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> Wed., Aug. 9, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
3 Incumbents Lose Congressional Primaries
Two Months Since Zarqawi’s Death and Violence Rages
on in Iraq
LRA Rebel Talks Hit Major Snag
Foreign Domestic Workers Flee From More Than War in Lebanon
Oaxaca Newspaper Offices Under Attack
Civil Rights Advocates Cite Increases in Excessive Sentences
for Demonstrators
FSRN Headlines
U.S. AND FRANCE SPLIT OVER CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION
The U.S and France have split over crucial provisions in the
United Nations resolution to end hostilities in Lebanon, triggering
intense diplomatic scrambling. Khaled Sid Mohand reports from
Beirut.
While France and the United States are now revising their
draft, they are debating what kind of an international force
should be formed to back the Lebanese army and when it should
deploy. The Lebanese government along with the Arab league
representative Sheikh Ahmad bin Jassim Al thani, have voiced
objections for a full cessation of hostilities, rather then
a formal ceasefire. Moreover the representative of the Arab
league said" If we adopt the resolution without fully
considering the reality of Lebanon, we face a civil war. Instead
of helping Lebanon, we will destroy Lebanon" - referring
to the disarmament of Hizbollah resistance fighters - widely
supported by the majority of the Shia community in Lebanon.
Following an urgent request led by Islamic nations, the United
Nations Human Rights Council will examine the situation in
Lebanon on Friday. Meanwhile, three Palestinians were killed
today when Israel bombed the southern Palestinian camp of
Ain el Hilwe near the southern coastal city of Sidon. More
than 1,000 Lebanese civilians have been killed since fighting
began on July 12th. Reporting from Beirut, Lebanon –
this is Khaled Sid Mohand for Free Speech Radio News:
CALLS FOR DISSOLUTION OF THE P.A.
A number of Palestinian leaders, including the Prime Minister
himself, have raised the question of the possible dissolution
of the Palestinian Authority. Saed Bannoura has the story.
Israel is holding more than eighty Palestinian government
officials prisoner. Most of these officials were detained
shortly after the start of the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip.
The head of the legislature was arrested over the weekend.
With a large portion of the elected representatives now in
Israeli jails, some Palestinian leaders are questioning whether
the Palestinian Authority should continue to exist as a governmental
body. Palestinian legislator Dr. Mustapha Barghouthi: (actuality
- english :21) The Palestinian Authority, created in 1993
under the Oslo Agreement with Israel, employs 12% of the Palestinian
population. The Authority's predecessor, the Palestine Liberation
Organization, has also called for the possible dissolution
of the Authority, unless Israel releases the imprisoned legislators
and unfreezes Palestinian tax money. For FSRN from imemc.org,
this is Saed Bannoura in Beit Sahour, Palestine. MEXICAN RECOUNT
BEGINS
Election officials in Mexico today began a partial re-count
of ballots cast in the disputed July 2nd presidential election.
Center-left candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had petitioned
for a total recount of the ballots, but the country's electoral
tribunal ruled on Saturday to examine only 9% of the votes.
Lopez Obrador supporters continue to camp out in the streets
of Mexico City's central square and business district to demand
a full recount.
LAMONT VICTORY
In Connecticut, anti-war challenger Ned Lamont beat three-term
Senator Joe Lieberman in the race to be the Democratic nominee
for election in November. The tally was 52 percent to 48 percent,
and Lieberman repeated his pledge to run against Lamont as
an independent. MT reports from Lamont's headquarters in Meriden,
Connecticut.
Lamont ran ahead of Lieberman the whole night, but the incumbent
narrowed that lead enough to keep Lamont's supporters on edge.
After 11 p.m. Lieberman gave a "concession speech"
in which he promised to run what he called the second half
of the race as an "independent Democrat." Turnout
approached a record-breaking 50 percent of registered Democrats
- about twice the average for a non-presidential primary year.
Lamont, who ran on an anti-war platform spoke to cheering
supporters last night: "It's time we fix George Bush's
failed foreign policy. As your senator I'm going to make sure
we have the strongest army on the face of the earth, but I
also know that America is strongest when we work in concert
with our allies, when we stay true to our values, and we deal
with the rest of the world with respect -- with respect!"
