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> Mon., Aug. 14, 2006
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FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Questions over Whether UN Ceasefire Will Hold
Israelis Disappointed with Olmert’s Leadership
Thousands Demonstrate to Denounce Israel’s Military
Actions
Iraq’s Health Ministry Threatens to Cut All Ties with
U.S. Military
Immigrant Advocates Celebrate Austalia Government’s
Decision to Drop Controversial Border Protection Bill
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments: Viva Fidel!
FSRN Headlines
AIDS conference opens in Toronto
The 16th International AIDS Conference has opened in Toronto,
Canada - bringing together over 20,000 delegates from around
the world. CKLN's Kristin Schwartz has more.
Today was the first full day of sessions addressing the science,
the economics, the services and the policy related to the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. This morning, the so-called "Double
Bill" of Microsoft's Bill Gates and former U.S. President
Bill Clinton drew the largest crowds. Last week, Bill and
Melinda Gates announced a $500 million donation to the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. A group of
protesters inside the hall disrupted the presentation for
a few moments, calling for more investment in nurses and other
primary health care. This is a key demand for civil society
groups represented here. According to Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni,
HIV policy adviser for Oxfam International -- "For the
first time in human history, we have the resources to stop
HIV/AIDS from killing millions of people. What we do not know
is whether our leaders will muster the generosity to save
these lives." From Toronto, this is Kristin Schwartz
for Free Speech Radio News.
Update from Sri Lanka
At least 68 people were killed today in the ongoing fighting
between Sri Lankan government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Ponniah Manikavasagam reports from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan air force jets bombed the Mullaithivu district
in the morning near the northern theatre of fighting. Rebels
said the strikes killed 61 children, most of them are girls,
orphaned by the 2004 tsunami. Another 129 were wounded in
the air raid. The school children were said to be participating
a first aid course at the time. The government said the air
raid was on a selected rebel position and the troops did not
target the children. In another development, a bomb attack
in Colombo killed seven people near the president's residence
today. Among the dead were four commandos of the Special Forces
who were escorting a Pakistani diplomat. Political and defense
analysts say the killings of the children and an attack on
a convoy of a foreign diplomat have posed an eminent threat
to both the cease-fire agreement and the peace process. For
Free Speech Radio News, I am Ponniah Manikavasagam from Vavuniya,
Sri Lanka.
One of 5 indicted LRA leaders killed
The Ugandan army has killed the third top-most commander of
the Lords Resistance Army rebels. FSRN's Emmanuel Okella reports
from Kampala.
LRA commander Raska Lukwiya was gunned down in a Uganda Peoples
Defense Forces (UPDF) ambush, over the weekend. A UPDF spokesman
said the move was a reaction by the army after an incident
on Friday. Lukwiya was third on the list of the LRA rebel
commanders wanted by the International Criminal Court for
war crimes. Lukwiya's death now casts a further doubt on the
resumption of the Juba talks that hit a rocky end last week
when the LRA delegation walked out, protesting the government's
refusal to reciprocate its unilateral ceasefire. The LRA only
agreed to return to the talks following the intervention of
the Southern Sudan president, Salva Kiir. The talks were to
resume Monday but Reports from the Southern Sudan capital,
Juba, say LRA Delegates have taken time off to mourn the death
of one of their leaders. For Free Speech Radio News Emmanuel
Okella reporting from Kampala, Uganda.
Veterans for Peace convention in Seattle
Veterans For Peace held their national convention at the University
of Washington in Seattle over the weekend. FSRN's Mark Taylor-Canfield
was there.
Sgt. Ricky Clousing, who served in Iraq as an interrogator
for the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, announced his refusal
to deploy to Iraq during the Veterans For Peace convention.
Clousing gave himself up to military authorities at Fort Lewis
where Lt. Ehren Watada, Specialist Suzanne Swift and Sgt.
