Feisty Aphrodite Archives
Feisty Shout Out Newscast for Week Ending on 5/12/07
Here is the transcript of our look back at the week’s headlines concerning women’s issues, flavored with a hint of music by independent artists.
Listen to the Podcast
Some of the headlines from this week's newscast:
Speaker Pelosi Threatens to Sue Bush Over Iraq War Bill
Senate Votes Down Importing Cheap Medication
States Revolt Against 2005 Federal Real ID Act
L.A. Elite Police Ordered to Stand Down
Former Marine Recruiter Jailed for Abusing High School Girls
Iraqis Vow to Destroy "Wall of Occupation" In Baghdad
Haitian Refugees: Capsized Boat Deliberately Overturned
Not All in France Celebrating Abolition of Slavery
Women Primarily Contract HIV from Their Husbands, Study Finds
Michael Moore Under Investigation for Cuba Trip
Transwoman Elected President Of SF Police Commission
This Week's News Contributors:
Democracy Now!
Free Speech Radio News
Womens ENews
Feminist Daily News Wire
South African News Features
Progressive States Network
GayJobdotCom
365Gay
GayWired
BBC News
UNIFEM
On Capitol Hill
Speaker Pelosi Threatens to Sue Bush Over Iraq War Bill
Feminist Daily News Wire
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has announced that she may sue President Bush if he issues a signing statement to change the meaning of a carefully compromised supplemental spending bill for the Iraq War. "We can take the president to court," Speaker Pelosi told a group of liberal bloggers, according to Kid Oakland, who writes for the website dailykos.com.
President Bush has been criticized for using signing statements -- or written pronouncements that accompany the President's approval of a law -- in order to change or strip meaning from bills. Nadeam Elshami, a spokesperson for Speaker Pelosi, told The Hill, "The president has made excessive use of signing statements and Congress is considering ways to respond to this executive-branch overreaching. Whether through the oversight or appropriations process or by enacting new legislation, the Democratic Congress will challenge the president's non-enforcement of the laws."
Congressional Democrats in the 1970s pursued a lawsuit against President Nixon to stop bombings in Cambodia, though their efforts proved unsuccessful. Currently, anti-war US Representatives and Senators are considering other methods to end the war. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) suggested that the House try to pass a measure that would rescind the 2002 authorization for the Iraq War, The Hill reports. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), who co-founded the Out of Iraq Caucus, told The Hill that "there was a ripple around the room" in support of Rep. Inslee's proposition.
Bush Issues Pre-Emptive Threat to Veto Pro-Choice Laws
Feminist Daily News Wire
In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), President Bush made clear his intent to veto any legislation that would improve access to abortion or support stem cell research. "I am concerned that this year Congress may consider legislation that could substantially change federal policies and laws on abortion, and allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life," Bush wrote, according to the Washington Times. "I will veto any legislation that weakens current federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage."
Bush's letter, which comes as the House begins the appropriations process for the 2008 fiscal year, is seen as an attempt by some to discourage Democrats from adding abortion-rights and family planning provisions to spending bills, Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy reports. The move was likely encouraged by Congressional Republicans. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and 33 other senators sent a letter to Bush in February, asking him to uphold anti-choice legislation, the Washington Times reports. In the House, 130 Republicans sent a similar letter to Bush at the end of March.
Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal said of the letter, "President Bush's warning to use his veto clearly illustrates why abortion and family planning are issues in the 2008 presidential election. We cannot allow any more candidates to say that abortion and family planning are not presidential issues. They are. This current president is in the pocket of the Roman Catholic bishops and right-wing ministers who should clean their own houses and stop interfering with a woman's right to family planning and abortion.
GOP Reps. Warn Bush on Iraq War
Democracy Now!
Eleven House Republicans have warned President Bush the Iraq war is risking the Republican Party’s future and that he cannot count on their open-ended support. In a meeting along with top White House officials Tuesday, the Congressmembers presented Bush with “dismal’ polling numbers showing growing opposition to the war.
Ex-Kansas Attorney Says He Was Told to Step Down
Democracy Now!
A former U.S. attorney has added his name to the list of eight federal prosecutors whose dismissals have led to a Congressional probe. Former Kansas City attorney Todd Graves says he was asked to step down in January of last year -- months before the other prosecutors were let go. The disclosure comes ahead of Thursday's second Capital Hill appearance for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Dems Back Measure to Allow More Iraqi Refugees
Democracy Now!
House Democrats say they plan to introduce a measure that would increase the number of Iraqi refugees allowed in the United States. The “Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act” would allow an additional twenty-thousand Iraqi refugees over the next two years with another fifteen thousand families eligible for ‘special immigrant status’ for each of the next four years.
Senate Votes Down Importing Cheap Medication
Democracy Now!
In news from Washington, the Senate has killed an effort that would have allowed consumers to buy imported prescription drugs at significantly lower costs. The Senate voted 49 to 40 to impose safety standards government officials say they cannot meet. Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana said “Once again the big drug companies have proved that they are the most powerful and best financed lobby in Washington.”
States Revolt Against 2005 Federal Real ID Act
Progressive States Network
Montana and Washington state are leading the revolt against the 2005 Federal Real ID Act. Under the Act, states have until May 2008 to issue new driver's licenses adhering to uniform safety features set by the feds, and requires states to verify the identity of all driver's license applicants. States that do not adhere to the Federal standards will not be able to use their licenses to board planes or enter federal buildings. As Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer so aptly put it, "no, nope, no way, hell no."
Anti-Real ID measures have passed at least one chamber in 14 states and introduced in 11 others. Oklahoma is the next state on the verge of opposing the implementation of Real ID.