(applause fade out) Lieberman stands a good chance of winning
a three-way race but pressure is mounting on him from the
Democratic leadership to abandon his independent run. For
FSRN, I'm MT in Meriden, Conn.
COKE AND PEPSI BANS IN INDIA
The Southern Indian state of Kerala today banned the production
and sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Other provinces may take
similar steps after a study found high levels of pesticides
in the soft drinks. Binu Alex has more.
(sound) This is the Chief Minister of Kerala announcing a
ban on production and sale of Coca Cola and Pepsi after a
New Delhi-based independent research body found the drinks
contain harmful pesticides. Four other provincial governments
have banned the sale of these soft drinks in local public
schools. Observers say politicians are instituting the ban
as a gimmick to generate popularity for themselves as the
Coca-Cola Corporation has a bad reputation in some agricultural
regions of India like Kerala where farmers accuse the companies
of depleting local water resources. From Ahmedabad in India,
I am Binu Alex for Free Speech Radio News.
[top]
3 Incumbents Lose Congressional Primaries
(4:00)
Top Democrats have announced their support for Connecticut’s
Democratic Primary winner, Ned Lamont. Defeated candidate,
Senator Joseph Lieberman, has ignored Democratic endorsements
for his opponent, and filed the official papers to run as
an independent. As the media attention focuses on this Connecticut
primary, two other incumbents lost their races yesterday.
FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
Two Months Since Zarqawi’s Death and Violence
Rages on in Iraq (3:46)
It's been two months since President Bush announced the
killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Bush Administration said
Zarqawi was a terrorist mastermind, the head of al-Qaeda in
Iraq, a man who organized attacks on innocent civilians, U.S.
troops, and the Iraqi police and military. But two months
after his killing, violence and death in U.S.-occupied Iraq
has only increased. FSRN's Aaron Glantz offers this analysis.
[top]
LRA Rebel Talks Hit Major Snag (3:26)
The second round of peace talks between the Ugandan government
and Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebels has hit a major obstacle,
after disagreements on possible ceasefire conditions set by
the government. Last Friday, LRA leader Joseph Kony announced
through his deputy Vincent Otti, what he described as a unilateral
ceasefire. As FSRN’s Emmanuel Okella reports, Uganda
has snubbed the announcement and has set certain conditions
for the proposed truce.
[top]
Foreign Domestic Workers Flee From More Than War
in Lebanon (4:17)
Lebanese sources indicate that as many as 300,000 Lebanese
and other foreign nationals have fled the country since the
outbreak of hostilities in Lebanon nearly 4 weeks ago. Some
70,000 western Europeans and North Americans fled in the early
days of the conflict, due in large to their foreign embassies.
But others from less developed countries have been trapped
in Lebanon during the Israeli military offensive – some
in the heavily bombarded south. This week, some 10,000 Sri
Lankan, Filipino, Ethiopian, Sudanese, Bangladeshi, and Vietnamese
domestic workers are being evacuated on chartered flights
back to their homes. The vast majority of these domestic workers
are women escaping harsh working conditions. As Jackson Allers
reports from Beirut, the war is presenting more than 2,500
Filipino female domestic workers a good pretense to leave,
as the war helps to kill an industry that certain human rights
advocates say was rife with problems.
[top]
Oaxaca Newspaper Offices Under Attack (1:54)
Political violence in Oaxaca is still on the rise. The popular
rebellion that demands the immediate resignation of Governor
Ulises Ruiz, has occupied dozens of government offices and
town halls state-wide. In a new attack on the media, the offices
of Oaxaca City’s biggest-selling newspaper, NOTICIAS,
was struck by gunfire this morning. FSRN’s Vladimir
Flores reports.
[top]
Civil Rights Advocates Cite Increases in Excessive
Sentences for Demonstrators (2:30)
Civil rights advocates say there has been a rise in excessive
sentences handed down for minor crimes, such as civil disobedience
during various anti-war demonstrations. From Colorado, Maeve
Conran reports on the present climate for peaceful protesters.
[top]
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