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> Mon., Mar. 27, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Senate Judiciary Committee Hammering Out New Immigration Bill
La Gran Marcha Makes History in Los Angeles
Watchdog Says New Budget Poses Significant Threats to Environment
Israeli Voters Head to Polls Tomorrow
International Media Team In Second Mission to Nepal
The Battle for New Orleans’s Saint Augustine
FSRN Headlines
ONGOING VIOLENCE IN IRAQ
A suicide bomber detonated explosives in front of a military
base in northern Iraq today, killing some 40 people and injuring
dozens. This comes a day after raid on a Shiite mosque complex
reportedly claimed over 20 lives in Sadr City. Shiite leaders
allege that US and Iraqi forces entered the al-Moustafa mosque
during prayers on Sunday and shot unarmed worshippers. US
authorities deny storming the mosque, but have said that 16
insurgents were killed and others captured in a joint military
operation in the area. Baghdad's governor today cited the
alleged attack on the mosque as his reason for suspending
ties with US officials.
NIGERIA WILLING TO HAND OVER CHARLES TAYLOR
Nigeria has agreed to hand over former Liberian leader Charles
Taylor to the Liberian government so he can face trial at
a United Nations War Crimes Tribunal. Sam Olukoya reports
from Lagos.
The United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone says
Charles Taylor is criminally responsible for the murder, rape,
maiming and mutilation of more than half a million Sierra
Leoneans. This is on account of his support for the Revolutionary
United Front rebels, who were responsible for a 10-year brutal
war in Sierra Leone. Each of the 17-count charges the former
Liberian leader faces carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
But in spite of his indictment for war crimes, it had been
impossible to try Taylor because of the asylum Nigeria granted
him in 2003 after he was forced out of power. Even after agreeing
to revoke his asylum, Nigeria is locked in a dispute with
Liberia on the best way to hand Taylor over to the war crimes
tribunal. While the Liberian government wants Nigeria to hand
him directly to the war crimes tribunal, Nigeria says only
Liberian officials will be allowed to take Taylor out of Nigeria.
For Free Speech Radio News, this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
MOUSSAOUI DECLARATIONS
In courtroom testimony today, confessed Al-Qaida member, Zacarias
Moussaoui, said that he was part of a plot to fly a fifth
airplane into the White House on Sept. 11, 2001. Moussaoui
says he lied to FBI agents when arrested 3 weeks before the
attacks in order to watch the plan unfold. Federal prosecutors
are requesting the death penalty.
PRISON UNREST IN GEORGIA
Seven inmates are dead after an operation to put down an attempted
jailbreak in Georgia. Deborah Wild reports from Tbilisi.
The special operation lasted 2 hours and left 22 inmates
and 2 policemen hospitalized. Remaining inmates have to be
transferred to other detention centers as parts of the prison
have been destroyed. According to the authorities, similar
riots and jailbreaks were planned in other facilities around
the country. Information of such plans in the form of video
tapes reached police two days ago, leading critics to question
why the revolt was not prevented. The opposition and human
rights groups are demanding an investigation and have condemned
what they see as excessive use of police force. Today's event
is only the latest incident in a series of prison revolts
that started in December and led to the dismissal of the Justice
Minister and Head of Penitentiary. Relatives of prisoners
and human rights groups cite bad prison conditions and alleged
frequent abuse by officials as possible reasons for the repeated
incidents of unrest. The government argues that the revolts
are the result of criminal gangs fighting the ongoing penitentiary
reforms. It has announced a policy of zero tolerance even
against petty crime, a step which will cause a new flow of
inmates into an already overcrowded prison system. For Free
Speech Radio News, I'm Deborah Wild in Tbilisi, Georgia.
BOTNIA SUSPENDS CONSTRUCTION OF PULP MILL IN URUGUAY
One of two companies behind controversial paper pulp mills
in Uruguay has announced the temporary suspension of the construction
of their plant in the border region with Argentina. Asli Pelit
reports from Montevideo.