States have opposed the measure because of the high cost of implementing the Act and the federal intrusion into what has traditionally been a state responsibility. The Act would require driver's license bureaus to feed information into databases to verify applicants identity, leading to concerns about invasion of privacy and identity theft. Not to mention everyone with a driver's license or state ID will have to renew it in person, adding to already lengthy DMV lines. And while the cost to the states of the new IDs was initially estimated at $14 billion, it is now expected to be at least double that amount. To date, Congress has appropriated $40 million, leaving over 99 percent of the funding to come from the states.
In another shining example of administration transparency, the Act passed through Congress without a floor debate and was attached to a bill funding the war in Iraq and international aid after the Asian Tsunami.
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy held a hearing on Tuesday in Washington to discuss and debate the prospect of repealing the REAL ID act.
Most Democratic Candidates Support Enlarging U.S. Military
Democracy Now!
A new survey conducted by the Hill newspaper has found the majority of Democratic presidential candidates back increasing the size of the military. Last month Senator Barack Obama called for an increase in Pentagon spending and an extra 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joseph Biden and former Senator John Edwards have also backed building a larger military. The Hill reports that only two Democratic candidates -- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Congressman Dennis Kucinich -- are openly discussing cutting the Pentagon's budget.
Pentagon Wants Even More Money
Karen Miller
Free Speech Radio News
Already involved in a war that some say could top 2 trillion dollars, on Wednesday the Defense Department went to congress to ask for more money. 700 billion dollars...That's what the Pentagon is asking for in their upcoming 2008 defense budget. The 2008 budget would be an 11% increase from last year. A recent report from the National Priorities Project states that if Congress funds this budget the US will be spending more on the military than at any time since World War II. Despite the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged the Senate to fully fund the budget request: "We need to be prepared to deal with the Global War on Terror which will be with us for a very long time. That is a war that in some places will require boots on the ground for the regular army and in some places it will require Special Forces. In all places it will require an incredible amount of intelligence to guide that conflict and it will require a lot of other countries and their militaries." The budget would cover the President's request for general military operations, a so-called Global War on Terror fund request and provide emergency funding for war-related costs for the remainder of this year.
U.S. Blocks UN Visit to Texas Immigration Prison
Democracy Now!
The U.S. government has blocked a United Nations expert from visiting a jail in Texas where the U.S. is holding up to 400 immigrants including children and asylum seekers. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, Jorge Bustamante, is in the middle of a three-week fact-finding mission to examine how immigrants are being treated in the United States. Bustamante had planned on visiting the Hutto immigration facility in Taylor Texas this past Monday but his visit has been blocked by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Earlier this year, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of 12 children detained at the Hutto facility, charging that the children are subject to inhumane treatment.
Lawmakers Introduce the Mothers Act
Women's ENews
Heading into the weekend of Mother's Day, lawmakers introduced legislation Friday to combat maternal depression. The bill, known as the Mothers Act, would set aside federal funds for education and treatment programs for postpartum depression. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House.
A group of mothers, one adult child and a coalition of national organizations filed suit Friday against the United States in an international human rights court. Plaintiffs claim that U.S. courts have abused the human rights of mothers and children by frequently awarding child custody to abusive fathers. Plaintiffs also claim that mothers have been unfairly jailed after attempts to protect their children from abuse. They want the court to issue a set of steps to be taken by the United States to comply with its human rights obligations.
Other U.S. News
Two Women Appeal Rape Case Against the University of Colorado
Feminist Daily News Wire
Two women who allege they were sexually assaulted by University of Colorado (CU) football players in 2001 are asking the federal Court of Appeals to revive their lawsuit against the school for fostering a climate conducive to sexual assault by men athletes. Lawyers for both sides presented arguments in court Monday.
Former CU student Lisa Simpson -- who agreed to be named publicly -- and two other women alleged that they were sexually assaulted at an off-campus party for football players and recruits in 2001. While no criminal sexual assault charges were ever filed, Simpson and one of the other women sued the university for violating Title IX provisions for equal access to education by ignoring sexual misconduct against women students by athletes. In 2005, however, US District Judge Robert Blackburn dismissed the suit on the grounds that the women had not proven school officials were aware of or deliberately indifferent to any sexual harassment. In their appeal, the women argue that the administration knew of and concealed prior incidents.
In the past five years, CU has come under intense scrutiny after a series of harassment and rape accusations against athletes; in 2004 Katie Hnida, a placekicker on CU's football team, told Sports Illustrated that she was sexually harassed by teammates and raped by one of them in 2001. Head Coach Gary Barnett was subsequently suspended from the program after making disparaging remarks about Hnida to the media. Since 2001, six rape accusations have been made against CU players and the school has also come under fire for allegedly using sex as a tool to recruit new players and hiring escorts at off-campus "sex parties" for recruits, according to CNN.com.
LAPD Sued for Crackdown on May Day Protest, Two Commanders Reassigned
Democracy Now!
In Los Angeles, attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild have filed suit against city and police officials on behalf of immigrant groups and protesters injured during the LAPD’s crackdown on a May Day rally in McArthur park. Meanwhile, two high-ranking police department commanders have been reassigned over their role in the police department's violent crushing of the lawful immigrants rights rally last week. Police dressed in riot gear fired 240 rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas. Officers were seen on video clubbing protesters and journalists with batons. Overall 10 people – including seven journalists -- were taken to hospitals with injuries.
L.A. Elite Police Ordered to Stand Down
Kelly Barnes
Free Speech Radio News
Around 60 members of an elite squad within the Los Angeles Police Department have been ordered to stand down over their actions against the peaceful May Day rally for immigration reform in the city's MacArthur Park.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton announced the suspensions on Sunday, amidst a growing scandal that has included calls for his resignation. The members of the elite corps have 15 to 25 years on the force and are among the most highly trained of LAPD's 95-hundred officers. Bratton says the 60 members of the elite Metropolitan Division's Platoon B will not return to active duty until they have been retrained. Members of the L.A. press corps have noted that the LAPD failed to follow procedures put in place to protect the press after police attacked reporters at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. Some journalists who were caught up in the so-called "May Day Melee" are pursuing legal action against the LAPD. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa finally broke a three-day silence last Friday evening when he addressed the press upon his return from a trip to Mexico and Central America. Protester Ron Gotez expressed the sentiments of many of those who came out to the press conference to demand action. "They had no regard for human life when they shot those cannisters, tear gas, rubber bullets into crowds of men, women, children.... We want Bratton to resign and we want answers from Villaraigosa." Villaraigosa said what police did was wrong, and Chief Bratton said he was embarrassed for his department and for the people they serve. They promised an internal review report by May 30th. Watch video footage of the police brutality here in the Feisty Aphrodite archives.
