April 11, 2003
Turkish role in Iraq (3:03)
US military officials today announced they have secured all of Northern Iraq’s main oil facilities. The oil under the city of Kirkukk in Northern Iraq, is estimated to be some of the most valuable and untapped resources in the world. British Petroleum estimates its worth to be $100 billion U-S dollars. This as Turkish Nationalist Protesters hit the streets in Ankara demanding the Turkish Army invade Iraq to oust Kurdish fighters who took North Iraq’s two largest cities, Kirkukk and Mosul, from Saddam Hussein. Turks and Kurds have a history of ethnic tensions, just 3 years ago, Turkish and Kurdish separatist fighters ended a 20 year war, killing at least 30,000 people. But as Ezgi Siritas reports form Ankara, initial reports say the Kurdish fighters are pulling out of Kirkukk and are preparing to leave Mosul.
Update from Mosul (3:28)
As the new US run television station “Toward Freedom” started broadcasting images of President Bush and Blair with messages of “liberation and freedom”, lawlessness still grips Iraq. In Breaking NEWS the BBC is reporting renewed fighting along the Syrian border at Qaim. The BBC also reports that there is widespread looting still throughout Baghdad and now the Northern Iraqi city of Mosul. US secretary of Defense today said “looting is a part of the transition process in Iraq”. We go now to independent journalist Rex Wempen who joins us from Mosul.
Indians Lingering in Gulf (3:08)
The attack on Iraq is personal for many Indian Muslims, many of whom have relatives working in Middle Eastern countries. Thousands of Indians migrate every year to the Middle East, due to economic necessity. While most returned to India when the US attacked Iraq, there are some who remained. Members of one of India’s Muslim sects, the Dawoodi Bohra community, say they will not return back to India from the Gulf until they are given orders by their spiritual leader. Binu Alex reports from the town of Lunawada in Gujarat, where more than thousand Dawoodi Bohra families await news of their relatives.
Welfare Victory in NYC (3:10)
It has been a week of victories for welfare recipients around the country. A federal court declared Michigan’s sweeping drug-testing program for welfare recipients unconstitutional while in NY, the City Council passed a landmark welfare bill that will allow people receiving public assistance to access training and education as part of their work requirement that mandates all welfare recipients to work in menial jobs. Ama Buadi reports from WBAI.
AIDS in Niger (5:35)
The House International Relations Committee has approved the International AIDS bill that would authorize $15 Billion over 5 years to fight global AIDS. In one month this bill will be before the full floor of the US house of Representatives. Although many AIDS activist organizations are pleased that the bill passed out of the Republican controlled committee, they worry that the Bush Administration will under-fund the Global Fund that has been created to fight AIDS. In fact, with the epidemic spreading at alarming rates worldwide, critics charge that the US contribution to the fund does not come close to addressing the grave needs. Dena Montague reports from the West African country of Niger.
