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> Thur., Apr. 20, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
ACLU Files Amicus Briefs to NSA Spying Suit
Chinese President Hu Arrives at White House
New Immigration Enforcement Strategy Implemented
Suspicions over King’s Offer to Dialogue in Nepal
Jaafari Say He Will Consider Stepping Down as Prime Minister
Pattern of Police Brutality in New Orleans
FSRN Headlines
NAMES OF MOST GUANTANAMO DETAINEES RELEASED
The Pentagon has released a list of 558 detainees at the Guantanamo
Bay detention facility in response to a Freedom of Information
request by the Associated Press. Most of the detainees are
from Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Yemen. Although it is not
a complete list of all detainees who have passed through the
facility, it is the first time that a list of names has been
released in the camp's four years of operation.
CAR BOMB EXPLODES IN THE NIGER DELTA
In Nigeria, militants fighting against oil exploitation in
the Niger Delta region have claimed responsibility for a car
bomb attack on an Army barracks. Sam Olukoya reports from
Lagos.
The Nigerian Army says the car bomb killed two people and
injured six others in the Southern city of Port Harcourt.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says
it carried out the attack. The group accused the Nigerian
government and western oil companies of denying local people
a share of the billions of dollars made yearly from oil exploitation.
The group which has attacked several oil installations in
recent weeks plans to step up its attacks, saying a new government
plan aimed at developing the Niger Delta is inadequate to
address the demands of local people. The militants said their
latest attack was to show oil companies the futility of relying
on a military that can not protect itself. The incident represents
an escalation of the crisis in the Niger Delta, a region with
some of the largest oil reserves in the world. For Free Speech
Radio News, this is Sam Olukoya in Lagos.
TAMIL TIGERS POSTPONE PEACE TALKS
The Tamil Tiger rebels have indefinitely postponed peace talks
with the Sri Lankan government. Ponniah Manikavasagam reports
from Vavuniya.
Tamil Tigers told reporters today that escalating violence
against Tamil civilians is the reason for not attending the
second round of peace talks, scheduled to start on April 24th
in Geneva. The announcement came amid some of the worst bloodshed
since the 2002 truce signed between the government and the
rebels. Jon Hanssen Bauer is the Norwegian Special Envoy to
Sri Lanka. He is on a 3-day visit to Sri Lanka to kick-start
the peace negotiations between the government and the Tamil
Tigers. (sound) "The first step is now to bring an immediate
cessation of all acts of violence. Norway condemns in the
strongest possible terms that latest acts of violence that
have occurred on this island." Traders said the stock
market dipped for the second straight day following reports
of the postponement of peace talks. Nearly 70 people, mostly
security forces, have been killed and score wounded in the
latest surge since April 7th. For Free Speech Radio News,
I am Ponniah Manikavasagam, in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.
STANDOFF NEAR TORONTO
Tensions are high today in southwestern Ontario as police
and Native people face off at a construction site. From Toronto,
Kristin Schwartz has more.
Early this morning, police stormed a construction site occupied
by native people from the nearby Six Nations reserve community,
making a number of arrests. The occupation began seven weeks
ago to prevent the expansion of a housing development. The
Six Nations people say that the site is part of the large
tract of land that was promised to them by the British Crown
in 1784. The traditional Six Nations Confederacy government
backs the blockade and does not recognize the authority of
the elected "Band Council", established by Canada
early this century, to represent them in the negotiations.
Janie Jamieson is a spokesperson for the blockade participants.
(sound) "Since 1924, Canada has violated international
law and they continue to ignore the existence of the Haudenosaunee
confederacy. And that's what this is all about. It's got to
end at some point." Six Nations people rallied and regained
control of the site after the arrests this morning. Hundreds
of police have now been deployed in the area. From CKLN in
Toronto, this is Kristin Schwartz for Free Speech Radio News.
