Archive - Aug 11, 2009

• Healthcare reform could increase shortage of primary care doctors
• Amidst violence and attacks on candidates Afghanistan prepares for August elections
• Ruta Inka brings the world to the Andes mountains
• Myanmar´s military junta condemns Aung San Suu Kyi to 18 more months of house arrest
• South American leaders concerned over US-Colombia military deal

• Two more human rights workers found dead in Chechnya
• New US drone attacks in Pakistan kill 14
• Riots in Paris following death of teen lead to fears of wider unrest
• Palestinian election results: New faces abound in Fatah
• CA budget lawsuit strives to restore funding for social services
• Judiciary Committee releases US attorney firing documents

President Obama was on the defensive as he backed his health reform proposal today. He held a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire attempting to set the record straight on his proposals.

“There are legitimate concerns about the public option. I think it’s a good idea but I understand some people just philosophically think that if you set up a public option that that will drive private insurers out. I think that´s a legitimate concern I disagree with it, but you know that´s a legitimate debate to have. But everyone understand though, the status quo is not working for you.”

Protestors continued their vocal opposition, lining the streets outside the venue where President Obama spoke.  

Meanwhile, in Washington DC, a conference on primary care addressed the shortage of primary care doctors in the US. As FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports, the shortages are long-standing and could be more severe if more people gain access to the health care system.

Three US troops and a Polish soldier fighting for NATO forces died in Afghanistan over the past three days, as NATO continues its efforts to uproot Taliban militants from Southern Afghanistan.

As the fighting continues, Afghanistan prepares for presidential and local council elections next week.  Today Afghan authorities announced plans to hire 10,000 tribesmen to secure polls in 21 Afghan provinces during next week´s elections.   The tribesmen will not be armed by the government but they will carry their own weapons.

Several candidates have already been threatened by militants and there have been attacks against some campaign teams. FSRN'S Zubair Babakarkhail has the story from Kabul.

An unusual expedition that began in Colombia last month will wrap up tomorrow in Ecuador.  Andean communities in South America are taking young people from all over the world to the Andes to raise awareness about the Inca people´s culture and history. FSRN´s Natalia Viana joined the Ruta Inka, as they passed through the Colombian highlands.

In Myanmar, also known as Burma, the military junta sentenced democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 18 more months of house arrest.

Suu Kyi has been in detention for 13 of the past 20 years. Her latest trial began in May after an uninvited American activist swam more than a mile across a lake to Suu Kyi´s heavily guarded home in Rangoon.  The junta said because of the incident, Suu Kyi violated the terms of her house arrest.

Western governments and human rights groups harshly criticized the trial and today´s decision.  Amnesty International called it a “shameful” sentence and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the release of Suu Kyi, the American John Yettaw and more than 2,000 political prisoners.

Lawyers for Suu Kyi filed a petition with the United Nations today, saying her continued detention is a violation of international law.  To learn more about the human rights situation in Burma and the politics behind Suu Kyi´s verdict, FSRN contacted Aung Zaw.  Mr Zaw is a Burmese journalist living in exile in Thailand, where he edits the news website Irawaddi.  He spoke to us about the reaction in Myanmar.

FSRN recently reported on growing concerns in South America in response to US plans to use seven military bases in Colombia. The presidents of nine South American countries convened in Ecuador Monday to discuss the issue, but they were unable to reach a common response.

Monday´s meeting was part of a summit of the Union of South American Countries or UNASUR, an organization that oversees security issues in South America. Venezuela´s President Chavez was one of the most outspoken participants. He said the US military presence in Colombia could be used to launch attacks against Venezuela.

“This can generate a war.  The winds of war are beginning to blow in South America. It would be very painful for us to end up in a war, I would  go to war crying, but I would go because Venezuela has its dignity.”

Venezuela and Bolivia sought a declaration to condemn Colombia for offering use of its bases to the United States.  But other countries refrained from much making such a statement. The South American leaders agreed to discuss this issue at a meeting in Argentina later this month.  Brazilian President Lula da Silva, went one step further.

“We think that at some moment UNASUR should invite the US government to hold a profound discussion about their relation with South America.”

Colombia´s President Uribe did not attend Monday´s meeting because he said it focused solely on Colombia and failed to address broader security issues like drug trafficking and the growing arms trade in South America.  Uribe did send his Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Constanza Gomez defended Colombia´s decision to allow the US military to use bases in Colombia.

“There will not be US military bases in Colombia. We have not asked for them and the US is not planning to build them either. These bases will continue to be Colombian bases under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Colombian state.”

Colombia says US equipment and personnel will be deployed to the bases to help fight drug trafficking.  The US currently uses a military base in Manta, Ecuador for such purposes. But its lease runs out in November and the contract was not renewed by the Ecuadorean government.