August 08, 2002
Interview with U.S. Activist in Palestinian Refugee Camp (3:39)
Yasser Arafat today gave approval for an Israeli proposal that it would begin pulling its troops out of Palestinian areas in return for a Palestinian crackdown on militants. This as the Israeli army today arrested nine foreign activists, including three Americans as they were protesting the Israeli occupation. The demonstrators intended to march to Nablus to encourage residents to break the Israeli imposed curfew. Among those taken into custody was international peace activist Adam Shapiro who earlier this year was inside Yasser Arafat’s compound when it was invaded. And currently foreigners in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp are staying with families whose homes are threatened for demolition. Suzanne Hammad, a Palestinian who lives in New York is currently inside a house in the Dheisheh refugee camp that the Israeli military is poised to demolish.
Massive IMF Loan to Brazil (5:00)
The International Monetary Fund announced its biggest ever loan today. Thirty billion dollars will go to Brazil, the IMF says, to prevent the crisis in neighboring Argentina from engulfing the biggest economy in South America. The Brazilian currency, and its stock market are at record lows. The leading candidate for president in October’s election–a leftist of the Workers Party–has blamed Brazil’s problems on economic terrorism from the north. He joins a chorus of critics of US foreign policy who say the White House and Wall Street are trying to manipulate the outcome of the Brazilian election, as they have other elections in Latin America. But today, in an abrupt about face from its stated policy, the Bush administration endorsed the IMF loan. Joshua Chaffin reports from Washington.
Argentinians Protest Paul O’Neil (2:20)
And this latest IMF loan to Brazil was announced last night by US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil who is currently in Argentina, where, as Pablo Moreno and Pablo Biolo report from Buenos Aires, the Treasury Secretary was greeted by large protests.
U.S. and Oil in Indonesia (4:19)
The Indonesian government is poised to declare a state of martial law in the oil and gas rich province of Aceh, a region that has been struggling for independence from Indonesia since 1976. This, as the US restarts military aid to the Indonesian government, and the Department of State steps in to help ExxonMobil in a lawsuit filed by Indonesian villagers. Deepa Fernandes has more.
Tunisians Flee Rights Abuses (3:56)
While Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco have just signed an association agreement with the European Union, human rights are still far from respected in these countries. According to clause number two of the agreement, relationships between the EU and the three North African countries should be suspended in the case of non-respect of human rights. But the European Union seems to close its eyes to the North African regime’s human rights abuses. Mourad Ras and Raphael Krafft met Tunisian human rights activists and political refugees in Paris.
