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> Thur., Apr. 13, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
The Debate Over Iran’s Nuclear Energy Program
Report Indicates Bush Administration Knew
The Plight of Palestinian Refugees
Questions Surround Tbilisi Prison Massacre
Buenos Aires Subterranean Train Workers Resume Service
Peruvians Weigh in US-Peru Free Trade Agreement
FSRN Headlines
REBELS IN CHAD
In Chad, rebel forces fought with government troops this morning
in the capital city of N'Djamena. This has prompted the government
of President Idriss Deby to issue declarations that his troops
are in "complete control" of the capital. The president
accuses neighboring Sudan of backing the rebel forces. Deby
himself came to power after launching a rebel attack from
Sudan in 1990.
UNREST CONTINUES IN NEPAL
In Nepal, civil unrest continues into its eighth day, with
no signs of letting up. Police today opened fire on lawyers
demonstrating in downtown Kathmandu and arrested at least
70. Another 20 lawyers were injured, four by gunfire and others
by police batons. Although the royalist government lifted
the daytime curfew yesterday and restored cellular phone service
today, new legal restrictions prohibit criticism of the king,
his security forces, and his government. As PC Dubey reports
from Kathmandu, journalists have been specifically targeted
by police during the ongoing unrest.
A total of 186 journalists have been arrested in the past
eight days. Most are members of the Federation of Nepalese
Journalists (FNJ), the country's smallest professional fraternity.
On Wednesday alone, police arrested some 75 journalists in
various parts of the country including 29 in Kathmandu. Over
300 journalists have sustained baton injuries in attacks by
security forces. Mahendra Bista, general secretary of the
FNJ, sounds pessimistic about the current scenario of media
freedom. (Mahendra Bista 3 secs) "It is very bad, deteriorating.
No chance to improve." A ban has now been slapped on
media criticism of the royal family. Punishment for violating
the ban can include the cancellation of the press accreditation
of the concerned journalist and even a sentence of up to a
year in jail. Bista again (1.6secs) "We have no option
to protest." From Kathmandu, I am PC Dubey for Free Speech
Radio.
UNREST IN KARACHI
The government of Pakistan deployed troops to some areas of
Karachi today after street violence that erupted in the wake
of a massive double suicide attack on Tuesday. Masror Hausen
reports.
Riots have gripped the large metropolis for three days as
angry mobs blame the provincial government for failing to
maintaining security. Fifty-seven people died and over a hundred
were injured after two suicide attacks at a religious congregation
in celebration of the birth of Prophet Mohammed. Funerals
were held today for 3 leaders of Sunni Tehrik, a right-wing
organization opposed to President Musharraf's secular policies.
The Sunni Tehrik has given an ultimatum of 48 hours to the
provincial government to take action against officials responsible
for the security lapse. Meanwhile, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
an alliance of six religious parties, announced it is to observe
a country-wide day of protest on Friday. Masror Hausen, FSRN,
Islamabad.
BRITISH MAN SENTENCED FOR REFUSING TO SERVE IN IRAQ
A British Royal Air Force Lieutenant was sentenced to eight
months in jail today after being found guilty by a court martial
of failure to comply with lawful orders to serve in Iraq.
From London, Naomi Fowler reports.
In his defense, Flight Lieutenant Malcolm Kendall-Smith likened
the invasion of Iraq to a Nazi war crime. He told the military
hearing he refused to serve in Basra, Iraq last July because
he did not want to be complicit with an "act of aggression"
contrary to international law. He also refused to take part
in training and quipment fitting prior to the deployment because
he said believed these were "preparatory acts which were
equally criminal as the act itself". But a Royal Air
Force panel ruled against him. He'll now serve an eight month
prison sentence and be dismissed from the service. The legality
of the invasion of Iraq was not examined during the hearing.
It was found to be irrelevant because, at the time of the
charges, the court said the presence of coalition forces in
Iraq was legal because they were there at the request of the
country's democratically-elected government. Flight Lieutenant
Malcolm Kendall-Smith plans to appeal the conviction and the
sentence. He said he still believed the US's "imperial
campaign of military conquest", was in direct conflict
with his duties. This is Naomi Fowler in London for Free Speech
Radio News.
MONSANTO IN MEXICO
Mexico's environmental protection agency, SEMARNAT, says it
has found illegal plots of Monsanto's genetically-modified
cotton. Article 119 of Mexico's Biosecurity Law prohibits
the cultivation of GMOs without authorization. Although the
biotech company has permits to plant genetically modified
crops in parts of Sonora, the recently-discovered illegal
GM cotton fields amount to a total of 250 acres. The case
has been handed over to the Secretary of Agriculture and to
federal prosecutors for investigation.
[top]
The Debate Over Iran’s Nuclear Energy Program
(4:12)
International Atomic Energy Agency Director, Mohamed ElBaradei,
is conducting talks in Tehran over their nuclear program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he will maintain
his nuclear ambitions for a peaceful energy program. Meanwhile,
analysts in the United States say the US must alter its dealings
with Iran, and engage in direct negotiations. Leigh Ann Caldwell
reports.
[top]
Report Indicates Bush Administration Knew (2:51)
The Washington Post has published a report stating that
President Bush received intelligence information on May 29,
2003 that the trailers in Iraq, previously treated as key
evidence, were not a part of a weapons of mass destruction
program. Now, a number of former generals are demanding the
resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, but a
White House representative announced today that Rumsfeld is
performing an excellent service to his country. Anastasia
Gnezditskaia has more from Washington, DC.
[top]
The Plight of Palestinian Refugees (2:36)
The West Bank city of Nablus has been invaded by the Israeli
army on a daily basis for the past ten days. The Israeli Army
says it is searching for wanted Palestinian resistance fighters.
But as FSRN’s Manar Jibrin reports from Bethlehem, aside
from the residents that have been killed or injured, the Army
has also arrested young Palestinian girls.
[top]
Questions Surround Tbilisi Prison Massacre
(4:00)
Authorities in the country of Georgia say that they averted
a crisis when they opened fire on prisoners during a jailbreak
which left 7 dead and 24 wounded. But as Deborah Wild reports,
prisoners, their families, and attorneys, tell a very different
story.
[top]
Buenos Aires Subterranean Train Workers Resume Service
(1:51)
Subterranean train workers in Buenos Aires have halted a
2-day strike in Argentina’s capitol city. Service has
been restored through next week, when fresh negotiations between
union leaders and the labor minister will once again try to
find a solution to a serious labor conflict. FSRN’s
Mat Goldin reports.
[top]
Peruvians Weigh in US-Peru Free Trade Agreement (3:58)
As Peruvians await the final count of votes from Sunday's
Presidential elections, current president, Alejandro Toledo
was in Washington DC to witness the signing of the US-Peru
Trade Promotion Agreement, by Peru's Trade Minister and US
Trade Representative Rob Portman. Peru's Parliament and the
US Congress must approve the deal before it can be implemented.
The bilateral agreement is one of many the US looking to make
in the aftermath of the failure of the Free Trade Area of
the Americas talks. But the future of the trade deal is uncertain
in this election year in both countries. FSRN correspondents
Kristy Li Puma Herrera is in Lima Peru, and files this report
with Darby Hickey in Washington DC.
[top]
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