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> Fri., July. 28, 2006
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FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Bush and Blair Agree to Deploy Multinational Force to Southern
Lebanon
Residents in Lebanon Feel Helpless with Israel and Hezbollah
Critics Suspicious of Kurdish Representatives on U.S. Tour
Can Journalists Report on Freedom of Speech? The Case of Ehren
Watada
House of Representatives May Finally Move on Federal Minimum
Wage Increase
India’s Parliament Members Oppose U.S.-India Nuclear
Deal
FSRN Headlines
Israeli Attacks Escalate in Palestine
Israeli troops withdrew from Northern Gaza early this morning
after a bloody two-day sweep that killed over 30 Palestinians.
Saed Bannoura reports from the West Bank that Israeli forces
continue nightly raids there, taking 22 Palestinians prisoner
last night alone:
Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians have increased
this week, particularly in the Hebron area. And in Jerusalem
today, Israeli police have been preventing anyone under 40
years old from praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque, firing tear gas
and concussion grenades at worshipers. Meanwhile, negotiations
appear to be underway for a possible release of the Israeli
soldier captured by Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza.
Abu Obeidah is with the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of
Hamas, who are holding the captured soldier: "The issue
of the soldier we are holding prisoner is not just an issue
of the Qassam Brigades, or Hamas, it's an issue of the Palestinian
people - there are over 10,000 Palestinians inside the Occupation's
prisons, behind bars. The Palestinian people are united, all
factions are united. No Palestinian politician can demand
that we release the captured soldier with nothing in return."
Earlier this week Palestinian groups offered terms for a truce,
but the Israeli side has thus far refused to negotiate. So
far, the latest round of Israeli attacks has killed over 100
in Gaza.
Rumsfeld Reverses Course: Troop Levels in Iraq to Increase
It looks like US troop levels in Iraq will be going up, not
down. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has extended the
tours of duty of 3500 soldiers currently serving in Iraq,
and announced plans to send up to 5000 additional troops into
Baghdad. That would raise the toll number of US troops deployed
there to 134,000.
UN Human Rights Report Chastizes U.S.
The UN human rights committee has just released a report that
calls on the U.S. to close its secret detention facilities,
impose a moratorium on the death penalty, and take responsibility
for the well-being of minorities and the poor. From New York,
Mitch Jeserich reports.
Strike Paralyzes Kashmir
A general strike shut down most of India-controlled Kashmir
today as separatists rallied opposition to visit by Indian
president A P J Abul Kalam. Shahnawaz Khan has more:
All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani
called for the strike, saying the Indian president bears moral
responsibility for human rights violations by Indian forces
in Kashmir. President Kalam will address a joint session of
the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature today and attend the diamond
jubilee celebration of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Saturday.
The Kashmir High Court Bar Association has announced a boycott
of diamond jubilee celebrations to protest human rights violations
in Jammu and Kashmir. The Bar association said the celebrations
were 'politically motivated' and intended to show to the world
that everything is fine in Kashmir.
Former Haitian PM Released from Prison
Former Haitian Prime Minister Yvonne Neptune has been released
from jail in order to seek medical treatment in a United Nations
hospital. Though he hasn't been convicted of a crime, Neptune
was imprisoned for more than two years following the coup
that ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Nepal: Maoist Rebels Extend Ceasefire
Nepal's Maoist rebels have extended their unilateral cease-fire
another three months. PC Dubey reports from Kathmandu.
The fresh extension comes during the visit of a high level
UN team at the request of the Nepalese premier, the team will
assess the ongoing peace process, and may consider setting
up U.N. management of the maoist rebels' weapons. The rebels
refuse to actually disarm for coming elections unless the
Nepalese army does the same. They're demanding that the current
parliament be dissolved, and that they be included in a new
interim government. For free speech radio news, I'm PC Dubey
reporting from Kathmandu, Nepal.
[top]
Bush and Blair Agree to Deploy Multinational Force
to Southern Lebanon
President Bush and Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed
to deploy a multinational force to Lebanon’s Southern
border of Lebanon. More details about the operation will be
revealed after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice departs
for her second trip to the region tomorrow. On that trip,
Rice will meet with leaders of Israel and Lebanon, and will
attempt to draft a Security Council Resolution acceptable
to both parties, to outline an end to the fighting.
[top]
Residents in Lebanon Feel Helpless with Israel and
Hezbollah
After 17 days of warfare in Lebanon, international diplomatic
efforts have failed to end a crisis that continues to escalate
by the day. Israel intensified their attack on civilian positions
in southern Lebanon today, killing as many as 12 people as
houses and roads continue to be destroyed by Israeli missile
and artillery fire. The United Nations has decided to remove
some 50 observers after Israel destroyed an outpost in the
south yesterday, killing four. Hezbollah revealed a new weapon
in their arsenal called the Khaibar-1 rocket. The rocket hit
the northern Israeli town of Afula today – the deepest
Hezbollah has been able to penetrate into Israel. There were
no casualties. Meanwhile, the Lebanese population is feeling
increasingly helpless to do anything against the Israeli military
or the continued unilateral actions of Hezbollah in their
defense of the south. FSRN’s Jackson Allers visited
places in the South to see the destruction and gauge public
opinion at this stage of the conflict.
[top]
Critics Suspicious of Kurdish Representatives on
U.S. Tour
Kurdish officials are touring the United States this week
to launch a massive advertising and public relations campaign
– thanking the United States for overthrowing Saddam
Hussein and urging U.S. companies to invest in the region.
The campaign looks suspicious to some observers, since its
run by an A-list Republican PR firm, which refuses to divulge
how much money it's spending. FSRN's Aaron Glantz tries to
decipher the spin.
[top]
Can Journalists Report on Freedom of Speech? The
Case of Ehren Watada
This July, Army First Lt. Ehren Watada became the first
high ranking U.S. military officer to refuse to deploy to
Iraq. Watada made headlines after notifying both the Army
and members of the US anti-war movement that he would refuse
to deploy for personal political reasons. Just yesterday,
the 1st Lieutenant again offered to tender his resignation
from the Army rather than face court-martial. The case against
Watada has also gained notoriety for what some call a potentially
chilling effect on political speech and on journalists who
choose to cover such speech. Our producer, Monica Lopez spoke
with reporter and FSRN contributor Sarah Olson who has been
listed as a potential witness for the prosecution against
Ehren Watada.
[top]
House of Representatives May Finally Move on Federal
Minimum Wage Increase
After years of resistance in the House of Representatives,
an increase to the federal minimum wage could be near. The
House is poised to take up legislation after continuous prodding
from a growing number of moderate republicans who want to
see the wage increase. Washington Editor's Leigh Ann Caldwell
has more.
[top]
India’s Parliament Members Oppose U.S.-India
Nuclear Deal
In India, the Parliament’s opposition and even some
allies of the ruling coalition party members boycotted a session,
expressing strong reservations after the U.S. House of Representatives
passed the historic India-U.S. nuclear deal. The Leftist allies
of the ruling coalition in India, and the opposition BJP has
criticized the government for capitulating to U.S. pressure
and agreeing to extra conditions that compromised the country's
strategic program. From New Delhi, Vinod K. Jose reports.
[top]
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