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> Fri., July. 21, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Attacks on Gaza Continue Unabated
Lebanon Responds to Washington’s Diplomatic Efforts
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill May be Shifting Position on Iraq
War
Anti-Abortion “Operation America” Targets Mississippi’s
Last Abortion Clinic
Judge Considers Whether to Jail Journalist for Refusing to
Give FBI Videotape
Burundi Rebel Group Asked to Lay Down Arms
FSRN Headlines
AT&T LAWSUIT CAN PROCEED
In a serious setback for the Bush administration and the NSA's
domestic spying scandal, a federal judge in San Francisco
has rejected a US government request to dismiss a lawsuit
against AT&T. Brian Edwards-Tiekert has the story:
The lawsuit accuses AT&T of giving the National Security
Agency access to its customers' communications without a warrant.
The Bush administration had attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed
by claiming the "state secrets" privilege. Government
lawyers argued that proceeding with the lawsuit would reveal
information that compromised national security. But the government's
case was undermined by the fact that it had already publicly
discussed its domestic spying activities. Judge Vaughn Walker
wrote that "dismissing this case at the outset would
sacrifice liberty for no apparent enhancement of security."
AT&T also filed for dismissal on the grounds that, since
the company was following government orders, it couldn't have
broken the law. Kevin Bank is a staff attorney for the Electronic
Frontier Foundation, which brought the lawsuit: [Bankston]
"In fact the court said, that if our allegations of dragnet
surveillance of AT&T customers communications is true,
no reasonable communications carrier could've thought that
such a program was legal." Now, the Electronic Frontier
Foundation is seeking an injunction that would order the government
to stop surveillance activities until the lawsuit is resolved.
From KPFA in Berkeley, I'm Brian Edwards-Tiekert for Free
Speech Radio News.
CUTS IN MAD COW TESTING
The US Agriculture Department has announced that it will dramatically
scale back expanded testing for Mad Cow disease. Matt Kaye
has more from Washington DC.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says years of normal and
expanded testing show the US likely has just a handful of
infected animals - with just 3 confirmed so far...and that
reducing expanded testing by almost 90% to 40,000 a year is
still well above international guidelines. Johanns dismisses
concerns by consumer interests that the move raises new safety
concerns for the US beef supply: [Johanns] "Those who
are attempting to cause consumers to believe that somehow
they're protected by testing, really aren't being fair with
consumers…the way to protect consumers, is to remove
the specified risk materials to deal with the issue directly."
Brain and spinal tissues in food and animal feed is thought
to spread the brain-wasting disease. Former key US beef market,
Japan has urged continued expanded US testing...though Tokyo
officials say the latest move will likely have no impact on
Japan's expected decision soon to re-open its market to American
beef. In Washington, Matt Kaye for Free Speech Radio News.
NEW HAVEN RALLIES AGAINST BOMBING OF LEBANON
Consecutive rallies were held this week in New Haven, Connecticut,
by peace groups opposed to Israel's massive bombing of Lebanon.
Melinda Tuhus reports.
Amidst honks of support, about 60 people rallied on the New
Haven Green Wednesday at evening rush hour to demand that
Israel stop bombing Lebanon. Among the crowd was Rana Hassan,
a Lebanese woman living in Connecticut who said her mother,
five siblings, and other relatives were all trapped in a bomb
shelter in southern Lebanon. [clip] "No electricity,
no water, no food, no roads. They cannot escape." Hassan
says she's been able to reach her mother by cell phone. [clip]
"My mother always tells me maybe we should say our goodbyes."
On Thursday afternoon, a small group again gathered on the
New Haven Green to call for a ceasefire in the Middle East,
by both Israel and Hezbollah, which is firing rockets into
Israel from Lebanon. [clip] "We ought to negotiate our
way out of this crisis, rather than cheer lead it on, or sit
on our hands." Henry Lowendorf of the New Haven Peace
Council says his group invited area Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro
to send a statement supporting a ceasefire, but got no response.
For FSRN, I'm Melinda Tuhus in New Haven.
