November 08, 2002
Security Council Passes Resolution on Iraq
The United Nations Security Council today unanimously proved a US and British-sponsored draft resolution setting stringent conditions for renewed weapons inspections in Iraq and threatening serious consequences if Iraq fails to comply. Susan Wood reports from the UN.
Inside Basra – What Will War Bring?
While the United States made some major concessions in the final negotiation phase at the Security Council, the final draft still meets the Bush administration’s key demands: toughening U.N. weapons inspections and leaving the United States free to take military action against Iraq if inspectors say Baghdad isn’t complying. If and when the US decides to carry out an attack on Iraq, the southern port city of Basra will be one of the major frontlines. In many ways it already is. Basra lies within the so-called no fly zones imposed by the US and Britain and the people live under regular US bombing. The city lies between Kuwait and Iran and has been at the center of war for more than 20 years. FSRN correspondent Jeremy Scahill reports from Basra.
US Involved in Developing Scary Weapons
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information act are causing an uproar in British political circles. The documents revealed that Britain has been involved in secret talks with the US over the development of so-called non-lethal weapons, that include lasers that blind the enemy, microwave systems that cook the skin of human targets and the use of gases similar to those recently deployed in Moscow to end the theater siege by Chechen rebels which killed more than 100 people. The documents also detail talks about the battlefield use of the weapons and whether they can be used to back-up economic sanctions against target countries. The “assessment reports” took place on November 30th, 2000 and prompted demands by British opposition politicians for a full statement on Britain’s involvement in developing such weapons. But, as Dred-Scott Keyes reports, US and British military collaboration is nothing new but the way in which these weapons may be used, is.
LGBT Candidates Win in Tuesday’s Elections
As we reported in the headlines, election supervisors in the Florida county of Broward today said that around 103 thousand votes were not counted in Florida’s governor race. While the officials say the votes only reduce Jeb Bush’s victory margin by 13,000 votes, over 70% of the votes not counted were Spanish language votes. Meanwhile, despite the Senate’s fall into Republican hands, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates and activists fared well in Tuesday’s elections at all levels of government. From Pacifica affiliate WORT, Joanne Powers reports.
Florida Reverses Death Sentence of Minor
As the Sniper suspects appeared in a Virginia court today, judges in the counties where the two Sniper suspects are being tried may face a difficult task in deciding whether the trials should be moved elsewhere to seat an impartial jury, as legal experts say there is less chance of a fair trial in Virginia. Meanwhile, the Florida Supreme Court yesterday reversed the death sentence of a killer who was 17 when he brutally murdered a Florida man – over 2 days time – in 1999. The reversal comes at a time of increased intensity on executing juveniles – with 1 of the 2 alleged Sniper suspects – John Lee Malvo – facing a possible execution at the age of 17. Mitch Perry reports from Tampa.