Former Marine Recruiter Jailed for Abusing High School Girls
Democracy Now!
In Wisconsin, a former Marine recruiter has been sentenced to one year in jail and three years on probation after he was accused of sexually assaulting two high school girls that he met at their school during a recruiting trip. A 17-year-old girl said the Marine – Donny Rage - groped her in his recruiting office and attempted to have sex with her at a party. One of the victims said "He had a gun in his room and he was forcefully telling me what to do and forcefully telling me how to do different things. I was scared and I felt I didn't have the right to leave the room." Last week Rage pled guilty to one charge of false imprisonment. Prosecutors agreed to drop seven other charges as part of a plea deal. You can read more about the ongoing problem of sexual harassment by military recruiters here in the Feisty Aphrodite archives.
Amnesty: Native American Women 2.5X More Likely To Be Raped
Democracy Now!
A new report from Amnesty International has revealed that Native American women are more than two and a half times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the United States in general. Studies show that one in three Native American women will be raped during their lifetime. Amnesty said many rape cases are never prosecuted because there is confusion regarding tribal and county jurisdiction. It is estimated that 86 percent of rapes against Native women are committed by non-Native men, but tribal councils have no jurisdiction over non-Native offenders even if the crime takes place on tribal lands.
Religious Groups Launch “New Sanctuary Movement” for Immigrants Facing Deportation
Democracy Now!
A coalition of religious groups has launched a campaign to offer sanctuary to immigrant families who risk being seperated under the threat of deportation. Members of the “New Sanctuary Movement” say they will open their churches, mosques and synagogues to shelter families facing deportation orders. At least six congregations in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and San Diego will harbor one family each.
Florida Indicts 8 Prison Guards on Abuse Charges
Democracy Now!
In Florida, eight former prison guards have been indicted on charges of abusing prisoners at the Hendry Correctional Institution in the Everglades. Prison officials say the guards beat prisoners and forced them into dehumanizing behavior -- including cleaning toilets with their tongues.
Student Loan Head Resigns As Marketing Ties Probed
Democracy Now!
In education news, the top government official overseeing student loans has stepped down amid mounting controversy over her agency’s ties to marketers and lenders. Theresa Shaw’s resignation as head of the Office of Federal Student Aid comes as lawmakers have opened probes into the personal and financial ties between industry, university and government officials. The Education Department admitted last month companies may have improperly mined a national database of student borrowers to obtain marketing information.
Arizona Man Arrested for Threatening Cinco De Mayo Festival
Democracy Now!
In Arizona, a Flagstaff man was arrested for threatening to violently disrupt a Cinco de Mayo festival. The man – James Wesley Creek – attempted to post an internet message saying that the Virginia Tech killings would pale in comparison to his plans to disrupt the festivities. Federal authorities said Creek had helped distribute fliers for the Ku Klux Klan, had a dislike for Mexicans and owned about a half dozen guns. Meanwhile in Gaithersburg Maryland, a center for day laborers was set on fire on Friday less than a month after it opened. Investigators said the fire was deliberately set.
NRA Backs Gun Rights for Terrorism Suspects
Democracy Now!
The National Rifle Association is publicly backing the rights of suspects on terrorism watch lists to be able to buy firearms. The NRA has asked the Bush administration to withdraw its support from a bill that would prohibit arm sales to suspected terrorists. NRA Director Chris Cox criticized the bill saying it "would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere "suspicions" of a terrorist threat."
Women Leaders Converge to Discuss Lack of Equity in Academia
Feminist Daily News Wire
On May 2, Harvard's president-elect, Drew Gilpin Faust, gathered four current and former women presidents of Ivy League schools to participate in a coffee-table panel on the position of women in academia. Gilpin Faust's historic appointment means that half of the Ivy League’s eight universities will be led by women beginning in July. However, the panel cautioned that despite this landmark, women continue to face obstacles to equity in higher education. Their statements squared with findings reported in the Spring 2007 issue of Ms. magazine: that women represent a considerable minority of tenured faculty at major universities, that they advance more slowly and earn lower salaries than men, and that those with young children are 29 percent less likely to earn tenure.
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutman was present for the discussion, as were Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons, Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman, and former Penn president Judith Rodin, who is now president of the Rockefeller Institute. The women all agreed that their success required a great deal of ambition, determination and a certain blindness to the obstacles women face, especially in academia. Ruth Simmons described having to overcome discrimination as a graduate student at Harvard before rising through the ranks of the Ivy League. Said Tilghman, "There may be signals out there that tell me I can't do this, but I'm not going to recognize them." Rodin added, "I... am proud to be fiercely ambitious."
The panel members had convened at Harvard two years ago in response to comments made by Harvard’s former president, Lawrence Summers, who came under criticism for saying at an academic conference that women have less innate ability to perform in science and mathematics than men.
The women also expressed concern over the status of the economically disadvantaged in higher education. Gutman highlighted in particular "increasing gaps" in the socioeconomic divide at universities as a problem.
Iraq News
17-Year-Old Girl Stoned to Death in Iraq
Feminist Daily News Wire
A 17-year-old girl from the Kurdish region of Bashika in Northern Iraq was stoned to death last month as a punishment for her relationship with a Muslim teenager. Du'a Khalil Aswad was violently attacked by men in her family and religious leaders in what has been called an "honor killing" after the teen was thought to have spent an evening with her Sunni boyfriend.
