Home > Programs
> FSRN
> Fri., Aug. 15, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
Thanks to FSRN.org
for making the daily programs available to Pacifica.org
Today's lead stories:
Bush Defends Detainee Policy
US Gives Up On Anbar Province
Iraqi Politicians On Capital Hill
House Of Representatives Votes For Fence On US-Mexico Border
One Year Since Israel's Withdrawl From Gaza
Protesting For Public Health In England
Day On Pencils Remembered In Argentina
FSRN Headlines
PRESS CORPS CONFRONTS BUSH ON TORTURE, IRAQ
(sound) President Bush: "I never said there was an operational
relationship". US President George W. Bush was confronted
by a hostile White House press corps during a press conference
this morning. Reporters challenged him on everything from
the escalating violence in Iraq to Bush's past statements
connecting Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda. (sound) President Bush:
"I was making the point that Saddam Hussein had been
declared a state sponsor of terror for a reason, and therefore
he was dangerous." Bush had linked Hussein to Al Qaeda
as recently as August 21st of this year—but a recent
report released by the Senate intelligence committee shows
the CIA knew no such relationship existed as early as 2002,
and the administration knew by 2005 that Hussein had actually
sought to locate and capture Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab
Al Zarqawi. Bush also dismissed the notion that there's a
civil war underway in Iraq, saying he relies on the analysis
of his military commanders there: (sound) Bush: "They,
and the Iraq government, just don't agree with the hypothesis
just don't agree with the hypothesis it is a civil war. "
That remark came as U.S. commanders in Iraq told the press
they're pulling troops out of heavy fighting in Anbar province
because they need more forces to quell sectarian violence
in Baghdad. Overnight, Baghdad police found 60 more bodies
bearing signs of torture around the city.
MOUNTING ANGER OVER POPE'S REMARKS ABOUT ISLAM
Anger is growing over remarks Pope Benedict made in a speech
on Tuesday that appeared to endorse a view that early Muslims
spread their religion by violence. The 57-nation organization
of the Islamic conference called it a "smear campaign,"
and public protests have broken out in many Muslim areas.
Shahnawaz Khan reports from Kashmir:
In Srinagar, hundreds of lawyers marched with local people
carrying placards against the pope and in favour of Islam.
The protestors called the pope's remarks highly irresponsible.
Police are worried about unrest. Yesterday, they seized copies
of newspapers carrying the pope's remarks before they could
be distributed in Kashmir. This morning, they placed two senior
separatist leaders under house arrest. Hardline separatist
leader Syed Ali Geelani, who's been under house arrest since
yesterday, called the remarks 'highly painful.' (sound) Geelani:
"As far as prophet Muhammad is concerned he has given
lot of values to the whole mankind. it is very unfair and
irrelevant that he has given evil and bad things to humanity."
Pakistan's parliament has adopted a resolution condemning
the pope's remarks, and seeking an apology from him for hurting
the feelings of Muslims. For FSRN I'm Shahnawaz Khanm
E.U. ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR PALESTINIAN "UNITY"
GOVERNMENT
The Foreign Ministers of the European Union agreed today to
support the Palestinian National Unity government being forged
by President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas. Finnish Foreign Minister
Erkki Tuomioja, who chaired the talks, said abbas had assured
the European union that the new government is committed to
honoring all agreements negotiated with the Palestinian Liberation
Organization: (sound) Tuomoja: "This gives us grounds
for expecting this means also meeting the requirements of
the international community and allows us to re-engage directly
with the Palestinian administration." Tuomoja said it
is still too early to decide whether or not to resume direct
aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian authority. In separate
remarks , he called on the U.S. to respect international law
in handling terror suspects, saying that "human rights
and humane standards have to be maintained."
ACLU SETTLES WTO LAWSUITS IN SEATTLE
The American Civil Liberties Union has just have settled a
civil rights lawsuit against the City of Seattle for violating
the constitutional rights of protesters during the 1999 World
Trade Organization Ministerial Conference. Mark Taylor-Canfield
has more:
The ACLU filed the suit in March of 2000 on behalf of citizens
whose rights to freedom of speech were violated by the City's
actions. Three plaintiffs who were originally parties to the
lawsuit accepted settlements from the City in August 2000.
