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> Fri., Oct. 27, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Third Party Candidates Face Challenges
France Fears Repeat of Riots
Oaxaca: Striking Teachers Set Conditions for Return to Work
Drag Conference Takes on Austin
Violence in Run-Up to DRC Election
FSRN Headlines
AFGHANISTAN
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met with President
Bush today in an Oval Office meeting that focused on efforts
to stem this year's surge in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan.
Afghan officials say that dozens of civilians were killed
this week in a NATO military strike against suspected Taliban
insurgents. The NATO chief defended the mission in Afghanistan.
(sound) “Civilian victims are a tragedy, but we are
there in favor of democracy, they are there to destroy democracy
and they are there to destroy our values. When, in those actions
of NATO, those brave NATO soldiers, civilians are killed,
as happened two days ago, that’s always a tragedy.”
Villagers fled the southern region by car and donkey, and
hundreds attended a funeral for about 20 people buried in
a mass grave. The civilian death toll, estimated by Afghan
officials at between 30 and 85, including many women and children,
is among the highest in foreign military action in the region
since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Afghan President Hamid
Karzai has repeatedly condemned civilian deaths caused by
Western forces. A week ago, after nine villagers were killed
during another NATO operation in Kandahar province, he urged
the alliance to use "maximum caution" to avoid civilian
casualties.
CHENEY – TORTURE
Vice President Cheney said this week that dunking terrorism
suspects in water during questioning was a "no-brainer,"
prompting complaints from human rights advocates that he was
endorsing the use of a controversial technique known as waterboarding
on prisoners held by the United States. Conservative talk
radio host Scott Hennen asked the Vice President if he QUOTE
would agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save
lives?" Cheney replied: "Well, it's a no-brainer
for me, but for a while there, I was criticized as being the
vice president for torture. We don't torture. That's not what
we're involved in." Today President Bush said that America
is questioning suspects without violating laws on torture.
(sound) “This country doesn’t torture, we’re
not going to torture, uh, we will interrogate people we pick
up off the battlefield to determine whether or not they’ve
got information that will be helpful to protect the country.”
A top U-N expert on human rights is coming down hard on the
anti-terrorism law signed by President Bush this month. The
Military Commissions Act sets terms for the interrogation
and trial of terror suspects. The U-N's Martin Scheinin says
the measure is "incompatible" with U-S human rights
and humanitarian obligations. Scheinin, who's a legal expert
from Finland, says the new law gives an American president
the power to declare anyone, including U-S citizens, "an
unlawful enemy combatant" and detain them with no recourse
in a civilian court.
INDIA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW
A new law in India protecting women against domestic violence
is set to empower them in a patriarchal Indian society. Binu
Alex has more.
CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
The Bush administration is considering proposals that would
make it harder for legal immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.
Yanmei Xie has the story in Washington DC.
[top]
Third Party Candidates Face Challenges
(3:58)
Across the nation, at all level of government, third party
candidates are running for office. You don’t hear much
about them though—America’s two-party system poses
serious challenges to the candidates who try to work outside
it. FSRN‘s Leigh Ann Caldwell has more:
[top]
France Fears Repeat of Riots (4:22)
One year ago today, Paris teenagers Zyed Benna and Bouna
Traore were electrocuted after climbing into an electrical
sub-station in the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois, in what locals
say was an attempt to hide from police. The deaths set the
immigrant-filled French suburbs ablaze. In 3 weeks, rioters
burned schools, gymnasiums, libraries, public offices, and
nearly 10,000 cars. Police arrested almost 3000 people. One
year later, French authorities fear the anniversary could
trigger another outbreak. Raphaël Krafft reports from
Paris.
[top]
Oaxaca: Striking Teachers Set Conditions for Return
to Work (4:20)
Striking school teachers in Oaxaca have voted in their state
assembly meeting to go back to their classrooms as early as
Monday if Mexico's Interior Secretary can make basic guarantees.
They want their physical safety protected, their back-wages
paid, the people who’ve been imprisoned during their
conflict with authorities released, and reparations for family
members of those killed during the political upheaval. The
teachers' representatives are set to meet with Mexico’s
Interior Secretary later this afternoon. Meanwhile in Oaxaca
City, members of the popular movement are blockading major
streets throughout the day as another battle takes place over
the city's airwaves. Shannon Young reports.
[top]
Drag Conference Takes on Austin (4:30)
In 1999, a group of drag kings in Columbus, Ohio, banded
together with artists and community members to form the International
Drag King (Community) Extravaganza. This annual event allows
women who perform and sometimes live as men, to come together
with their fans and supporters. This year the Extravaganza
was held below the Mason Dixon line for the first time. FSRN
Reporter Rachel Clarke files this report from Austin, Texas.
[top]
Violence in Run-Up to DRC Election (3:10)
Voters in THE Democratic Republic of the Congo head to the
polls this weekend for a runoff election that pits incumbent
President Joseph Kabila against former rebel leader Jean Pierre
Bemba. Under a power-sharing agreement that ended years of
violent conflict, Bemba is currently Kabila's vice president.
When the first round of voting did not produce a definite
winner, days of street battles ensued between Kabila's personal
security forces and Bemba loyalists. On Friday, reuters reported
that at least four people died in factional violence in the
town of Gbadolite, when a son of the late Congolese ruler
Mobutu Sese Seko was trapped in a radio station where he had
gone to campaign on behalf of President Kabila. Joshua Kyalimpa
reports from neighboring Uganda.
[top]
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