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> Thu., Oct. 5, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Foley Scandal Continues - But Hastert Won’t Step Down
Key Democratic Senator Ready for Iraq Pull Out
New Report Indicates Injured Iraqi War Vets Suffer from PTSD
Bush Touts his No Child Left Behind Initiative
Audience Members Challenge Nuclear Weapons Labs Panel Representatives
Santa Cruz Voters Considers Raising Minimum Wage to $9.25
FSRN Headlines
NATO TAKES COMMAND IN ALL OF AFGHANISTAN
US-led forces handed over control of eastern Afghanistan today
to NATO. The handover now makes NATO responsible for security
throughout all of the country. NATO forces first took control
of southern provinces in late July. NATO has an estimated
31,000 troops in Afghanistan.
SHOOTING STANDOFF IN SRINAGAR
In Indian-administered Kashmir, ten people are dead after
an overnight gun battle between suspected guerrillas and police
in Srinagar. Shahnawaz Khan has more.
The gunfight began Wednesday when suspected suicide attackers
threw grenades at a Central Reserve Police Force Camp in the
heart of Srinagar. Resisted by the security personnel, the
gunmen entered a nearby hotel, thereby beginning a 26 hour
gunfight. The encounter ended in the afternoon today with
two attackers dead, along with 7 police and paramilitary personnel.
One civilian was also killed in the gunfight. Local news agencies
said guerrilla outfit Al Mansurain took responsibility for
the attack and said three gunmen had launched the attack of
which one returned to their base. Police in Srinagar denied
that anyone had escaped. For FSRN, I'm Shahnawaz Khan.
ARGENTINE PRISONERS END HUNGER STRIKE
More than 14,000 prisoners on hunger strike in jails throughout
the Buenos Aires province in Argentina have ended their protest
for fair sentencing regulations. FSRN's Marie Trigona has
more from Buenos Aires.
The hunger strike, which lasted 14 days, was called off after
judicial authorities agreed to rule that time spent in jail
should count as part of any eventual sentence. Many accused
criminals in Argentina spend years in prison awaiting trial.
Protesters were also demanding prisoners be released upon
completion of their sentence. The protest leaders report that
hundreds are still in jail after completing their sentences
due to corruption and slow courts. The hunger strike protest
for speedier sentencing began in a prison close to the capital
and quickly spread throughout jails in Greater Buenos Aires.
Human rights groups supported the prisoners' demands for an
overhaul in sentencing and improved conditions inside jails.
For Free Speech Radio News I'm Marie Trigona in Buenos Aires.
MILITARY OPERATIONS IN NIGER DELTA
As militants step up their attacks in the Niger Delta, the
Nigerian military has retaliated with a series of attacks
on villages in the region. Sam Olukoya reports from Lagos.
With gun boats and helicopters, the Nigerian Army has attacked
villages it believes local militants have been using as bases.
Villagers have been fleeing their homes to escape the assault.
In the last four days, militants fighting for control of the
oil resources in the Niger Delta have launched at least five
attacks on the business interests of key western oil companies.
The attacks have left 23 soldiers and one local oil worker
dead. Thirty foreign oil workers have been kidnaped within
the last four days. Some of them have been released. The Nigerian
Government has summoned military chiefs for crisis talks in
light of the escalating violence. Britain has, in the meantime,
asked its citizens not to make non-essential travels to the
Niger Delta. For Free Speech Radio News, this is Sam Olukoya
in Lagos.
GAS PIPELINE PROTESTS IN IRELAND
Construction work has begun on a controversial natural gas
pipeline in Ireland, despite widespread local opposition.
Maeve Conran reports from Dublin.
Protests have been taking place this week at Shell gas stations
across Ireland and at Shell Ireland Headquarters in Dublin
to show solidarity with local protesters in Rossport, Mayo,
on the West Coast of Ireland. Shell received permission two
years ago, to build a natural gas processing terminal on land
at Rossport, despite protests from locals over safety concerns.
Five local men were jailed for 3 months last Summer for obstructing
the construction of the pipeline. Shell Ireland recently announced
that it will alter the route of the gas pipeline to move it
away from houses in the Rossport area, but residents say this
does little to deal with larger safety concerns. Earlier this
week, a large police presence escorted construction workers
onto the work site and removed more than 100 protesters. For
Free Speech Radio News, this is Maeve Conran in Dublin.
RADIO STATIONS HANDED OVER IN OAXACA
Protesters in Oaxaca, Mexico have handed over the broadcast
facilities of the Radio Organization of Oaxaca. The building
houses the studios of three radio stations. It had been occupied
by anti-government protesters since August 21st. Protesters
continue to hold a separate AM station in Oaxaca City.
[top]
Foley Scandal Continues - But Hastert Won’t
Step Down (2:30)
Two new developments in the Mark Foley scandal are haunting
Republicans in Congress. The House Ethics Committee met and
formed a separate subcommittee to look into who knew what
and when about former Congressman Mark Foley’s contact
with teen Congressional Pages. The Ethics Committee will also
investigate if there are more members who have committed acts
similar to Foley’s. Howard Berman is Ranking Member
of the House Ethics Committee.
[top]
Key Democratic Senator Ready for Iraq Pull Out (3:18)
A key Democratic Senator says he stands firm behind a phased
troop withdrawal from Iraq. He spoke to reporters today on
Capitol Hill after a 5-day tour in Iraq. FSRN’s Yanmei
Xie has the story.
[top]
New Report Indicates Injured Iraqi War Vets Suffer
from PTSD (4:20)
A new report in this months issue of the American Journal
of Psychiatry found that large numbers of soldiers returning
from Iraq suffer post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those
who suffered sever physical injuries often developed PTSD
7 months after sustaining their injuries. Researchers found
that the injured soldiers likelihood of suffering from depression
and PTSD went up drastically over time following their homecoming.
Sargent Thomas Grieger is a professor of Psychiatry at the
Uniformed Services University at Bethesda Maryland, and co-authored
the report. He spoke with FSRN's Aaron Glantz.
[top]
Bush Touts his No Child Left Behind Initiative
(2:16)
President Bush returned his focus back to domestic issues
today. At Woodbridge Charter School in Washington DC, he touted
his No Child Left Behind Education initiative as a success.
Washington Editor Leigh Ann Caldwell has more.
[top]
Audience Members Challenge Nuclear Weapons Labs Panel
Representatives (3:42)
A recent panel discussion held at the University of New
Mexico focused on the ways in which the United States can
maintain its nuclear weapons stockpile in a safe, secure,
reliable and affordable way. But as Leslie Clark reports,
two nuclear weapons labs representative were challenged by
audience members.
[top]
Santa Cruz Voters Considers Raising Minimum Wage
to $9.25 (4:30)
Congress has repeatedly failed to bump up the minimum wage
- since 1997 it has remained at $5.15 per hour. Since then,
19 states and at least 3 cities have raised base pay rates
higher than the federal minimum, while scores more have enacted
living wage laws for government contractors. This November,
voters in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and
Ohio will decide whether or not to raise their own hourly
base pay. In Santa Cruz, California, the year's hottest election
issue is Measure G, a city-wide proposal to raise the minimum
wage to $9.25 per hour. FSRN's Vinny Lombardo examines the
measure’s potential impacts on the local economy.
[top]
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