Kevin Benderman have also refused to serve. Sgt. Clousing
is considered a deserter by the US Army. Although Clousing
is facing the possibility of a long prison sentence, he says
he is confident that he made the right decision. (sound) "I
am prepared for whatever consequence comes." On Sunday,
participants held a demonstration in support of war resisters
at the US/Canadian border. PFC Kyle Snyder, who has also refused
to return to Iraq, joined the demonstration, along with war
resisters from the US, Palestine, Israel and South Korea.
This is Mark Taylor-Canfield for Free Speech Radio News in
Seattle.
Mexican re-count
Electoral officials in Mexico have concluded a partial re-count
of ballots from the country's disputed presidential election.
Alonso Rivera reports from Tijuana.
Mexico's Federal Electoral Tribunal will have to review a
number of irregularities encountered during a partial review
of ballots within the next eighteen days. Opposition party
spokesperson, Horacio Duarte, said that the National Action
Party's candidate, Felipe Calderon, lost 19,087 votes and
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gained 5,408. This represents
a loss of 13,679 votes for Calderon. Opposition candidate,
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has declared that he will continue
leading acts of peaceful civil resistance to pressure the
electoral institution to do a full ballot by ballot recount.
(protest sound) Over the weekend, more than five hundred Lopez
Obrador supporters in the border city of Tijuana rallied in
favor of a full ballot recount and formed a human chain that
partially blocked the border crossing point for over twenty
minutes. In Tijuana, this is Alonso Rivera for Free Speech
Radio News.
[top]
Questions over Whether UN Ceasefire Will Hold
(2:17)
The UN Security Council approved a resolution for a Middle
East ceasefire on Friday night, although Israel is allowed
to fire in its own defense. As Mitch Jeserich reports, the
unanimous vote may not be indicative of how easy it will be
to implement.
[top]
Israelis Disappointed with Olmert’s Leadership
(3:03)
The internationally-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon is now
just over 12 hours old – and it appears to be holding,
despite several incidents in which Israeli troops fired at
Hezbollah militants, in what they called defensive fire. Hezbollah
reports that six militants were killed in the exchange. As
Lebanese refugees stream home, and Israelis emerge from their
bomb shelters, leaders on both sides are claiming victory.
Irris Makler reports from Jerusalem.
[top]
Thousands Demonstrate to Denounce Israel’s
Military Actions (3:49)
From San Francisco to Washington, DC, thousands marched
this Saturday to protest Israel's military actions against
Palestine and Lebanon, as well as calling for the immediate
end of U.S. aide to Israel. FSRN’s Selina Musuta reports
from Washington, DC, one of 20 different cities across the
world that held anti-war protests.
[top]
Iraq’s Health Ministry Threatens to Cut All
Ties with U.S. Military (3:51)
The Iraqi Health Ministry threatened to sever all ties with
the U.S. military Sunday, after U.S. forces attacked the Ministry,
arresting its security guards. According to the Health Ministry,
the U.S. military also stole $35,000 worth of employee's salaries.
Aaron Glantz and Salam Talib report.
[top]
Immigrant Advocates Celebrate Austalia Government’s
Decision to Drop Controversial Border Protection Bill
(4:10)
The Australian Coalition government has undergone the biggest
backbench revolt it has seen during its 10 years in office,
with the government withdrawing controversial border protection
legislation due to hit the Senate today, because of a lack
of support from a number of government senators required to
pass the bill. The move follows emotional scenes in the House
of Representatives last week, where despite three government
MPs voting against the bill and two abstaining, the bill passed.
Erica Vowles has this report.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments: Viva Fidel! (3:06)
Cuban President Fidel Castro turned 80 yesterday. A Cuban
state-run newspaper published photos of a recovering Castro
to ease rumors that the long-time leader has passed on after
transferring power to his brother, Raul. In a published statement,
Fidel indicated he anticipates a long recovery, along with
the possibility of bad news in the future. In this commentary
from his cell on Pennsylvania’s Death Row, Mumia Abu
Jamal takes a historical look at Fidel’s legacy.
[top]
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