Yesterday's settlement resolved the claims of the two remaining
plaintiffs in the suit. The City of Seattle has agreed to
pay Victor Menotti, the Program Director for the International
Forum on Globalization $62,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming
from the 1999 conference. The city has also agreed to pay
Doug Skove from Washington State $12,000. Skove claimed that
a police officer confiscated his sign and he was told he was
not allowed to protest in that area. The ACLU, Trial Lawyers
for Public Justice and other civil rights groups are still
in the process of challenging the establishment of the "no-protest
zone" by city officials. This is Mark Taylor-Canfield
for Free Speech Radio News in Seattle.
[top]
Bush Defends Detainee Policy (2:45)
President Bush is on the defensive today. In a wide-ranging
press conference at the White House this morning, reporters
grilled him with questions on everything from immigration
to the situation in Iraq. But the harshest questions came
on Bush's desire to get Congress to pass a law authorizing
new interrogation techniques for terror suspects and wants
to exempt the CIA from having to follow any human rights regulations.
Critics say that amounts to legalizing torture, but Bush said
that's not so. Host Aaron Glantz reports.
[top]
US Gives Up On Anbar Province (2:30)
The chief of intelligence for the US Marine Corps in Iraq
said in a report this week that Iraq's western Anbar province
-- which includes the the resistance centers of Fallujah and
Ramadi -- is politically lost. He said that "there is
almost nothing the US military can do to improve the political
and social situation there." President Bush stated in
his speech today that the situation is Al Anbar is not important.
From the Pentagon, Anastasia Gnezditskaia has more.
[top]
Iraqi Politicians On Capital Hill (4:00)
Republicans and Democrats are dueling with political rhetoric
over the strategy in Iraq, as both parties wish to score points
in the campaign season. This week, embattled Republican Christopher
Shays of Connecticut produced Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish politicians
who want the US military to stay in Iraq. Yanmei Xie has the
story on Capitol Hill.
[top]
House Of Representatives Votes For Fence On US-Mexico
Border (3:00)
The House of Representatives passed a bill last night that
would construct nearly 700 miles of fence along the US Mexico
border. Critics say the move was opportunistic and will have
little practical effect. Leigh Ann Caldwell reports from Washington.
[top]
One Year Since Israel's Withdrawl From Gaza
(2:10)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said this week he plans
to send a Palestinian delegation to the United Nations General
Assembly next week to revive the long-stalled “road
map” peace plan. The internationally backed road map,
a staged plan that calls for the creation of a Palestinian
state alongside Israel, was launched by U.S. President George
W. Bush with great fanfare at a summit in Aqaba, Jordan, in
June 2003. But neither the Palestinians nor Israel met their
initial obligations, and the plan never got off the ground.
The announcement comes almost exactly one year after Israel
unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip September12, 2005.
Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.
[top]
Protesting For Public Health In England
(2:00)
In Britain, the campaign against the privatization of public
health services has been boosted by a court case victory by
a 67 year old retiree; she reversed the awarding of a public
health contract to the European branch of America's biggest
private healthcare company, United Health. Demonstrations
and other actions are being stepped up across the country
as the campaign gathers momentum. From London, Naomi Fowler
reports:
[top]
Day On Pencils Remembered In Argentina (4:00)
On Saturday, Argentina will mark 30 years since the military
operation known as the Night of the Pencils, when the military
kidnapped and disappeared 20 high school students from the
city of La Plata as part of a plan to get rid of political
dissidents during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. Witnesses
say the students were taken to a detention center and torture
facility that has been a site of contention for many years.
Human rights groups say that the Buenos Aires Governor wants
to prevent human rights organizations from holding a vigil
on Saturday for the disappeared at the former clandestine
detention center.... Marie Trigona reports from Buenos Aires.
[top]
|
Listen
to the show 
Help
stream
download
