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> Wed., Apr. 5, 2006
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FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Rice Lobbies Congress on India Nuclear Deal
Iraqi Civilians Buy Guns in Record Numbers
Arab - UN Conflict Over Troop in Darfur
Thai Media Pressing for Freedoms
New Orleanians Stage Action to Reclaim Homes
National Camp Out Combats Criminalization of the Homeless
FSRN Headlines
REPORT ON RENDITION FLIGHTS
Amnesty International has released a report today on CIA rendition
flights. The human rights organization is calling for an independent
public inquiry into British involvement. Naomi Fowler reports
from London.
While Amnesty says any illegal activity is by nature, difficult
to track, their report released today has logged more than
200 suspected CIA flights passing through British airports
alone. For the first time, their report shows evidence of
how nearly 1,000 suspected CIA flights have taken place worldwide.
Senior Adviser to Amnesty International Anne Fitzgerald: "The
CIA is sometimes creating fictional front companies that allow
them to use their planes so you know, they have a company
that's called for instance Primer Executive Transport, which
only has two planes, both of which seem to be used exclusively
for CIA business. The company has now disappeared, one of
the planes have been sold off, the other one's been transferred
to another company which also has no address, no premises,
no effective operations, that's one way that the CIA runs
these planes. The other way seems to be to lease them directly
from legitimate commercial transport companies and these are
companies that need to find out what their planes have been
used for." Amnesty International's report also includes
first-hand testimony from three men describing their rendition.
They were held for more than a year in a location unknown
to them. After cross-referencing evidence, Amnesty International
believes the likely location of the prison was in Eastern
Europe. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said there is no
evidence that the Bush administration asked to "render"
detainees through British airports. This is Naomi Fowler in
London for Free Speech Radio News.
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL PASSES
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a massive emergency
supplemental spending package yesterday. The majority of the
nearly $107 billion dollar package will go to fund the ongoing
occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan but includes money slated
for disaster relief at home and abroad, as well as funding
for an assortment of other interests.
BUSH MET BY PROTESTS IN CT
The day after Massachusetts passed a bill requiring health
care coverage for almost all of the state's residents, President
Bush visited neighboring Connecticut to promote his proposal
for health savings accounts. FSRN's Melinda Tuhus reports.
Connecticut is the wealthiest state in the nation, but has
more uninsured residents than many other states. About 200
people came to Bridgeport today to protest Bush's speaking
engagement. They came for many reasons, chiefly to oppose
the war and to call for universal health coverage. Brian Petronella,
president of Local 371 of the United Food and Commercial Workers,
said universal health care is an urgent need. "When we
go to negotiations, they say why should we provide health
care when WalMart is not providing health care for 800,000
of their employees? So, yes, it becomes a problem in negotiations."
Although protesters were kept a block away from the speaking
event, they were able to express their sentiments as Bush's
motorcade passed. For FSRN, I'm Melinda Tuhus in Bridgeport,
CT.
NARMADA DAM HUNGER STRIKE
An indefinite fast by an anti-dam activist in India has entered
it's eighth day. Binu Alex has the story.
The anti-dam activist Medha Patkar's condition worsened today
as her fast entered its eighth day and doctors have warned
that the next 48 hours will be very critical for her. She
is demanding a halt to the construction of the Narmada dam
project. With a height of 122 meters, the proposed dam on
the Narmada river in Gujarat will be one of the largest in
India. The project will displace an estimated 320,000 people,
mostly members of indigenous tribes with no political or social
base. The government says the dam is a lifeline for water-starved
people of western and Central India where drought is a common
feature. According to the World Commission on Dams, India's
4,300 dams have submerged about 37,500 square kilometers and
have displaced at least 42 million people. From Ahmedabad
in India, I am Binu Alex for Free Speech Radio News.
ANTI-DAM ACTION IN MEXICO
In Mexico, hundreds of small farmers yesterday occupied and
shut down the pumping station that supplies running water
to approximately 80 percent of Acapulco. They were protesting
the construction of the proposed "La Parota" hydroelectric
dam in the region.
