January 30, 2002
State of the Union, State of War
President George W Bush’s first State of the Union speech has prompted angry reactions from those singled out as “sponsors of terror” – particularly Iran and Iraq who, along with North Korea, were described as an “axis of evil”. Iran’s Foreign Minister said: “With these arrogant remarks, the American Government unmasks its true face and proves its desire to spread its hegemony through the entire world.” But the Congress’ leading Democrat Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said he believed Congress would support military action against Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Kata Mester reports from Washington.
S11 Victims to Want Compensation for Afghan Victims
About a dozen relatives of the September 11th attack victims have just returned from a trip to Afghanistan, reaching out to Afghan families who have lost innocent loved ones in the US led coalition bombing. The victims families met interim Afghan Leader Hamid Kharzai in Washington, DC yesterday. They spent this afternoon lobbying Congress to establish a compensation fund for the people accidentally affected by the bombing in Afghanistan. Joshua Chaffin reports from Capitol Hill:
INS Won’t Give All Detainees Names
A mixed reaction today by the Immigration and Naturalization service to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union which demands the state of New Jersey release the names and charges filed against hundreds of mostly Arabs and Muslims held secretly since they were rounded up in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Hundreds of detainees are being held in New Jersey jails, but the state of New Jersey says its up to the federal government to release the details of those being held as part of the national anti-terror probe. Robert Knight reports from New York.
Ohio to Put Innocent Man to Death?
Bob Pottinger says he murdered Monte Tewksbery when he robbed her King Kwik convience store in 1983. In a sworn affidavit and in again in this report Pottenger says he shot Tewksberry, while his accomplice in the robbery, John Byrd, was asleep in their truck. But in three weeks, the state of Ohio is set to execute Byrd for Tewksberry’s murder, as Evan Davis reports from Columbus.
Biased Media and the WEF
Thousands of students, activists, and trade unionists are converging on New York this week for what they hope will be large scale street protests targeting the World Economic Forum. Every year the WEF brings together hundreds of the world’s top business leaders and powerful politicians to shape the global agenda. The Forum usually meets in Davos, Switzerland, but this year shifted to New York, saying they wanted to show solidarity with the city after the September 11th attacks and boost the city’s economy. Demonstrators in the streets say they’ll be arguing peacefully, the WEF confab is designed to promote a agenda for corporate globalization that hurts workers and the environment. But that’s not the message New Yorkers are reading in their morning papers, as Geoff Brady reports.
