milosovic Not Murdered
UN Officials said today that former Yogoslav President Slobodon
Milosovic was not poisoned. This comes just a day before his
funeral in Serbia. Jackson Allers has more from Montenegro.
In a press conference earlier today, UN officials at The
Hague said that toxicological reports released on Friday gave
no indication that the former Yugoslav leader had been poisoned
prior to his death. The President of the UN War crimes tribunal,
Fausto Pocar, said that there were no traces of a pharmaceutical
drug that might have counteracted the former president's hypertension
medication, as one Dutch toxicologist had suggested. A forensic
expert sent by the Russian government confirmed the findings
of a UN autopsy report that said Milosevic died of heart failure.
The forensic expert said, however, that his death could have
been prevented. Milosevic was on trial for more than 60 counts
of war crimes and genocide. Prosecutors at the International
Criminal Court contend he played the central role in the deaths
of more than 100,000 people in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo.
It is unclear whether Milosevic's wife, Mira Markovic, will
attend the funeral on Saturday. Markovic is wanted on fraud
charges in Serbia, but Serbian officials have lifted the arrest
warrant so that she may attend the funeral. Milosevic's body
has been lying in wake at the Museum of Yugoslav history.
Speaking on b-92 television in Serbia this week, the museum's
director, Ljiljana Cetinic, accused the state of perverting
the use of a cultural institution, saying she was not consulted
before the coffin was placed there. The funeral will take
place in the leader's hometown of Pozarevac, in eastern Serbia.
Milosevic's political opponents have organized a demonstration
on Saturday to counter the crowds of people expected to eulogize
the former President.
Fatah Says No to Hamas
A 10 year old Palestinian girls was killed by Israeli army
fire in Nablus today. Meanwhile, after weeks of negotiations,
Fatah, the former ruling Palestinian party of president Mahmoud
Abbas, has decided not to join a future Hamas government.
Laila El-Haddad has more from Gaza.
The decision was made by Fatah's ruling Central Committee
late on Thursday, though a formal announcement has yet to
be made. Hamas officials in Gaza said the decision was regrettable,
adding that they had tried their utmost for four weeks to
reach common ground. Since it came to power through democatic
elections in January, pressure has been mounting on Hamas
by western powers to renounce violence and recognize Israel's
right to exist. The US and EU have vowed to withold financial
aid, its members have been barred from traveling by Israel,
and Gaza's commercial crossings have been shut down as punitive
measures. The group's leaders say they are ready to do so
once Israel is asked to recognize Palestinian rights. They
are slated to present their new cabinet to President Abbas
on Saturday and bring it to the Palestinian parliament for
approval Monday. The group held last-ditch talks on Thursday
with smaller parliamentary factions and independents, including
the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Hamas officials
said they were still hoping the factions would agree to join
their new government, despite purported US pressure on them
not to do so.
Free Trade Protests End in Equator
Protests by Equator's indigenous people against a proposed
free trade deal with the United States has ended. For the
past few days protesters have blocked roads and burned tires
as they said a free trade deal would be a deathblow to their
way of life. They say there will be even larger demonstrations
nationwide if the government signs the deal.
Environmentalists Oppose Bush's Nominee
Environmental groups have announced their opposition to President
Bush's nominee to head the dept of the interior. Jenny Johnson
reports from Washington
IDAHO GOVERNOR DIRK KEMPTHORNE'S NOMINATION AS SECRETARY
OF THE INTERIOR ADDS TO HIS LEGAL HISTORY WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
AS GOVERNOR, HE SUED THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT IN 2000 OVER
A GRIZZLY BEAR RECOVERY PROJECT. THE REINTRODUCTION PLAN WAS
AUTHORIZED UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT. BUT KEMPTHORNE
SAID THE BEARS WERE TOO DANGEROUS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
WAS SUBVERTING STATE AUTHORITY OVER WILDLIFE. THE PUBLIC INTEREST
LAW FIRM EARTH JUSTICE SAID KEMPTHORNE IS "OPENLY HOSTILE
TO AMERICA'S NATURAL AREAS" AND THAT HE IS "CUT
FROM THE SAME CLOTH" AS THE PREVIOUS SECRETARY, GALE
NORTON. THE NOMINATION COMES AT THE SAME TIME THE ENDANGERED
SPECIES ACT IS UNDERGOING REVISIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
IF APPROVED, KEMPTHORNE WOULD BEGIN MANAGING THE NATIONAL
PARK SYSTEM AND WILDLIFE REFUGES.