The construction of two paper pulp mills has led to a diplomatic
rift between Uruguay and Argentina. Botnia, a Finnish company
behind one of the mills, has announced a 90-day suspension
in the factory's construction in order to permit a more extensive
environmental impact study. Argentina's ambassador in Uruguay
today called Botnia's decision a "step toward the return
of harmony" between the two nations. Argentines who live
across the river from the construction site, have been protesting
for months, blocking several bridges that connect the two
countries. They stopped their blockades last week; after the
presidents of Uruguay and Argentina said they were "willing
to discuss" environmental concerns about the mills. The
Uruguayan government defends the project, calling it the most
important industrial investment in the country's history.
Construction of a second factory in the area, by Spanish firm
Ence, continues as planned. For FSRN, I'm Asli Pelit in Montevideo.
[top]
Senate Judiciary Committee Hammering Out New Immigration
Bill (3:47)
In Washington, The Senate Judiciary Committee is attempting
to hammer out a compromise on the legal status of undocumented
immigrants residing in the United States, as part of pending
immigration legislation. The Committee has already voted to
drop provisions that would subject people who provide aid
and assistance to undocumented immigrants to criminal prosecution.
That vote was a crucial one for immigrant advocates, and comes
on the day before the Committee has to construct its final
proposal for the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist reaffirmed his commitment that he will take the legislation
up tomorrow. Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
La Gran Marcha Makes History in Los Angeles
(4:04)
In the lead up to a crucial week for immigration legislation
being crafted in the Senate, millions of immigrant rights
advocates rallied across the country, from Wisconsin, to Georgia,
Arizona and beyond. In California, over half-a-million people
made history this weekend, when they took to the streets of
downtown LA, to demonstrate against HR4437, the House version
of a bill, which opponents say is racist and would criminalize
undocumented people. Despite the massive turnout, not one
arrest was made, and organizers hope the message is clear
that immigrant rights advocates will not stand for the legislation.
[top]
Watchdog Says New Budget Poses Significant Threats
to Environment (2:19)
A network of groups from around the nation, called the Alliance
for Nuclear Accountability, which advocates for nuclear non-proliferation
and waste cleanup, is calling on Congress to reject nuclear
funding provisions in President Bush's 2007 budget proposal.
In a briefing at Capitol Hill this morning, leaders from the
organization say the budget plan would pose significant threats
to the environment, national security and non-proliferation.
FSRN’s Yanmei Xie has more in Washington DC.
[top]
Israeli Voters Head to Polls Tomorrow (3:37)
Israelis go to the polls tomorrow, in what is being described
as the most significant election in years. Kadima, the centrist
part set up by Ariel Sharon before he suffered a stroke in
January, remains in the lead. The party is promising unilateral
withdrawals from the West Bank – without negotiating
the terms with the Palestinians. Political analysts say that
the emergence of a strong centrist party is a revolution in
Israeli politics, ending years of see-sawing between the left
and the right. Irris Makler reports from Jerusalem.
[top]
International Media Team In Second Mission to Nepal
(2:52)
An international media team is currently on a fact finding
and solidarity mission to Nepal, where local media has been
in crisis since last year, when King Gyanendra dissolved the
parliament and declared a state of emergency. Although the
state of emergency has been formally lifted, Nepalese media
continues to be the target of government repression. PC Dubey
reports from Kathmandu, where their struggle to win back freedom
of the press and human rights has been bolstered by the international
media’s second visit to the country this year.
[top]
The Battle for New Orleans’s Saint Augustine
(2:41)
Protestors drove out a priest who had taken over control
of an historic African-American church in New Orleans during
his first mass on Sunday. Yesterday's confrontation is the
latest development in the twelve-day occupation of St. Augustine's
church by parishioners and their supporters who defy the closing
of the parish by regional church authorities. FSRN’s
Christian Roselund has more from New Orleans.
[top]
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