Headlines Package - May 7, 2008

• $195 Billion War Supplemental to Head to the Floor of Congress
• San Diego Mayor Calls For Investigation into Blackwater Base Permit
• Colombia Extradites Former Paramilitary Leader to US
• Former Political Prisoner Assassinated in El Salvador

$195 Billion War Supplemental to Head to the Floor of Congress
Yet another War supplemental will head to the floor of Congress tomorrow. The bill calls for 195 billion dollars for the wars and for unemployment benefits and educational spending for veterans. Democrats supporting the bill hope that the social spending provisions will make it veto-proof but other Democrats who want to get out of Iraq say the bill should not pass at all. Karen Miller has more.

The supplemental will fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through next year while including language for troop withdrawal timelines. It also tacks on 11 billion dollars for unemployment benefits and 1 billion for expanding education benefits for veterans. Critics accuse the Democrats of using the bill for political gain by including education and unemployment measures in a bill that President Bush must sign to secure funding for the wars. The Progressive Democrats of America advocacy group has joined forces with congressional candidates to say enough is enough. They are canvassing next week to tell voters to cast their ballots only for candidates who will match their anti-war campaign rhetoric with their votes in Congress. Meanwhile, the White House continues to demand a (quote) "clean" supplemental with no social spending or timelines attached. The president is calling for the the bill to be on his desk by Memorial Day. For FSRN in Washington DC, I'm Karen Miller.

San Diego Mayor Calls For Investigation into Blackwater Base Permit
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is calling for an investigation into the process by which the private military contractor Blackwater obtained permission to operate out of a 61,000 square-foot compound in Otay Mesa...just 3 blocks from the border with Mexico. Blackwater allegedly used the names of two of its subsidiaries in the permit application to avoid the level of scrutiny that led to the denial of a similar request a few months ago in the town of Potrero. Mayor Sanders has requested a report back from the investigation by May 23rd.

Colombia Extradites Former Paramilitary Leader to US
A former Colombian paramilitary chief was extradited to the US early this morning. Carlos Jimenez, also known as "Macaco", will reportedly face charges of terrorism and drug trafficking. Manuel Rueda has more from Bogota.

Jimenez was flown out of the country shortly after midnight following a decision by Colombia's judicial council to authorize his extradition. The panel said that Jimenez had been conducting criminal activities from his jail cell, like organizing cocaine shipments to the US, violating of the peace agreement he signed when his battalion gave up its weapons. But the court's decision has angered human rights groups, who would rather Jimenez stay in Colombia to stand trial for war crimes and to provide reparation to his victims. Ivan Cepeda directs Movice, an association that represents victims of paramilitary violence. (clip) "In the United States, what we can do is explore the possibility of prosecution through the judicial cooperation agreement or also through civil lawsuits. We're going to investigate what is the most convenient and prudent measure to take." As head of the Bloque Central Bolivar, Jimenez allegedly masterminded the massacres of thousands of civilians while he fought against Colombia's FARC guerrillas. His men are also said to have forced thousands to flee their homes. Human right groups fear that US courts will only try Jimenez for his drug trafficking activities. Manuel Rueda, FSRN, Bogota.

Former Political Prisoner Assassinated in El Salvador
Legal groups and community organizations in El Salvador are demanding that the country's Attorney General and National Civilian Police immediately launch an investigation into the recent assassination of an anti-privatization activist. Meredith de Francesco has more from San Salvador.

19 year old Hector Antonio Ventura became a public figure though a high-profile legal case in which the Salvadoran government charged him and 13 other water anti-privatization activists with terrorism. The courts dropped all charges against the so-called Suchitoto 14 last month. Hector Antonio Ventura was stabbed to death by unknown assailants Friday night in a house where he and another man were sleeping. The Foundation of Study for the Application of Law in San Salvador says the killing has all the elements of a political murder as Ventura was a recently freed political prisoner and because the method of attack indicates prior planning. Legal experts and social leaders say Ventura's murder is the latest in a string of unsatisfactorily investigated assassinations targeting people active in the political opposition movement in El Salvador. An activist couple was murdered in Suchitoto last year, as was a journalist who regularly reported on the Suchitoto 14 case. Prior to his murder, Hector Antonio Ventura had agreed to speak at the Day Against Impunity event to mark the anniversary of the arrests of the Suchitoto 14. For FSRN, this is Meredith de Francesco in El Salvador.

Back to the Newscast for Wednesday, May 7, 2008