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> Thur., Oct. 19, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
U.S. Military Deaths Mount in Iraq
Former Congressional Clerk Testifies in Foley Investigation
Isreali Attacks Kill Four in Gaza
New Reports Show Media Consolidation is Bad News
Chile: High School Students Mobilize for Educational Reform
Icelanders Protest New Dam
FSRN Headlines
MEXICAN SENATE WILL NOT REMOVE UNPOPULAR GOVERNOR
Tens of thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of Oaxaca
City today after Mexico's Senate opened a session on Oaxaca
that did not include articles of impeachment against the state's
unpopular governor. Vladimir Flores reports from Oaxaca City.
In a late night session, the Governance Committee of Mexico's
Senate voted against including the impeachment of Governor
Ulises Ruiz in its recommendations to the larger Senate body.
The Senate's refusal to remove the governor runs counter to
overwhelming popular will in Oaxaca. Citizens here have mobilized
in unprecedented numbers and have tried everything, from petition
drives to blocking highways, to force the governor to step
down. The Senate's decision came just hours after the latest
drive-by assassination of a member of the popular movement.
Indigenous elementary school teacher, Pánfilo Hernández
became the ninth fatality in the state's political crisis
when gunmen opened fire from a car as the teacher left a neighborhood
meeting in Oaxaca City. The Popular Assembly of the People
of Oaxaca has declared a maximum alert in light of widespread
rumors that the PRI party of Governor Ulises Ruiz has been
recruiting people to dismantle the city's protest encampments
by force. Oaxaca City, Vladimir Flores, Free Speech Radio
News.
REMITTANCES HIT RECORD HIGH
A study released today by the Inter-American Development Bank
has found that Latin American migrants in the US will send
a record $45billion to their home countries this year. The
figure represents a 50% increase over the total sent in 2004.
Remittances sent from the state of New Mexico alone have increased
260 percent in the past 2 years. The study found that 73 percent
of all Latin American adults living in the US send money back
home, equaling on average 10% of personal income. Three out
of five migrants qualify as "working poor" in the
US.
ARGENTINES STILL SEARCHING FOR MISSING WITNESS
Human rights groups rallied throughout Argentina yesterday
for the safe return of a missing witness whose testimony helped
convict a former police officer of crimes committed during
Argentina's military dictatorship. FSRN's Marie Trigona has
more from Buenos Aires.
Thousands marched in Buenos Aires's center yesterday to press
for direct access to information into the provincial police's
investigation into disappearance of Jorge Julio Lopez. Lopez,
a retired construction worker and former political prisoner,
disappeared one month ago just hours before he was slated
to give his final testimony on the eve of the conviction of
the former police investigator, Miguel Etchecolatz. Human
rights groups are demanding that the government release state
intelligence documents that could help point to groups possibly
connected to Lopez's disappearance and wave of threats against
torture survivors testifying in the ongoing trials of former
members of the dictatorship. Ruben Gonzalez, activist from
H.I.J.O.S. - an organization of children of the disappeared
- was forced into an unmarked car by four men on Tuesday,
who beat him while showing him pictures of activists and asking
for their names. The kidnapers took his fingerprints before
releasing him 2 hours later. Groups have organized teach-ins
and say intimidation will not stop them from testifying in
the dictatorship trials. For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Marie
Trigona in Buenos Aires.
LANDMINES REPORT
A new report released at the United Nations by a coalition
of anti landmine groups suggests that unexploded Israeli cluster
bombs continue to kill innocent civilians in southern Lebanon.
Haider Rizvi reports from the United Nations.
The report released by Land mines Action, a London-based
group says that unexploded Israeli cluster bombs continue
to kill and maim three to four innocent civilians every day.
The report accuses Israelis of using hundreds of thousands
of small cluster bombs during the last three days of its war
on Lebanon. UN officials working at the Department of Peacekeeping
say findings of the report reflect the reality on the ground.
One official told FSRN that it might take more than a year
to clean up the areas littered with cluster weapons. Both
the UN and civil society groups have called for an international
ban on the use of cluster bombs, but the US, UK, Israel and
Russia are trying to block diplomatic efforts to adopt a treaty
against the use of such weapons. For FSRN, I'm Haider Rizvi
at the United Nations.