Indian Police Kill Kashmiri Separatists
Four alleged Kashmiri separatists were killed by Indian police
after a gun battle in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad.
Binu Alex reports.
Four men identified by the police as members of the Kashmiri
separatists Harkat-ul-Mujahideen were shot dead early this
morning in a suburban area of Ahmedabad. The police say two
of those killed were of Pakistani origin and implicated them
to recent attacks. According to the police the four members
began to fire after they were asked to surrender. The police
killed all four. The police actions however are raising serious
questions as the neighbors of the four men say they never
saw any living in the area. Police , however claim they recovered
arms, ammunitions, equipment to make detonators and a plastic
bag containing explosives, which had the words 'Mission Kashmir'
written on it.
Pardoning Anti-Segregationists
And finally, a measure in Alabama's state legislature would
pardon every single person who violated segregation laws over
the past 100 years. The measure gained traction after the
death of Rosa Parks, who's conviction for not giving up her
seat in 1955 is still on the record. Alabama has ten days
to approve the bill.
[top]
Other Massive Offensive Likely in Iraq
(0:16)
As the third anniversary of the beginning of the war in
Iraq approaches, the US military continues its massive offensive
in the city of Samarra, long considered an insurgent stronghold.
Lieutenant General Peter Chiarelli says that we’re likely
to see many more such offensives in the months to come.
[top]
Kurdish Ceremony in Iraq Turns Violent (1:43)
As the offensive continues in Samarra, demonstrations in
the normally peaceful Kurdish region turned violent during
a ceremony to mark one of the atrocities committed by Saddam
Hussein's government. David Enders files this report from
Halabja, in northern Iraq.
[top]
Thousands Likely to Participate in Anti-War Rallies
Tomorrow (2:16)
Thousands of people are expected to rally and march tomorrow
to commemorate the start of the invasion of Iraq, in over
500 places around the country. Act Now to Stop War and End
Racism, or ANSWER, initiated the event, and about 10 other
organizations have joined as co-sponsors. Muna Coobtee is
the spokesperson for ANSWER LA, she spoke on the KPFK morning
show, Uprising, about the need for people to come out to the
streets for their first or hundredth time.
[top]
Nancy Pelosi Asks for Special Envoys to Sudan to
Install Peace in Darfur (3:57)
Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi is urging President
Bush to a appoint Special Envoy to Sudan to install peace
in Darfur – where over 200,000 people have died in a
bloody conflict that began 3 years ago between the government-supported
Janjaweed Militia, mostly made up from the regions’
Arab tribes, and non-Arab residents. As the local and international
effort to scale back the violence in Darfur increases, The
University of California system has decided to divest all
interests from the country, as pressure continues to mount
on Sudan's government to stop the violence. Leigh Ann Caldwell
reports.
[top]
The Future of Blue Gold Debated in Mexico City
(4:26)
The 4th World Water Forum is now underway in Mexico City,
with representatives from over 120 nations attending. Thousands
have registered for the conference, but the $600 registration
fee has left many outside of the "official" debate
over the future of the vital liquid. FSRN’s Shannon
Young reports from Mexico City.
[top]
Maoist Rebels Block Nepal’s Capital (3:25)
Maoist rebels imposed a blockade of Nepal’s capital
and district headquarters this week, as insurgents attempt
to force King Gyanendra to relinquish autocratic control -
but the imposition has been widely criticized for unfairly
affecting the general public more than the royal palace. Although
the timeframe for the blockade was originally indefinite,
Nepals’ political future seems to hinge on the highly
secretive negotiations taking place in New Delhi between an
alliance of the sidelined Nepali political parties and the
Maoist leadership. From Kathmandu, Carey Biron has more.
[top]
Call for Independent Review of New Orleans Police
Department (3:32)
A criminal justice reform group met with the New Orleans
City Council yesterday to call for a sweeping reform of the
city's justice system and to deliver testimony on the need
for such reforms. The focus of the meeting was on the city's
infamously corrupt and violent police force, but included
a scathing critique of the treatment of prisoners during post-Katrina
flooding last September. FSRN’s Christian Roselund has
more from New Orleans.
[top]
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