Archive - Dec 2008

The US Department of Homeland Security has been rushing to complete 670 miles of border barriers by the end of 2008. DHS plans to install nearly 110 miles of 18 foot high concrete and steel structures along the Texas/Mexico border, but something has put construction behind schedule: local opposition. In this exclusive FSRN documentary, we travel with Shannon Young to the Texas-Mexico border to hear from locals about their take on the physical barrier slated to divide the region's sister cities.

• Israel Continues Attack
• Dignity Hit
• Argentina Protests Israeli Offensive
• Protests Against Fighting in Gaza Across the US
• Pakistan Strikes Tribal Areas
• Top Censored Stories

• Blagojevich Names Senate Successor – Democratic Caucus Says It Won't Seat
• Bangladesh Poll Results
• ACLU Asks Court to Block Arkansas Gay Adoption Ban
• Businesses Push Secret Balloting on Unionization
• DHS Asks for Land Grab for Border Fence
• 747 Flies on Veggie Fuel

Isreal's air strikes on Gaza continues into day 4. Isreali Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says officials are considering a 48 hour ceasefire but that the air strikes are the first stage of an attack approved by the the Israeli security cabinet. The Israeli attack has killed an estimated 368 people, including dozens of children according to Gaza health officials. Another 1700 are wounded, some seriously. Palestinian militants killed 2 Isrealis. FSRN Reporter Rami Al-Meghari live in Gaza. Israeli planes struck his home town today. He spoke to us about the situation on the ground.

Meanwhile, a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza was hit by the Isreali Navy. The ship called Dignity was in international waters when passengers say it was attacked. Witnesses say several Israeli warships surrounded the boat and fired ammunition around it, then rammed it three times. There were 16 passengers on the boat including physicians from Britain, Germany and Cyprus along with human rights activists, including former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney. The ship was on it way to assessing the impact of Isreal's military strikes on the civilian population. After being hit by the Isreal navy the boat made it's way to Tyre, Lebanon.

Around the world communities are calling for an end to the Israeli attacks against occupied Gaza. FSRN's Marie Trigona reports from actions in Buenos Aires.

Across the US, crowds are gathering to protest the Israeli bombing of the Hamas-run Gaza strip. Demonstrations began last night in some cities, and continue today in a national day of action. FSRN will brings you voices from two of these demonstrations on opposite sides of the country. First, we go to Melinda Tuhus in Washington, DC.