Headlines Package - October 31, 2008

• DNC Refugee Camp Looted and Burned
• Patraeus Leaves Position as Iraq Commander Amid Syrian Firestorm
• Protesters Respond En Masse to Italian Election Reform
• Federal Judge Upholds DC Traffic Stops

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DNC Refugee Camp Looted and Burned
Recent violence in the Democratic republic of Congo has displaced thousands of people, many of whom have fled to refugee camps.  But today, a expansive camp in the eastern part of the country has been looted and burned.   FSRN'S Joshua Kyalimpa has the story.
According to Roberta Russo of the UN High Commission for Refugees, the camp near the regional capital Goma was home to at least 50,000 people displaced by the latest fighting.   But the Commission has not placed blame on either side.   Intense fighting between the government and rebel forces has displaced an estimated 250,000 people. 60,000 have already made their way to the Uganda side of the border in the Kisoro district.  The fighting is igniting friction between the Tutsi ethnic group from which rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda comes - and the majority Hutu ethnic groups.  French and British foreign ministers are expected soon in Congo and Rwanda to begin mediation efforts.  Joshua Kyalimpa, FSRN, Uganda

Patraeus Leaves Position as Iraq Commander Amid Syrian Firestorm
Today US General David Patraeus officially left his post as commander of US forces in Iraq.  He will now take over US central command – which oversees the entire Middle East region and stretches to Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Patraeus leaves Iraq amid a firestorm over last weekend's US raid into Syria that killed eight civilians.  Syrians protested the attack yesterday in Damascus, forcing the US to close its embassy there.  Not surprisingly US-Syria relations are quite strained at the moment, with Syria calling the incursion a "terrorist aggression."   Syrian ambassador to the US, Imad Moustapha, spoke in Washington yesterday and connected last weekend's events to the US election.
"Some people within the administration believe it's time to reengage with Syria.  While others say, look this an election time.  We need to do something to remind the people we have crisis in Iraq, and we are fighting against Al Qaeda.  Let's do something, you know, Rambo-style."
He went on to say Syria has resigned itself there will be not diplomatic engagement with the US as long as the Bush Administration is in power.  Today Iran took up Syria's call and denounced the US raid.  And the Saudi news agency al-Arabiya has reported Syria has severed ties with Iraq over the issue.   The US maintains they killed a key member of the insurgency during the raid.

Protesters Respond En Masse to Italian Election Reform
The Italian government has passed a new education reform law that reduces the number of elementary school teachers, requires uniforms and allows schools to flunk students for poor behavior.  The move has drawn massive strikes and protests from educators and students alike.  From Italy, Federico Mastrogiovanni has more.
A national protest of students, professors and parents has been ongoing for weeks. But Thursday's union-led rally in Rome was the largest yet.  More than one and a half million people participated in the protest, which was largely peaceful, but disruptive to traffic.  Mobilizations have occurred in other cities as well – including Milan and Florence.  The Gelmini legislation, named for the minister of public education, calls for a 3-year cut of more than a billion euros to public schools.  The battle for the survival of the public school system – as many educators see this- is expected to continue in the next weeks.  Another massive protest and a huge strike is expected on November 17th in Rome and across the country.  For Free Speech Radio News, I'm Federico Mastrogiovanni in Rome, Italy.

Across the US this Halloween, states are diverting law enforcement resources to ensuring children don't come into contact with registered sex offenders.  Maryland, Indiana, Missouri among other states are requiring sex offenders to stay indoors, not hand out candy and in some cases, post signs on their homes turning children away.  As Ann Raber reports from Austin, several Texas counties are rounding up sex offenders and forcing them to spend Halloween night in jail or in county probation offices.

Approximately 86 sex offenders in Lubbock County who are on probation and have restrictions regarding minors, are required to attend a so-called "Halloween Education Program."   Lubbock County officials SAY the three-hour program serves a dual purpose: education, and keeping sex offenders away from children who are out trick or treating.  Large cities like El Paso and Houston are also beefing up patrols to check on registered sex offenders throughout the evening.  Critics call these measures a potential violation of civil rights and a waste of money and law enforcement labor. Scott Henson, A public policy researcher who writes about criminal justice in Texas, wrote that these Halloween Scare tactics, as he calls them, "mistarget resources on a night with one of the year's highest youth crime rates.  He goes on to say, "They increase the burdens of sex offender registration with no discernible public safety payoff."  In fact, by diverting resources they make the public less safe.  Since the round up and other measures only target those who are on probation or parole, the much-publicized restrictions don't apply to three quarters of registered sex offenders.  For FSRN in Austin, I'm Ann Raber

Federal Judge Upholds DC Traffic Stops
And finally a federal judge has upheld a traffic checkpoint program operated by police in Washington, DC.  The program targets high-crime neighborhoods and requires drivers to provide legal ID and state a destination before being allowed in.  The partnership for civil justice brought the suit, saying the stops were unconstitutional.