Video footage of Aswad's murder taken on cell phones, now released and widely circulated online, shows the young woman being repeatedly struck with pieces of concrete and stone for a half an hour before her death. Amnesty International reports that the footage also shows local security personnel watching Aswad's death, but making no effort to end the assault or apprehend her assailants. According to the Assyrian International News Agency, up to 1,000 men participated in the stoning and murder of Aswad.
According to the Daily Mail, honor killings against women and girls are not uncommon in Northern Iraq. Earlier this week, Amnesty International UK spokesperson Kate Allen stated that, "This young girl's murder is truly abhorrent and her killers must be brought to justice. Unless the authorities respond vigorously to this and any other reports of crimes in the name of 'honor,' we must fear for the future of women in Iraq."
Iraqi Lawmakers Back Draft Bill for Withdrawal Timetable
Democracy Now!
A majority of Iraqi lawmakers have approved a draft bill calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and a freeze on current troop levels. The measure would require Iraqi leaders to seek parliamentary approval for any extension of foreign troops when the UN mandate expires this year. At least one-hundred thirty eight of Iraq’s two-hundred-seventy-five member parliament have signed on.
More Details Emerge in Haditha Massacre
Democracy Now!
More details have emerged on the U.S. massacre of twenty-four Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha in November 2005. On Wednesday, Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz testified he urinated on the dead body of an Iraqi killed by his fellow Marines. Sgt. Cruz also said he saw his squad leader shoot down five Iraqi civilians who were trying to surrender. The testimony came in a pre-trial hearing for a Marine charged for the massacre and the ensuing cover-up.
U.S. Embassy Orders Staff to Wear Flak Jackets in Green Zone
Democracy Now!
In Baghdad, the U.S. embassy has ordered all staff to wear flak jackets and helmets while outdoors in the Green Zone. The order comes following a wave of recent rocket attacks. The Green Zone is one of Iraq’s most heavily-guarded areas.
Pentagon Planned Iraq Media Control Before Invasion
Democracy Now!
The National Security Archive has released a pre-war memo showing the Pentagon planned to control the Iraqi media three months before the US invasion.” In a three-page document, the Pentagon calls for a “Rapid Reaction Media Team’, saying: “Having professional U.S.-trained Iraqi media teams immediately in place to portray a new Iraq (by Iraqis for Iraqis) with hopes for a prosperous, democratic future, will have a profound psychological and political impact on the Iraqi people… A re-constituted free Iraqi domestic media can serve as a model in the Middle East where so much Arab hate-media are themselves equivalent to weapons of mass destruction.”
7 Iraqi Children Killed in U.S. Attack
Democracy Now!
Another U.S. airstrike has claimed the lives of seven children in Iraq. A U.S. helicopter opened fire on a primary school in a village close to the Iranian border. At least three other students were injured with heavy damage to the school building. The U.S. military says it fired after coming under attack from the school grounds.
One In Eight Iraqi Children Die Before the Age of Five
Democracy Now!
Iraq's infant mortality rate has soared by 150 percent since 1990 according to a new report by the charity Save the Children. One in eight Iraqi children now die of disease or violence before the age of five. In 2005 alone, 122,000 Iraqi children died before reaching their fifth birthday. Save the Children said Iraq's child-survival ranking is now the lowest in the world.
Pentagon: 35,000 Troops to be Deployed to Iraq
Democracy Now!
The Pentagon has announced a troop deployment that will maintain the so-called surge at least through the end of this year. Thirty-five thousand replacement soldiers in ten brigades will begin deploying in August. The announcement comes as a CNN poll has found just over half of Americans oppose President Bush’s veto last week of a bill calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops beginning this fall.
Sunni Vice President Threatens to Pull Out of Government
Democracy Now!
In other Iraq news, the country is facing a potential political crisis. Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has announced he will lead a withdrawal of Sunni politicians from the Cabinet and parliament if changes are not made to Iraq's constitution by May 15. Experts say the move could be a potentially devastating blow to reconciliation efforts within Iraq.
Iraqis Vow to Destroy "Wall of Occupation" In Baghdad
Democracy Now!
The Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman reported Tuesday that the residents of the Baghdad neighborhood al-Azhamiya have vowed to destroy the wall that was built by U.S. forces to isolate the Sunni area from nearby neighborhoods. Residents of the area described the structure as the "wall of occupation." Last Friday a member of the 82nd Airborne was shot by a sniper while inspecting the wall in Baghdad. The soldier is in stable condition.
Chevron to Pay Fine For Paying Kickbacks to Saddam Hussein
Democracy Now!
The New York Times is reporting, the U.S. oil company Chevron is preparing to pay up to $30 million in fines for illegally paying kickbacks to Saddam Hussein for access to Iraq's oil before the U.S. invasion in 2003. The penalty, which is still being negotiated, would be the largest so far in the United States in connection with investigations of companies involved in the oil-for-food scandal. It appears Chevron began paying Iraq kickbacks in August 2000. At the time Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was a member of Chevron's board and led its public policy committee, which oversaw areas of potential political concerns for the company.
Tenet Makes $2.3 Million From Companies Profiting Off Iraq War
Democracy Now!
Investigative reporter Tim Shorrock of Salon.com has revealed that former CIA Director George Tenet has made at least $2.3 million since he left the agency by working for four corporations that are directly profiting from the so-called war on terror and the war in Iraq. Tenet did not disclose any of his corporate ties in his new book "At the Center of the Storm." Tenet sits on the board of directors of L-1 Identity Solutions, a major supplier of biometric identification software used by the U.S. to monitor terrorists and insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tenet is also a member of an advisory board for Analysis Corporation which is designing terrorist watch lists for the government. Tenet also serves on the boards of two other government contractors, Guidance Software and Kinetic.
