June 28, 2004
Headlines
On Sunday, in Mexico, an estimated 350,000 people, according to the ‘Salt Lake Tribune’, took part in a peaceful, silent protest march through the heart of Mexico City, to protest kidnappings, violent crimes and the failures of law enforcement to stop or fully investigate these crimes. The march was the largest in Mexico’s recent history. Marchers wore black ribbons in memory of victims killed during kidnappings and robberies – and rather than chant, protesters shared stories of people who had been victims of violent crime. Human rights groups say there has been a rise in the number of deaths of kidnap victims in the country – one estimate puts the number of those kidnapped at 4,000 between 1997 and 2003. Local reports say that the administration of President Vicente Fox is pushing for congress to give kidnappers longer jails terms and revamp the justice system.
Eleven states have filed a formal challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed mercury emissions reduction rule, which backs away from minimum requirements in the federal Clean Air Act and slows the timetable to achieve significant reductions of the highly toxic pollutant. Kathryn Krupnik has more:
At least 3 Israelis and 4 Palestinians were killed in a series of back and forth attacks today. Laila El Haddad reports:
This week, Secretary of State Colin Powell travels to Sudan under increasing pressure to recognize the genocide taking place in the country’s Darfur region. Andre Banks has more on this story:
Features
Iraqi Handover Two Days Early
A surprise ceremony marking the transfer of some powers of state from the occupation authority to an appointed Iraqi government took place this morning. U-S administrator Paul Bremer left the country by early afternoon, by which time interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi was on television vowing continued action against anti-occupation guerillas. David Enders has this report from Baghdad.
Allawai – A Profile
The man who’ll be running Iraq’s new government, Iyad Allawi, is a former Ba’athist and CIA Agent. Beginning in 1991, with an order signed by the first President Bush, Allawi and his organization the Iraqi National Accord were promoted by the Saudi Governement as the answer to Saddam Hussein and were funded by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Allawi, a former Iraqi intelligence chief, attempted a military coup in 1996, also funded by the CIA, but failed. FSRN’s Aaron Glantz has more on Iraq’ new Prime Minister.
US Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court issued its first major ruling effecting President Bush’s war on terror today. The High Court dealt the administration a set back in its detention policies with U.S. citizens and the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. While the court did rule the administration has the right to detain U.S. citizen Yasser Hamdi and 600 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, the Justices also ruled the detainees have the right to challenge their detentions in U.S courts. Mitch Jeserich has more from the Supreme Court.
Greens Choose David Cobb
In a closely fought race for the presidential endorsement of the Green Party, California lawyer David Cobb narrowly defeated Ralph Nader. In his acceptance speech at the convention this past weekend in Milwaukee Cobb said that Americans are living under a legal, economic and political system that is literally destroying the planet. (FSRN also speaks with Donna Warren – Coordinator with Green’s for Nader and member of the Pacifica National Board of Directors).
70,000 Rally in Argentina
More than 70.000 people took to the streets calling for justice on the second anniversary of the massacre of the Bridge Pueyrredon when the police murdered two piqueteros. Mat Goldin has more From Buenos Aires.
