November 10, 2003
Free Speech Radio News Headlines by Nell Abram
US RESUMES AIRSTRIKES IN IRAQ – TERROR ATTACK IN SAUDI ARABIA ON SATURDAY – Oula Farawati
US warplanes resumed bombing raids in Iraq over the weekend in the first air strikes since President Bush declared combat over on May 1. The US Army said the air strikes targeting Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit was a “show of force” after six soldiers were killed when a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down on Friday. And, Authorities in Saudi Arabia have tightened security in the holy city of Mecca and around diplomatic targets in Riyadh, because of fears of more terrorist attacks there.
US SUPREME COURT TO HEAR GITMO CASE – Mitch Jeserich
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether detainees in Guantanamo Bay should have access to Federal Courts.
BUSH ADMIN TRIES TO BLOCK P.O.W. COURT AWARDED DAMAGES – Elia Herman
President George W. Bush is trying to stop 1991 Gulf War veterans tortured as POW’s from receiving monetary reparations out of frozen Iraqi assets.
WTO RULES AGAINST US IN STEEL DISPUTE – Zeenat Hansrod
The World Trade Organization has confirmed that US tariffs on some steel imports break international rules. The WTO’s ruling is a victory for the European Union, Japan, Brazil China and other exporters that lodged a complaint at the WTO last year.
TURKEY DECIDES NOT TO SEND TROOPS TO IRAQ – Ezgi Sarytap
…this headline was unfortunately cut from the newscast due to time constraints…download it here…
The Turkish Government declared that it would not use permission granted by the Turkish assembly a month ago to send troops to Iraq as a part of US led occupation forces. Ezgi Sarytap is in Ankara.
”After initial permission to deploy troops was given by the Turkish parliament, the decision was met with great opposition by the Iraqi interim Governing Council. This reaction is mainly the cause of the USA’s demand that Turkey not send troops to Iraq. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher declared that deployment of Turkish troops would not help the final goal of stability in Iraq. Many Turks were opposed to deployment of their troops. Now, although the decision has been reversed, public opinion about the government is still weak as it was not an independent decision of the Turkish government. Rather – it came as a result of US pressure. The preparations of the army to make troops ready is over, but the question of the 8.5 billion dollars of credits Turkey expected in return for sending its soldiers remains.”
Electoral Defeat for Rios Montt in Guatemala (3:42)
Right wing and United States favorite Grand National Alliance candidate Oscar Berger and the National Unity for Hope party’s candidate Alvaro Colom move into the second round of elections after a tense and turbulent day at the polls on Sunday in Guatemala’s highly disputed Presidential elections. Guatemala’s biggest victory Sunday was the tremendous defeat dealt to ex-dictator General Rios Montt and his Guatemalan Republican Front, which lost the presidency and the congress. Luz Ruiz and Tim Russo in collaboration with Guatemala Indymedia bring us this report on the difficulties and complications that marked the Guatemalan elections.
Worldwide Protests Israeli “Wall” (3:09)
The Israeli cabinet narrowly approved a prisoner exchange Sunday with Lebanon based Hezbollah, but according to the Israeli Daily Ha’aretz- Israeli security sources say the swap could take weeks. Details have yet to be finalized, but the deal would free Lebanese prisoners and 400 Palestinian prisoners while Hezbollah would hand over DNA samples from three Israeli soldiers and one businessman. Meanwhile, the 14th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was remembered yesterday. The occasion was marked by demonstrations across the world against the wall Israel is constructing around the west bank. In Israel and the Occupied Territories many protests took place and in certain places what protestors call the “apartheid wall” was actually torn down. Irris Makler attended one protest at a village in east Jerusalem, destined to be divided in two by the wall.
Global Power Exposed: Part 11: South Korea (2:56)
More than 50-thousand people rallied in the streets of Seoul over the weekend for immigrant and workers rights. South Korean protesters joined immigrant workers as over 10-thousand South Korean police officers clamped down on protestors leaving many injured on both sides. Miles Ashdown brings us this reports from the streets of Seoul in part 11 of our special series looking at the global crackdown on civil liberties.
Agent Orange Still a Problem in Vietnam (4:19)
Vietnam’s Defense Minister met with officials in the Bush Administration this past weekend. It’s the first time Vietnam has sent a defense envoy to the United States since the end of the war. A naval ship is expected to sail into Ho Chi Minh City port next month. The scheduled visits signal increased military cooperation between the two countries, but a key war-time issue remains: Vietnam’s defense minister was expected to ask Washington to play a greater role to help the country’s more than a million agent orange victims, as Ngoc Nguyen reports from Hanoi.
Media Reform Conference Builds Momentum (3:12)
In Madison Wisconsin this weekend, almost two thousand people took part in the first National Conference on Media Reform. With the goal of mobilizing and empowering the media reform movement, the conference united politicians, artists and activists with media professionals as well as representatives of grassroots media, and social justice groups. At times as many as ten concurrent panels convened to educate and strategize about the direction and tactics of the progressive media reform movement. From Madison, Patrick Beckett has more.
FSRN Exclusive: Afrika Bambaataa Interview (2:26)
This weekend the hip hop community celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Universal Zulu Nation. The Universal Zulu Nation is a community organization that was founded in the Bronx a year before the date that many say hip hop was born. The Universal Zulu Nation has spearheaded anti-violence and anti-gun projects and is credited by many as the pioneering organization to use hip hop culture – graffiti, B-boying and girling, MC’ing, and DJ-ing – to provide alternatives for young people in marginalized neighborhoods. Afrika Bambaataa is the founder and host Deepa Fernandes caught up with him at the weekend’s celebrations.