Survey: More than 1/3 of U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Approve of Torture
Democracy Now!
A new Army survey has found that more than one-third of U.S. soldiers in Iraq said they believe torture should be allowed in some cases. In addition, about two-thirds of Marines and half the Army troops surveyed said they would not report a team member for mistreating a civilian or for destroying civilian property unnecessarily. The Army survey found that less than half of the soldiers polled believed that non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect. And 10 percent of the troops said they had personally mistreated civilians in Iraq. Nearly 1800 troops took part in the survey. Acting Army Surgeon Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock characterized the report as positive news. He told reporters: “What it speaks to is the leadership that the military is providing, because they're not acting on those thoughts. They're not torturing the people.”
Conference Addresses Health Effects of Iraq War
Alan Glantz
Free Speech Radio News
More than 1,000 people turned out at the University of California San Francisco Wednesday for one the largest conferences to date on the health effects of the Iraq war. Leading researchers flew in from around the country to speak at the symposium. Listen to the rest of this story here.
VetStage Theatre Company Takes Off
Aaron Glantz
Free Speech Radio News
The first non-profit theater founded by veterans of the Iraq war is kicking off its inaugural production in Hollywood. The VetStage theater company was founded by a former Marine Corps infantryman with the help of the organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Its goal: to help veterans better integrate into society when they return home and offer new insights on our society from the veterans' perspective. Listen to the rest of this story here.
25-Year-Old Iraqi Woman Sentenced to Death After Confessing to Murder While Enduring Torture
Womens ENews
Samar Saed Abdullah, a 25-year-old Iraqi woman, was sentenced to death after admitting to collaborating in the murder of three relatives, but only after she was tortured in police custody, CNN reported May 9. Abdullah claims that the murders were committed by her husband and that she is innocent. Amnesty International says the situation is common in Iraq, which now has the fourth-highest execution rate in the world.
International News
New Report Ranks Best and Worst Countries for Mothers and Children
Feminist Daily News Wire
In its annual "Mother's Day Report Card," Save the Children this week released a ranking of the best and worst countries for mothers and children. The report is the eighth annual of its kind compiled by the global humanitarian organization. The report considers, among other factors, the risk of maternal mortality, use of modern contraceptives, the presence of skilled attendants during labor, women's income as compared to men's, education for girls, the percentage of underweight children under five, and the participation of women in government. Sweden is ranked the best place to be a mother and Niger falls last. The United States places 26 of 140 countries. Italy provides the best environment for children; Niger and Afghanistan tie for last place. Read the rest of this story here.
Toll in U.S. Bombing of Afghan Village Could Reach 80
Democracy Now!
The civilian death toll from the U.S. bombing of a village in Afghanistan this week could be nearly four times the official figure of twenty-one. The New York Times reports residents of the Sarwan Qala village are claiming as many as eighty civilians were killed in the attack. At least three houses were destroyed. Most victims identified so far are women and children.
Russian Military Head: U.S. Missile Shield Akin to Berlin Wall
Democracy Now!
Russia is accusing the U.S. of trying to build a new “Berlin Wall” with its plan for a new missile shield in Europe. Russian Chief of Staff General Yuri Baluyevski said on Thursday, "Today it is suggested to us, without any assessment of the threat -- but simply accepting a hypothetical threat of the sort I mentioned, notably from Iran -- that we should build new Berlin Walls in Europe. We are against this. We do not consider that today there is any threat of the sort that would allow us to go back to what we have left behind." The comments came one day after Russian President Vladimir Putin compared U.S. foreign policy with Nazi Germany.
Haitian Refugees: Capsized Boat Deliberately Overturned
Democracy Now!
Survivors of a boat capsizing that killed at least sixty-one people fleeing Haiti last week are claiming they were deliberately overturned. The survivors say they were just minutes from the British territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands when a patrol boat rammed them and left them to drown in shark infested waters. More than one hundred sixty people were on board. Both the Turks and Caicos and British governments have declined comment.
World Bank Rebukes Israel on West Bank Stranglehold
Democracy Now!
The World Bank has issued harsh criticism of Israel’s system of closures and checkpoints in the Occupied Territories. In a new report, the World Bank says Israel’s hold over the West Bank is preventing a revival of the Palestinian economy and harming Israel’s security. The report says Palestinian freedom of movement is the exception and not the rule, hampered by a near fifty-percent increase in roadblocks over the last two years.
Demonstrations Across Germany Follow Police Raids
Cinnamon Nippard
Free Speech Radio News
Thousands of people took to the streets across Germany to protest a series of police raids against activist organizations. Up to 5000 protesters held a spontaneous demonstration in Berlin Wednesday night against the Police raids. During the Wednesday raids, police seized documents, computers, and shut down a server which hosts the websites and mailing lists of leftist groups. Activists say the motivation behind the raids is to criminalize protests ahead of the G8 summit. One protester stated, "Today they search 40 political houses that are preparing the G8 summit and they say they are terrorists and that's fascist action from the German state so we have to resist." There were 4 arrests in Berlin, but the demonstration was mostly peaceful. While in Hamburg, 1000 police used water cannons and batons to break up the 2000-strong demonstration there. Police arrested a total of 40 demonstrators nationwide. Those on the streets said that although the raids were meant to intimidate opponents of the G8 summit, they've provided even more reason to join the protests.
Pair Found Guilty of Leaking Al Jazeera Bombing Memo
Democracy Now!
In Britain, two men have been found guilty for leaking a memo detailing a conversation in which President Bush reportedly tells British Prime Minister Tony Blair he wants to bomb the Doha headquarters of the Arabic television network Al Jazeera. David Keogh, a former civil servant, and Leo O’Connor, a former parliamentary researcher, were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act. Most of the trial was held in secret with reporters barred from the proceedings. Bush and Blair’s meeting was recorded by Blair’s adviser on foreign affairs. The memo came with a note reading “This must not be copied further and must only be seen by those with real need to know.”