SUEZ LEAVES ARGENTINA
Argentina's lower house of Congress will vote on officially
turning water utility operations over to a state-run company.
The French water services company, Suez, is seeking legal
action against the government. Marie Trigona has more from
Buenos Aires.
The national government added a decree to the bill to be
voted on today, that would make it impossible to re-privatize
water utilities. The new AySA state-run company took over
water utility operations in Buenos Aires and surrounding suburbs
last week on an interim basis. The French water company, Suez,
handed over operations without protest but is seeking a 1.7
billion dollar indemnity through the World Bank international
court. Argentina's President Nestor Kirchner, who supports
the AySA bill, has said that the government has no obligation
to buy back the company Suez operated that managed water services.
The government has delegated over 50 million dollars to help
start up the state-run company. The government canceled Suez's
water utility concessions last month, citing under performance.
For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Marie Trigona in Buenos Aires.
INDIGENOUS PROTESTS IN ECUADOR (cut for time)
In Quito, protests continue against a proposed bilateral free
trade agreement with the United States. Groups opposed to
the trade agreement have begun a march from various parts
of the country towards Quito. The protesters are due to arrive
in the capital tomorrow. Indigenous organizations playing
a key role in the protests have confirmed that dozens of activists
have been arrested in recent days. A state of exception, declared
on March 21st, remains in effect throughout the country. Indigenous
groups oppose the free trade agreement, saying it compromises
national sovereignty and will have a devastating impact on
domestic agriculture.
[top]
Rice Lobbies Congress on India Nuclear Deal
(3:40)
Secretary of State Condaleezza Rice spent the day on Capitol
Hill, urging Congress to allow the nuclear deal with India
to proceed. Rice says the program is important for India's
energy needs and for the US economy, but Senators are indicating
concern on a number of issues, including an attempt by the
Administration to sidestep Congress. Washington Editor Leigh
Ann Caldwell has more.
[top]
Iraqi Civilians Buy Guns in Record Numbers
(4:41)
Since the bombing of the Shiite Askariya Shrine in Samarra,
which resulted in Shiite militias attacking Sunni mosques
in Baghdad, Iraqis have been buying guns in record numbers.
FSRN's David Enders reports from Baghdad, where local militias
continue to arm themselves in preparation for further fighting.
[top]
Arab - UN Conflict Over Troop in Darfur (2:58)
African heads of state will push the warring parties from
Sudan's Darfur region to clinch a peace agreement at a meeting
on April 8 that all sides said on Tuesday could help break
the deadlock. Congo Republic's President Denis Sassou Nguesso,
current chairman of the African Union (AU), Nigerian President
Olusegun Obasanjo and AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare
are due to take part in Saturday's meeting in the Nigerian
capital. Meanwhile, more voices are calling for an end to
the deadlock between Arab leaders and the UN over the issue.
FSRN's Oula Farawati has more.
[top]
Thai Media Pressing for Freedoms (3:23)
Relations between the media and the government have been
very tense in Thailand since the beginning of Prime Minister
Thaksin's administration, in 2001. FSRN's Severine Bardon
reports from Bangkok, where the media is fighting back to
defend press freedoms now that the prime minister is due to
step down.
[top]
New Orleanians Stage Action to Reclaim Homes
(2:46)
Dozens of New Orleans public housing development residents
forced their way past police to visit their homes on Tuesday.
Seven months after the storms, the vast majority of public
housing residents have not been able to return, and are beginning
to organize to pressure the Housing Authority to let them
come back. FSRN's Christian Roselund is in New Orleans, and
files this report.
[top]
National Camp Out Combats Criminalization of the
Homeless (2:20)
Dozens of people chose to sleep on sidewalks and parks across
the nation on Friday to protest the criminalization of homeless
people. The sleep outs were part of a National Day of Action
that took place in more that 30 U.S. Cities, from Atlanta,
Georgia to Portland, Oregon. FSRN's Rebecca Myles files this
report from New York.
[top]
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