LEAKED REPORT ON ETHIOPIAN MASSACRE
A leaked report claims that Ethiopian security forces massacred
193 people in two waves of protests following the country's
most recent presidential election. A high level judge leaked
the findings of the independent report, which had been commissioned
by Ethiopia's parliament. Opposition activists say the ruling
party rigged the May 2005 presidential election. Massive street
demonstrations followed in June and later in November. Ethiopian
authorities rounded up over 100 high-profile opposition figures
and journalists during the November 2005 protests. They remain
in custody awaiting trial on charges of genocide and treason.
[top]
U.S. Military Deaths Mount in Iraq
More than 70 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq
in the last three weeks, making October one of the deadliest
months for US troops since the war started. But the brunt
of the bloodshed is born by Iraqis. US Defense Department
statistics show that in the past three month, on average 120
Iraqi soldiers were killed everyday. And that count does not
include the Iraqi civilians slain on a daily basis. A US General
says the military is reassessing its strategy. Yanmei Xie
has more from Washington.
[top]
Former Congressional Clerk Testifies in Foley Investigation
Former congressional clerk Jeff Trandahl answered questions
from the House Ethics Committee today. Trandahl once supervised
the congressional page program, and allegedly tried to halt
then-Congressman Foley’s sexual advances on teenage
pages. Trandahl’s testimony could show republican leaders
did not intervene to correct Foley’s misconduct. Jon
Nichols, the political writer for The Nation magazine, says
the festering scandal has begun to drive away parts of the
Republican party’s voting base:
“ I think it caused an awful lot of people who were
casual Republican voters and thought that the Republican vote
was a moral values vote, and often dismissed their own economic
concerns to go that moral values route, to open their eyes--and
open their eyes to the fact that the Republican Party has
really let them down on economic issues, and the war in Iraq.
We see in polling that as many as 10% of evangelicals may
not vote at all, and a substantial portion of them are seriously
considering voting Democrat.”
With less than three weeks to go until mid-term elections,
Nichols says the scandal has paralyzed key elements of the
Republican campaign machine:
“some of the Republican congressional caucuses most
powerful players are unable to go out and campaign for their
candidates. Dennis Hastert has been specifically asked not
to come into districts across the country. John Bainer has
been asked not to come in. Tom Reynolds--the head of the Republican
Congressional Campaign Committee, who may lose his seat as
a result of this scandal--has been asked not to come in and
campaign.”
In related news, an elderly priest acknowledged today that
he was naked in saunas with Mark Foley when the former congressman
was a boy in Florida. The comments came after the Sarasota
Herald-Tribune published a story alleging the priest had an
inappropriate relationship with Foley for two years, that
included massaging the boy in the nude. Foley’s lawyer
has said his client was alcoholic, gay, and had been molested
as a boy by a “clergyman”—the priest, the
reverend Anthony Mercieca, denies the two had sex.
[top]
Isreali Attacks Kill Four in Gaza
In two separate attacks Wednesday, the Israeli army killed
four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and dozens of tanks moved
into the vicinity of Rafah terminal crossing. These developments
came after Israel warned it might expand its military operations
in Gaza, to prevent Palestinian resistance factions from smuggling
weapons through tunnels in Rafah.
[top]
New Reports Show Media Consolidation is Bad News
A series of new reports show that further consolidation
of the media will reduce diversity in local news. The Federal
Communications Commission is currently holding hearings on
its proposal to relax media ownership rules—today’s
reports were released in advance of a community-organized
hearing on the changes in New York. FSRN’s Leigh Ann
Caldwell reports.
[top]
Chile: High School Students Mobilize for Educational
Reform
In Chile High School students are mobilizing over educational
reform. Demonstrations began last weekend when young people
shut down a number of Santiago high schools. Students say
if their demands are not met they will continue to mobilize.
From Santiago, FSRN's Jorge Garretón reports.
[top]
Icelanders Protest New Dam
Late last month, the largest demonstration in the history
of Iceland took place. An estimated 15,000 people across the
country took to the streets to protest the damning of 2 glacial
rivers in the pristine wilderness of east Iceland. The dam
won't provide any power to the people of Iceland—INSTEAD,
IT will power a new aluminum smelter being built by US based
multinational ALCOA. Many Icelanders are concerned that the
largest area of untouched land in Europe is being sold off
to the lowest bidder. FSRN's Andrew Stelzer reports from Reykjavik.
[top]
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