Northern Ireland Swears-in Power Sharing Government
Democracy Now!
In Northern Ireland, leaders of the main Protestant and Catholic parties were sworn in Tuesday as ministers in a historic power-sharing government. A deal was reached between the two sides in March.
Anti-Bush Mexican Protesters Released After 2 Months in Jail
Democracy Now!
In Mexico, eleven protesters arrested during President Bush’s visit to the Yucatan city of Merida have been released after nearly two months in jail. The eleven were released on condition they renounce charges of torture and abuse in police custody. Eight protesters remain behind bars.
Amnesty: China, Russia, Saudis Supply Arms to Sudan
Democracy Now!
Amnesty International has accused China and Russia of supplying arms to Sudan that are being used to attack civilians in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo. Amnesty has also accused two close U.S. allies -- Kuwait and Saudi Arabia -- of supplying arms. Over 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur in recent years. Meanwhile on Monday officials from the United Nations and African Union met the head of the Arab League to discuss Darfur. Read the rest of this story here.
Warren Buffet's Fund Rejects Sudan Divestment Proposal
Democracy Now!
Shareholders of the investment fund Berkshire Hathaway led by Warren Buffet have rejected a proposal to divest from companies profiting in Sudan. Berkshire is the largest independent shareholder in PetroChina, whose parent company, China National Petroleum drills and exports much of Sudan's oil, providing funds for the Sudanese government and its military. Activist shareholders urged Berkshire to divest because of the Sudanese government's role in the genocide in Darfur where hundreds of thousands of people have died. Meanwhile Darfur activists are criticizing the Bush administration for describing the Sudanese government as a "strong partner in the War in Terror." The description appears in the State Department's 2006 terrorism report.
Latin American Nations Unite to Form Bank of South
Democracy Now!
Momentum is growing in Latin America to form an alternative to the U.S.-controlled World Bank. Venezuela and Argentina have already pledged more than one billion dollars to start the Banco del Sur, or Bank of the South. Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay have all expressed support for the bank. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva said, "We're meeting all the ministers to discuss what's the goal of this bank. Is it a bank for financing? Is it a bank to develop the region? How will each country participate? In what way will we participate? So to create a bank, it's necessary for us to have sustainability in the idea. It's important for it to be a financial institution of much credibility and, for that, we need to resolve all political divergence that may exist about the bank."
Last week Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced Venezuela would pull out of the World Bank and IMF. "We don't need to go to Washington, not to the IMF nor to the World Bank nor to anything. I want to formalize the exit of Venezuela from the World Bank from the IMF and from all of that. We don't need anymore to have a governor or a representative there. No, let's get out. We don't even want to be there and they return our money to us because now they owe us. They need to return our money to us because they owe us." said President Chavez.
Not All in France Celebrating Abolition of Slavery
Jan van der Made
Free Speech Radio News
France commemorated the abolition of slavery Thursday. The day was created last year by President Jacques Chirac, and seen by friends and foes alike as a breakthrough in France's efforts to come to terms with its colonial past. But incoming president, Nicolas Sarkozy, supported a controversial position last year, which acknowledged what some say was the “positive role of colonialism”. President-elect Sarkozy added later that he wasn't remorseful about the past. Listen to the rest of this story here.
Hungary law 'fails rape victims'
BBC News
Thousands of rape victims in Hungary are being denied justice, the human rights organisation Amnesty International has said. Amnesty reported that women reporting attacks were faced with massive prejudice, even from trained police rape advisers. Another problem was women were required to prove they physically resisted, no matter what danger they were in. "In the confines of the family, rape is one of the many forms of violence women may suffer, and they may be subjected to it time and again", said Amnesty spokeswoman Nicola Duckworth.
A large number of rape cases in Hungary fail to reach court or do not result in criminal convictions. Either the crime is not reported or police fail to identify the attacker and label the case as a "false report". Amnesty quoted a Hungarian judge as saying she herself would be reluctant to report a rape, given the prevailing public attitude. Rape within marriage has been a crime in Hungary for the last 10 years. But the report said rape in the family was rarely discussed publicly and that an opinion poll carried out in 2006 revealed that 62% did not know marital rape was a crime. A police officer and adviser on rape issues quoted in the Amnesty report refers to the majority of rape victims as "whores". "They wanted to have sex, but then do not manage to come to an agreement. They are prostitutes, overtly or secretly," the officer is quoted as saying.
Amnesty has called on the Hungarian government to make legislative changes to ensure women have access to justice and to set up support services for victims of sexual violence.
SADC to finalise consultations on gender protocol
Barbara Lopi
South African News Features
Southern Africa is finalising consultations on a draft protocol to promote gender equality that will be tabled at a summit of regional leaders in August. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development, currently being developed, will assist in speeding up the process of achieving gender equality, equity and improve the status of women in the region. A protocol is the most binding of SADC legal instruments, and would accelerate the implementation of gender commitments.
Consultations on the draft protocol have taken place at the national and regional levels following adoption of the first draft by SADC ministers responsible for gender or women’s affairs in November 2006. The conference theme was “SADC Accelerating Progress in Achieving Gender Equality”. Drafting of the Protocol on Gender and Development began in 2005 when the SADC Council of Ministers endorsed the decision to transform the SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and its Addendum into a protocol.
The final draft protocol will be presented to the 2007 SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government for adoption in August in Lusaka, Zambia. It is anticipated that once adopted, the protocol will address the issues hindering progress by southern African countries to fulfil their commitments to gender equality, justice and women’s empowerment.
The protocol will also incorporate commitments from all regional, global and continental instruments to which SADC is a party such as the Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Millennium Development Goals, the African Union Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Rights of Women in Africa. Read the rest of this story here.