EUOPEAN UNION ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANIZMS
The European Commission has ignored the advice of European
Union scientists and has been authorizing new genetically
modified crops. Campaigners say a dossier they've just obtained
shows the commission is favouring the interests of the biotechnology
industry over health and the environment. From London, Naomi
Fowler reports.
When the European Commission broke the moratorium on GM foods,
forcing them into Europe, it told the public they were safe.
But through the Freedom of Information Act, Friends of the
Earth has obtained a dossier of scientific evidence that the
EU sent to the World Trade Organization. Campaigners say the
Commission not only knew of the safety issues, but they acted
against European Union scientific concerns. This raises serious
questions for the EU in terms of how official opinions on
safety issues are treated and decisions taken. It also reinforces
criticism of the European Commission, which consists of 20
unelected representatives appointed by member states. For
years it's been dogged by allegations of nepotism, mismanagement
and even fraud. Campaigners are now calling on the European
Commission to halt the sale and import of all GM crops and
products in the EU until its fears over the crops' uncertain
effects on health and the environment have been allayed. This
is Naomi Fowler in London for Free Speech Radio News.
PIQUETERO LEADER RELEASED
In a follow-up to a story covered Tuesday, Argentine piquetero
leader, Raúl Castells was released last night after
two days in jail. Castells was arrested on Monday when attempting
to inaugurate a soup kitchen in one of Argentina's most exclusive
neighborhoods. A judge ruled yesterday that the charges against
the piquetero leader "lacked merit".
[top]
ACLU Files Amicus Briefs to NSA Spying Suit
(3:54)
The ACLU filed two amicus briefs to a National Security
Agency spying suit today. Meanwhile, the Bush Administration
continues to deny requests by Congress for officials to testify
on the program. Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.
[top]
Chinese President Hu Arrives at White House
(1:45)
The Chinese anthem played at the South Lawn of the White
House today for President Hu Jintao’s arrival ceremony.
He and President Bush discussed a range of issues, including
currency and trade policy. At the ceremony, Bush gave mention
to discussing human rights – and a protestor waving
a red and yellow banner screamed for Bush to stop President
Hu from persecuting members of the banned Falun Gong religion
movement.
[top]
New Immigration Enforcement Strategy Implemented
(3:58)
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary
Julie Meyers announced a new immigration enforcement strategy
today. Identifying and removing undocumented immigrants who
have been convicted of a crime will be a top strategy, along
with ensuring employer’s compliance to hire documented
workers. The ACLU and immigrant worker groups are criticizing
some of these measures, which they say contradicts Congress’
efforts to find workable legislation on immigration. Anastasia
Gnezditskaia reports from DC.
[top]
Suspicions over King’s Offer to Dialogue in
Nepal (4:13)
Nepal’s King Gyanendra is caught up in the whirlpool
of unprecedented crisis caused by the growing pro-democracy
movement against his 14 months of autocratic rule. Some say
his advisors misled him into the move to usurp power on February
1, 2005 - throttling the 15 year adolescent democracy that
was born in 1990 amid mass protests against the old regime.
The King's offer for dialogue with the political parties to
revive democracy in the country indicates to some that he
wants to rectify the situation, even leading some old political
leaders to believe the King and enter into dialogue with him.
But there are others wanting to restore total democracy that
question the King’s intentions. FSRN’s PC Dubey
has more from Nepal.
[top]
Jaafari Say He Will Consider Stepping Down as Prime
Minister (2:30)
Iraqi prime minister Ibrahim Jaafari said today he would
consider stepping down as his party's nominee for prime minister
in the next government, giving new hope that a four-month-old
deadlock over forming the government might be solved soon.
FSRN’s David Enders reports from Baghdad.
[top]
Pattern of Police Brutality in New Orleans
(2:33)
A nightclub owner in New Orleans is protesting a violent
raid on his club by local, state and federal law enforcement.
Criminal justice reform groups say the raid follows patterns
of police brutality and the targeting of black youth –
patterns that were out of control even before last fall's
storms. FSRN’s Christian Roselund is in New Orleans,
and files this report.
[top]
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