October 27, 2003
Free Speech Radio News Headlines by Nell Abram
BAGHDAD BOMBINGS – Ahmed al-Rawi
A series of bombings in Baghdad today killed 34 people and injured many others. Ahmed Al-Rawi was at the International Red Cross when one of the explosions happened.
WALMART – John Hamilton
A crackdown on undocumented immigrant workers by federal officials at Wal-Mart stores last week may have been just the beginning. John Hamilton has more.
EPA CHIEF – Mitch Jeserich
Today in the U.S. Senate, Republicans will try to bust a Democratic hold on the nomination of Governor of Utah Mike Leavitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mitch Jeserich reports from Capitol Hill.
ILLINIOS PRESCRIPTION REPORT – Rita Sand
The Gov of Illinois released a report this afternoon that confirms his claim that importing prescription drugs from Canada would be safe and would save the state of Illinois tens of millions of dollar; Rita Sand of Chicago Indymedia reports
MIDDLE EAST – Tim Covi
In what is perceived as another breach of the road map peace plan – Israel granted full settlement status to 5 illegal outposts today. Tim Covi is in Nablus.
Wave of Attacks Kill Dozens in Baghdad (4:21)
As we reported in the headlines, 34 people were killed today in a wave of bombings in Baghdad, including one at the headquarters of the International Red Cross. The agency now says it may follow other groups in scaling back aid to the Iraqi people because of the danger. Free Speech Radio News correspondent Ahmed Al-Rawi was in Baghdad directly next door to the ICRC when the bomb was detonated. He spoke with Headlines Editor, Nell Abram.
Worldwide Rallies Protest Occupation of Iraq (3:18)
As the military occupation in Iraq goes on without end, this past Saturday, tens of thousands converged on the Washington Monument for a rally calling for the end of the occupation of Iraq and for the Bush Administration to bring the troops home. The rally was organized by International ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice and coincided with marches in two dozen cities across the United States and in many cities around the world. Selina Musuta reports from Washington, DC.
CAFTA Meeting End in Secrecy (3:48)
After a week of closed-door negotiations, the eighth round of Central American Free Trade Agreement closed in Houston. The lead negotiators, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador claim that the trade agreement will help to stabilize the region both economically and politically. However, citizen groups are quick to point out that the secretive nature of the talks themselves are antithetical to the very democracy that CAFTA will supposedly strengthen. From Houston, Shannon Young has more.
Leftist wins election to Mayor Bogotá (4:29)
This weekend Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez suffered a double defeat at the polls as Colombians voted on a series of political reforms and for new state and city officials. In Bogotá, a former communist union leader, Luis Eduardo Garzon was elected mayor, marking the first time the leftist opposition has won an important political post in Colombia. From Bogotá, Nicole Karsin has more.
Global Power Exposed: Part 1: Resisting the Patriot Act (3:33)
This weekend the USA Patriot Act turned 2 years old. Since September 11 the Bush Administration began what they termed the “war against terrorism” under which the Patriot Act was drawn up and rubber stamped by Congress. The provisions of the Act authorized the Department of Justice to expand secret surveillance powers. Some civil rights activists have called the Patriot Act the most systematic attack on basic civil liberties since the McCarthy red scare. And for people around the world, September 11th also marked the turning point in how politics, economics, law and civil liberties would be redefined as world leaders quickly fell in to step with the Bush administration’s ‘war on terror’. So on this the 2nd anniversary of the Patriot Act, FSRN begins a special series called “Global Power Exposed” which will span the next six months. We kick off our coverage with a 15 part series focusing on the worldwide attack on civil liberties. In Part one, correspondent Dave Lippman reports about a movement to resist the Patriot Act from Syracuse, New York.