From Peace Torch to Peace Treaty: Ugandan Women Promote an Inclusive, Sustainable Peace
Signe Allimadi
UNIFEM
The signing of an Agreement on Comprehensive Solutions to the Causes of War by the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) on 2 May 2007 in Juba, Sudan, has been hailed as the first step towards a final peace agreement to end more than 20 years of conflict in the nation's North. Yet for women in Uganda and the region, this significant step is part of a long journey towards a peace that includes the perspectives of women.
When a coalition of Ugandan women embarked on a five-day journey in November 2006 to carry the Women's Peace Torch to the site of negotiations in the Southern Sudan capital of Juba, they bore a beacon of hope that the outcome would include women's experience. Six months later, the negotiating parties have signed an agreement that embodies commitments to gender equality and women's rights.
The Agreement on Comprehensive Solutions commits both parties to such principles as the need for broad-based democratic governance, which includes the participation of all citizens at all levels. It states that the composition of the Government shall be broadly representative of the national character, reflecting gender and social diversity. It commits the Government to taking affirmative action in favor of groups marginalized on the basis of gender, age or disability, and ensures appropriate provision for vulnerable groups such as widows and female-headed households. Moreover, the Agreement reaffirms the new Equal Opportunities Law, which aims to eliminate gender-based discrimination and ensure the equal treatment of all groups within Uganda.
This landmark agreement reflects the tireless efforts of UNIFEM staff in Uganda, Kenya and Sudan, as well as the diplomacy of UNIFEM Goodwill Ambassador Hon. Phoebe Asiyo, who handed the Women's Peace Torch to the Ugandan Parliament in 2006, imploring parties to the Juba peace process to consider the impact of conflict on the mothers, sisters and daughters of Uganda.
In the wake of a civil war that has left tens of thousands dead and more than 1.7 million displaced, the Women's Peace Torch has helped to light the path to an inclusive peace. The UNIFEM regional team and the Uganda Women's Coalition for Peace will continue the journey towards a final settlement.Read the rest of this story here.
Anger at Somali Face Veil Burning
BBC News
Two hand grenades have gone off in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, where government soldiers were confiscating and burning face veils worn by women. A BBC correspondent says one woman was injured in the explosions at a junction near the city's main Bakara market. Eyewitnesses say soldiers were ordering women in burkas to remove their face veils on Tuesday, but the operation was later stopped by their superiors. Wearing of face veils was encouraged by the Islamists ousted last December.
Correspondents say traditionally Somali women tend to just cover their heads, but in recent years burkas - which cover the entire face and body - and niqabs - a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear - have become more popular. Eyewitnesses says people became angry when government soldiers began burning the face veils, saying it was a religious violation. The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says women were fearful of leaving their homes wearing veils on Wednesday morning. However, as news spread that it was not an officially sanctioned operation, they have felt more confident about going out into the streets. Read the rest of this story here.
Quota Law Puts More Women in Armenia's Election
Nicole Itano
Womens ENews
On Saturday, May 12, Armenians go to the polls to elect the country's next parliament. Even before the elections international observers have raised concerns about unfair election practices by the ruling party; few expect the election to result in a major shift in power. But voters will determine the role Armenian women will play in helping to solve these problems. Women currently comprise less than 5 percent of the country's parliamentary members, putting them among the most under-represented in the world. The participation of women in politics in Armenia, and across the South Caucasus region, has declined since the fall of the Soviet Union, when quotas for women in office ended.
Hranush Hakobyan, the longest serving woman among the seven women in the 113-member parliamentary, has provided gender-quota legislation that took effect this year that may help change that. The law requires political parties in Armenia, a predominantly Christian nation that became independent in 1991, to ensure that women are at least 15 percent of their candidates. "It's not that we don't have equal legal status, but we have a gender imbalance at the highest levels," she told Women's eNews. "I think there is a lot of unexplored potential in Armenian women." Hakobyan, a 54-year-old former professor and one of Armenia's best known politicians, predicts that the new law will help double women's representation in parliament. This would bring the country in line with others in the region, but would still put it behind the global average.
Internationally women are just 17 percent of the members of parliamentary bodies, according to the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. But the problem is particularly acute in the South Caucasus, where fragile post-communist democracies have taken few steps to encourage greater participation by women in politics. Read the rest of this story here.
Israeli Women Fight Back-of-Bus Status
Brenda Gazzar
Womens ENews
Five women in Israel are going to court to protest the way sex-segregated public buses are run in Israel. The arrangement serves the beliefs of ultra-Orthodox passengers but the women say it discriminates against other riders. They joined the Jerusalem-based Israel Religious Action Center in January to petition the country's Supreme Court to compel Israel's Transportation Ministry to exercise its authority over the Egged and Dan bus companies' segregated lines, called "mehadrin" lines. The petition asks to stop the operation of such lines until an extensive survey is carried out by the ministry to gauge demand, after which the operation of segregated bus lines would be approved only if a regular line is available for passengers at the same frequency and price. The petition also asks that the mehadrin buses be clearly marked and that the government regulate the issue and supervise the bus lines to ensure passenger safety.
Transportation officials and the bus companies claim that the segregated lines are a voluntary arrangement and that women can choose their own seats. They also say that grievances should be dealt with on an individual basis, by submitting complaints to the Transportation Ministry. In a written statement, Egged noted that the special bus lines are coordinated by the government to encourage public transit use in the Haredi sector without creating an atmosphere of compulsion on buses. Read the rest of this story here.
Mozambique Prime Minister Launches Organization to Lobby for Gender Equity, Women's Empowerment
Womens ENews
Mozambique Prime Minister Lusia Diogo has launched the Network of Women Ministers and Parliamentarians, comprised of women who are current or former members of the government. The aim of the new organization is to advocate and lobby for gender equity and women's empowerment. Thirty-seven percent of the parliament seats are held by women and the government currently has seven female ministers, including Diogo.
