October 27, 2004
Headlines
Texas Kills Again
Texas executed its 18th prisoner of 2004 during the night, despite pleas by relatives of the murder victim to spare his life. From KPFT in Houston, Renee Feltz reports.
Peasants Remain in Argentine Detention
Five peasants in Argentina, two of them minors, remain in detention following their arrest earlier this week. Mat Goldin has more from Buenos Aires.
Latino Coalition Endores Bush
With the election just 6 days away, President Bush has received official support from a bipartisan group representing a wide range of Hispanic organizations. Katie Murray is in Washington DC.
Amnesty International Report on Rape in the DRC
A prominent human rights group is decrying the use of rape as a tool of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rupert Cook has the story.
“Caging Lists” of Black Voters in Florida?
An independent investigative BBC journalist is accusing Republican Party officials in Florida of creating lists of predominately African American voters to use for potential challenges to their voting rights on Election Day. Randi Zimmerman reports from Tampa.
Features
US Troops to Attack Fallujah? -:48
British troops have begun moving north from Basra to take up position near Baghdad freeing up U.S. troops for what is widely expected to be a major assault on the city of Fallujah. Eman Khammas, former director of Occupation Watch in Baghdad, tells FSRN that the Iraqi government today announced they will not be negotiating with people in Fallujah.
Rumsfeld Sued Over Detainee Torture -4:14
Six months after CBS aired photos of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, Amnesty International today blasted the Bush administration for not conducting a complete independent investigation into the torture of detainees. The human rights group says the absence of such a probe will allow conditions to persist for further abuses to occur. In a 200 page report, Amnesty International notes Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized stripping, isolation, hooding, stress positions and the use of dogs in interrogations. The report also states Rumsfeld authorized the keeping so called ghost detainees from the International Committee of the Red Cross. And as Mitch Jeserich reports, lawyers of four former detainees at Guantanamo Bay filed a lawsuit against Rumsfeld and other top officials for the torture detainees faced there as well.
Plans to Protest another Stolen Election -3:48
Plans are already underway for protests following the November 2nd election in case of voter disenfranchisement or fraud. Election irregularities are seen as likely given problems in the 2000 presidential election, that this race is also extremely close and especially given the current reports of suppression efforts in key states. Jenny Johnson reports.
New Police Powers in Sydney, Australia -2:41
Civil rights groups have reacted with concern to proposed counter-terrorism surveillance laws announced by the Australia’s biggest state, New South Wales, which would hand increased powers to the police to tap people’s homes and monitor prisoner’s communications. Erica Vowles in Sydney has this report.
Local Virginia Police Arrest Immigrant Workers -2:00
Latino immigrant workers and community allies rallied Tuesday in Woodbridge Virginia, south of DC, to denounce the arrests of over 25 of their fellow day laborers. Advocates fear this may be the first application of a new Virginia law that allows local police to act as immigration officers. Darby Hickey of the DC Radio Coop reports.
Fighting Fraud Against Immigrants -4:30
Consumer and immigration fraud are becoming more common in immigrant communities. These fraudulent businesses are filling the gaps for much needed services for immigrants. As FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, there’s a campaign in New York to warn immigrants and crack down on these fraudulent services.
Mumia Commentary: The Other Side -2:40
