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> Mon., June. 19, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Number of Hostages on the Rise in Iraq
Broad Coalition Forms In Wake of Increased Immigrants Detentions
African Union Assesses Sending Troops to Somalia
Cycle of Violence: El Salvador’s Maras
Anti-War Candidates Challenge Incumbents
Mumia Abu-Jamal Commentary: Culture Wars at the Ebb of Empire
FSRN Headlines
PALESTINIAN AID PACKAGE APPROVED
The Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators - which includes
representative from the European Union, the US, the United
Nations, and Russia - has approved a plan for aid to the Palestinians.
Manar Jibrin reports.
The aid package could release over $120 million for a variety
of programs, including health care, fuel supplies, and direct
aid to needy families. The World Bank and the European Union
will manage the fund along with the office of Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, by-passing the Hamas–led government.
The EU's External relations Commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
will travel to the region today to discuss the details of
the agreement. The EU envoy will meet separately, with President
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, but not with
members of Hamas. Although the aid package will fund some
critical programs, it will not solve the overall financial
crisis, as it will not provide funding for the unpaid salaries
of tens of thousands of government workers. Under the terms
of the agreement, aid could begin flowing by early July.
ZOELICK RESIGNS
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced today that her
deputy, Robert Zoellick, will resign from his number 2 position
at the State Department. Prior to his stint as Deputy Secretary
of State, Zoelick held the position of U.S. trade representative
for six years. Zoelick says he will soon take a job at the
Goldman Sachs investment firm.
CHILEAN SUPREME COURT RULES TO PROTECT THE IDENTITY OF TORTURERS
Chile's Supreme Court has quashed lawyers' attempts to make
public the names of torturers from the era of the military
dictatorship. From Santiago, FSRN's Jorge Garretón
reports.
In 2004, then-President Ricardo Lagos imposed a 50-year ban
on the naming and publication of alleged torturers and violators
of human rights during the Pinochet regime. Lawyers wanted
the names be made public so that charges could be filed against
alleged torturers. But former President Lagos decreed that
only the Courts would know the names of alleged torturers.
Former President Lagos created the Prison and Torture Commission
to shed light on the identities of Chileans who were detained
for political reasons and were victims of torture by state
agents during the 17 years of the Augusto Pinochet Military
dictatorship. The Commission turned in a report to former-President
Lagos in November of 2004 after 12 months of work where the
Commission interviewed victims of prison and torture across
Chile as well as overseas. The more than 35 thousand victims
who gave verifiable testimony were given a lifetime pension,
in addition to free health care to the victims and their families
and free post secondary education. But the Supreme Court ruling
will protect the names of torturers for the next 50 years.
For FSRN this is Jorge Garretón in Santiago.
COMMERCIAL WHALING VOTE
A group of pro-whaling nations has successfully lobbied the
International Whaling Commission to pass a resolution that
could lead to the return of commercial whaling. The measure,
which passed by a margin of just one vote, called for a reversal
of the 20 year ban. Japan has led the push to resume commercial
whaling and many opposed to the lifting of the ban say that
Tokyo has used promises of aid to recruit countries to join
its pro-whaling bloc. Japan denies this. Today's resolution
does not overturn the 20-year moratorium on commercial whaling
- which would require a two-thirds majority - but it does
demonstrate the growing influence of the pro-whaling bloc
at the International Whaling Commission.
MONSANTO SUED OVER BT COTTON
Biotechnology giant, Monsanto, is facing a joint legal action
by several Indian states over its genetically engineered BT
cotton seed. Binu Alex has more.
Seven cotton-growing states in India and several civil society
groups have joined forces against multinational seed giant,
Monsanto, but for different reasons. The former wants Monsanto
to reduce its prices while the latter wants a complete ban
on the BT cotton seeds. The current action comes after Monsanto
lost a legal battle in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh
over the high price of its patented BT cotton seed. The government
maintains it has nothing against the company and its concern
is that these technologies must reach the small and marginal
farmers at a fair price. Activists fighting against genetic
engineering cite independent studies to claim that there has
been no reduction in the use of pesticides and no increase
in yields as claimed by the company. But as these debates
continue, India's bio tech regulatory body has cleared Bollgard
II, the latest Monsanto-manufactured variety of genetically
modified cotton for commercial cultivation in the states of
Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. From Ahmedabad in
India, I am Binu Alex for Free Speech Radio News.
[top]
Number of Hostages on the Rise in Iraq
(1:30)
A group tied to al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility
today for kidnaping two US soldiers. Heavily armed, masked
gunmen abducted Kristian Menchaca of Texas and Thomas Lowell
Tucker of Oregon on Sunday. A third soldier, David J. Babieau
of Massachusetts, was killed in the attack. Coalition military
spokesman, Major General William Caldwell says the army is
enlisting all resources in its search for the two missing
soldiers.
[top]
Broad Coalition Forms In Wake of Increased Immigrants
Detentions (4:17)
The number of immigrants in detention in the United States
continues to rise - and it could be propelled even further
with the passage of border security provisions in the immigration
bill still being hammered-out in Congress. FSRN's Leigh Ann
Caldwell reports.
[top]
African Union Assesses Sending Troops to Somalia
(2:32)
The African Union will send a team to Somalia to assess
the possibility of deploying peacekeepers in the troubled
Horn of Africa nation. The assessment team will decide how
many troops will be needed. The Islamic court militias who
seized power from the war lords in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu,
have protested against the idea. Joshua Kyalimpa reports.
[top]
Cycle of Violence: El Salvador’s Maras
(4:01)
“Maras” or gangs in El Salvador and throughout
Central America and through the United States, have grown
and expanded in recent years due to the effects of civil wars
in the region. Groups of at-risk youth live out the results
of social inequality, poverty and unemployment and are often
drawn to a life of violence. Ricardo Martinez reports Guazapa,
El Salvador.
[top]
Anti-War Candidates Challenge Incumbents
(4:40)
The rift between majority public opinion and the majority
in Congress – Democrat and Republican alike - on Iraq,
is bringing new faces and strategies to the game of electoral
politics. Liberal Democrats are running against incumbent
beltway Democrats, and Green Party candidates against incumbent
Republicans. Martha Baskin takes a look at electoral politics
and strategies for change in November.
[top]
Mumia Abu-Jamal Commentary: Culture Wars at the Ebb
of Empire (3:44)
[top]
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