Newscast for Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Civil rights groups critical of increased airport security measures
Increased security measures at airports are meeting with mixed reaction. Not all airports have fully implemented the new protocol. And civil liberties groups argue that more screening might not make airline passengers safer. FSRN's Tanya Snyder has more.

New report calls for sweeping changes in how intelligence is gathered and used in Afghanistan
A top NATO intelligence official is calling for "sweeping changes" in the way intelligence is gathered and used in Afghanistan. US Major General Michael Flynn wants to overhaul the intelligence system there. The Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence in Afghanistan and two others co-authored a report released yesterday that outlines the problems and presents some broad reforms.

To discuss the report, we're joined by William Banks. He's the Director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism at Syracuse University.

Link to report, Fixing Intel: A Blue Print for Making Intelligence Relevant in Afghanistan, at the Center for a New American Security

Democrats begin finalizing health care bill with key issues still unresolved
On Capitol Hill, discussions regarding health care resume today. Democratic Leadership is meeting with President Obama this evening to figure OUT a way to move forward. One option lawmakers are discussing is to bypass the traditional conference committee. One progressive member of Congress calls that “undemocratic.” FSRN’s Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.

New rules for asylum seekers go into effect this week
New immigration rules go into effect this week for people seeking asylum in the United States. It's part of the overhaul of the US detention system announced by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano last summer.

Previously, many asylum seekers were put into detention - sometimes for many years - while their cases were pending. Mary Giovagnoli is the Director of the Immigration Policy Center and specializes in asylum law.

"For years advocate have been arguing that it is important to release as many of these folks as possible so that they can pursue their case in a way that allows them to participate in preparing their case and recognizes that many of these folks are people who are fleeing persecution and fleeing very horrible conditions in their own country. So keeping them detained and, unfortunately, sometimes keeping them detained with criminals, it further adds to the injury and harm that they've suffered."

Under the new guidelines, people who are determined to have credible fear of persecution or torture in their own country, and who don't pose flight risks or a danger to the community, will be granted parole from detention. The guidelines also mandate that asylum seekers be automatically considered for parole.

In announcing the new asylum guidelines, Assistant Secretary John Morton said they are committed to effective detention alternatives for non-violent, non-criminal detainees. Immigration experts like Giovagnoli welcome the changes, but say compliance is necessary if they're going to work.

"The difficulty is that frequently these kinds of policy changes only really work if they are embraced by the people who have to enforce them on the day to day front line and that requires a real commitment from the agency to really help educate and train people about the wisdom and the benefits of these kinds of changes, otherwise sometimes people are resentful or they don’t understand why this is a better way to deal with these complicated issues. So I applaud ICE for the progress that they’re making and I just really hope that they’re able to sustain it and make the changes stick."

The new asylum guidelines went into effect Tuesday.

Immigrant advocates push for regulation of remittance system
Immigrant advocates are pushing to reform the multi-billion dollar remittance system. They say companies like Western Union and Money Gram lack accountability and they’re pushing for federal protection and regulation for migrants who send money home to relatives. FSRN reporter Jaisal Noor brings us this story from New York.

Mumia Abu Jamal: From how to why
Mumia Abu-Jamal sends us this radio commentary from death row in Pennsylvania.