September 16, 2004
Headlines (5:00)
Annan Says Iraq Invasion Illegal
The United Nations Secretary General has come the closest to declaring the U.S. led invasion of Iraq illegal. Coalition members are criticizing the comments. Anastasia Kershaw reports from London.
Bush Names Defense Contractor to Run Army
George W. Bush has nominated a defense industry executive as the new Secretary of the Army. Mitch Jeserich reports from DC.
CA Oil Co. Faces Human Rights Abuse Charges
A California judge is allowing a lawsuit to proceed against Unocal alleging the oil company is responsible for human rights abuses committed by the Burmese military. Kellia Ramares explains from Oakland.
Civil Servants Strike in South Africa
Today, tens of thousands of civil servants started their largest strike in South Africa to date; with the General Secretary of the Congress of South African trade unions calling for workers to continue next Monday and Tuesday. Na’eem Jeenah reports from Johannesburg.
Features
US Torturing Iraqis in Mosul Prison? (4:13)
As we reported this week on FSRN, new torture allegations inside another Iraqi jail have arisen, this time from detainees being held in Mosul. British attorney Phil Shiner says that he has evidence that American soldiers in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul beat and stripped detainees, threatened sexual abuse and forced them to listen to loud western music. No US media has yet reported on the allegations that were first revealed on Tuesday. Mr Shiner speaks exclusively to FSRN.
Soldier Speaks out About Serving in Iraq (3:47)
A U.S. federal judge yesterday ordered the Bush administration to produce a list of all documents pertaining to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal following an ACLU request for 70 documents detailing the treatment and deaths of detainees while in U.S. custody in Iraq. On Aug. 17 the judge had ordered the government to start producing the documents, but none have yet been released. Meanwhile more returning soldiers are beginning to speak out about their experiences serving in Iraq. FSRN Host Deepa Fernandes speaks with Mr. Richard Murphy, a Specialist in the US Army Reserves, who enlisted following September 11, 2001 and was sent to Iraq in May 2003. Murphy was stationed in Iraq for 15 months, including several months as an MP (Military Police) at Abu Ghraib Prison.
March for Education in CA (4:17)
Yesterday, a small group of UC Santa Cruz students set out on an 8 day march for education to highlight budget cuts and lagging student enrollment. The trek from San Jose, CA to UC Berkeley will take participants to 17 different university and community college campuses in an effort to dialogue with students, faculty, & staff. FSRN’s Vinny Lombardo reports from the march.
Whistleblower’s Conference: Expose Government Cover-Ups (3:11)
Katharine Gun, the GCHQ translator who leaked details of a British-American operation to tap UN communications before the invasion of Iraq, yesterday announced that she is setting up a support group for potential whistleblowers. Gun, who was arrested for publicizing classified information, has been speaking out, urging would-be whistleblowers to contact her new Truth-Telling Coalition. Whistleblowers have come under particular attack in the post Iraq war context, and as FSRN’s Tom Allen reports, a gathering in Washington DC has called for more people to come forward and expose the lies of the Bush Administration.
Exposing Bush’s Environmental Record (3:49)
An ex-EPA chief has lashed out at President Bush saying this Administration has weakened environmental laws. Russell Train, who headed the EPA under Presidents Nixon and Ford, called the Bush administration’s environmental record over the past four years appalling and filled with paybacks to special interests. This comes as one of the nation’s largest environmental and advocacy group has released a report outlining how the Bush administration has chipped away at environmental protections that impact our drinking water, our coasts, and our health. Dolores M. Bernal from the DC Radio Coop has more.