MEXICAN RE-COUNT
Mexico's center-left presidential candidate, Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador today asked rival candidate Felipe Calderon
to accept a vote-by-vote recount of the ballots from the July
2nd presidential elections. Official results based on precinct
tallies showed that Calderon won by just over one half of
a percentage point. Lopez Obrador recognizes that the Federal
Electoral Tribunal ultimately makes the decision on the re-count,
but said that elections would have greater legitimacy if both
top candidates agreed to a ballot re-count. Over one million
people marched in Mexico City on Sunday calling for a vote-by-vote
re-count. Lopez Obrador supporters say they plan to carry
out a massive campaign of civil resistance if Mexico's electoral
authorities refuse to count the ballots.
EXTENDED CEASEFIRE IN NEPAL
A seven member European Parliament delegation concluded a
six-day visit to Nepal today by urging both the government
and Maoists rebels to sign a ceasefire agreement that could
end the ten year old conflict for good. PC Dubey reports.
The EP delegates hailed the Maoists' commitment to democratic
values, multi-partism, and the rule of law, but asked them
to match their commitment with action by fully renouncing
violence, stopping extortion, abductions and enrollment of
child soldiers into their ranks and by starting a full disarmament.
The delegates stressed that decommissioning of arms and demobilization
of the combatants in the conflict must be a top priority,
as it is key to conducting a fair and peaceful Constituent
Assembly election. They have also called for pro-active action
to bridle the growing criminal activities to attract investors
to pitch in to tone up the sagging economic health of the
country. Meanwhile, Maoists announced this week an extension
of their 3-month old ceasefire, which was slated to expire
on July 27th. PC Dubey, FSRN, Kathmandu.
[top]
Attacks on Gaza Continue Unabated (3:38)
The Israeli military continued its assault on the Gaza Strip
today. The attack, now in its third week, began after Hamas,
which heads the Palestinian government, captured an Israeli
soldier. At least 100 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier
have already died and as Rami Almeghari reports, the Israeli
military appears to be deploying a new type of weapon.
[top]
Lebanon Responds to Washington’s Diplomatic
Efforts (4:07)
More than 330 Lebanese civilians have been killed in the
10 days since Israel launched a massive military offensive
to secure the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by
Hezbollah on the southern Lebanese border. Thousands of Israeli
troops are already on the ground in Southern Lebanon, and
earlier today, the Israeli army called up 3,000 reserves to
the Northern Israeli border. Despite calls for peace from
the United Nations, the Bush Administration, Hezbollah, and
the State of Israel have all refused a ceasefire. Jackson
Allers reports from Beirut.
[top]
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill May be Shifting Position
on Iraq War (3:43)
The Iraqi government announced yesterday at least 162,000
people have fled their homes over the past five months in
an effort to escape a rising tide of sectarian violence. According
to the United Nations more than 100 Iraqis are dying every
day in the clashes. In Washington, Leigh Ann Caldwell reports,
Democratic law-makers are pushing for a new debate on the
US occupation.
[top]
Anti-Abortion “Operation America” Targets
Mississippi’s Last Abortion Clinic (3:56)
Mississippi’s last abortion clinic, The Jackson Women’s
Health Organization, has been surrounded by the anti-abortion
protesters all week. Pro-choice advocates have also flocked
to Mississippi to launch a spirited counter protest. Pro-choice
protesters say residents of Mississippi already have limited
access to reproductive health care, birth control, and sex
education. Sarah Olson reports from Jackson.
[top]
Judge Considers Whether to Jail Journalist for Refusing
to Give FBI Videotape (1:22)
In San Francisco a federal judge is considering whether
to jail independent journalist Josh Wolf for refusing to give
the FBI a videotape. The government says that it needs the
tape is needed as evidence for a grand jury indictment –
but Wolf believes the government just wants to build new files
on dissidents. FSRN’s ED Rippy reports.
[top]
Burundi Rebel Group Asked to Lay Down Arms
(2:57)
The Ugandan government has proposed imposing sanctions on
Burundi's last remaining rebel group, the National Liberation
Forces to force them to lay down their arms. As FSRN’s
Emmanuel Okella reports, the rebel group has ignored calls
to join the peace process that has ended the war between the
main Hutu rebels and the national army led by the Tutsi minority.
[top]
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