Reproductive Rights
Irish Teen Wins Right to Travel to England for Abortion
Feminist Daily News Wire
Ireland's High Court ruled Wednesday that a pregnant teen carrying a fatally deformed fetus can travel outside the country to obtain an abortion, after the motion was previously defeated by the lower and middle courts. The 17-year-old girl, known as "Miss D," has been in the custody of Ireland’s Health Services Executive (HSE) since February after incidents of abuse by her mother. When HSE discovered that Miss D intended to go to England to obtain a legal abortion, which is not available in Ireland, the agency prevented her from leaving the country. Although abortion remains illegal in Ireland, the High Court ultimately decided that there is no statutory or constitutional barrier precluding Miss D from leaving the country to terminate her pregnancy. Read the rest of this story here.
Health News
Women Primarily Contract HIV from Their Husbands, Study Finds
Feminist Daily News Wire
Worldwide, marital sex is the leading cause of HIV infection in women, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study, published in the June 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, says that men's "inevitable" infidelity across most cultures is now the single greatest HIV risk for women. Moreover, the authors warn that current monogamy and abstinence-based prevention programs are ineffective because infidelity is so deeply culturally-ingrained. Dr. Jennifer S. Hirsch, one of the study's primary authors, said, "This study has direct implications for the types of prevention programs we should be supporting... It renders abstinence impossible and unilateral monogamy ineffective."
The study drew from more than six months of anthropological research in rural Mexico, New Guinea, and Southeastern Nigeria, where high rates of labor migration and cultural norms of masculinity contributed to men's infidelity. In Mexico, for instance, married men left home to seek work in the US or larger Mexican cities and often engaged in unsafe extramarital sex.
Studies conducted in Nigeria and New Guinea found that "looking for girls" -- even among married men -- is a socially ingrained phenomenon rooted in cultural anxieties about masculinity, and that it aggravates the existing risk of HIV transmission. "The result is that women are infected by their husbands...according to social convention...the only people with whom they are ever supposed to have sex," writes Dr. Hirsch. Similar studies underway in Uganda and Vietnam are expected to produce comparable results.
The study suggests reframing HIV prevention dialogue within the context of these socially sanctioned behaviors: In cultures where men's reputations are of the highest social importance, Hirsch recommends teaching men that it is their responsibility to protect their wives from infection.
Merck Criticizes Brazil's Decision to Make Generic AIDS Drugs
Democracy Now!
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is squaring off with international pharmaceutical companies over the price of AIDS drugs. Last Friday Lula signed a decree authorizing the Brazilian government to begin manufacturing or importing generic versions of the drug Efavirenz made by Merck. Lula said it is unethical to charge high prices for drugs of such importance. Merck criticized Brazil's move saying it was an expropriation of intellectual property. Thailand recently issued a similar decree over a drug made by the U.S. company Abbott Laboratories. Abbott responded by refusing to sell seven new drugs in the Thai market – a move that was condemned by AIDS activists and within the medical community.
Study: U.S. Hospitals Charging Uninsured More
Democracy Now!
A new study shows U.S. hospitals are charging uninsured patients two and a half times more than patients with health insurance. The gap has steadily increased over the last two decades but has seen an even sharper jump since the Bush administration took office. The study appeared in the medical journal Health Affairs.
Media News
Media Matters Report: Women and Minorities Still Invisible In Network News
Feminist Daily News Wire
A report released Monday by watchdog group Media Matters for America documented the continuing lack of women and minorities in prime-time news programs. The three-week study of MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN’s nightly news shows found that hosts and guests are still overwhelmingly male and white. Of the 35 hosts and co-hosts, 29 were men, and all were white, according to the report. Women did not make up at least half of the guests on a single one of the three cable networks, and on some networks they comprised as little as 18 percent.
The study covered the weeks surrounding the firestorm over radio host Don Imus’ racist and sexist comments about the Rutgers University basketball team. During the week of Imus coverage, significantly more African-American guests were brought onto the shows, but there was not an increase in women guests. After the controversy, the news shows returned to their regularly scheduled programming of predominately white guests.
"This report documents the harsh reality that women and people of color know all too well," said David Brock, president and CEO of Media Matters. "Their voices are seldom heard on the major cable news programs unless an issue of gender or race arises."
The study also found that Latinos, Asian-Americans, and members of other ethnic groups made up less than 5 percent of the guests throughout the three weeks. MSNBC had the worst minority representation -- between 70 and 93 percent of the guests were white.
4 Iraqi Journalists Killed in Kirkuk
Democracy Now!
Four Iraqi journalists have been killed in a shooting in the northern city of Kirkuk. It was the second attack against Iraqi media workers in less than a week.
CBS Fires Iraq General for Anti-War Ad
Democracy Now!
CBS has dismissed an Iraq war veteran over his involvement in an ad campaign criticizing the war. General John Batiste appears in an ad from the group VoteVets dot org. Batiste has been working as a CBS News consultant.
Michael Moore Under Investigation for Cuba Trip
Free Speech Radio News
Documentary film maker Michael Moore has been made into the subject of a civil investigation by the US treasury Department for taking several sick September 11th rescue workers to Cuba for medical treatment. Moore filmed parts of the trip for "Sicko", his upcoming documentary on the US health care system. The letter from the Chief of General Investigations and Field Operations for the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department is posted on Moore's website. Beyond notifying the film maker of the investigation, it requires him to provide detailed information about his trip, including dates for travel, itinerary within Cuba, itemized expenses with copies of receipts, names and locations of all places used for lodging in the island, and the names and addresses of all people who took part in the trip. "Sicko" will debut at the Cannes Film Festival next week. Michael Moore has under May 22nd to respond to the Treasury Department's letter without risking further penalties.
Limbaugh Criticized for Racially-Charged Obama Song
Democracy Now!
The right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh is coming under criticism for airing a song about Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama called “Barack the Magic Negro.” The song has played on Limbaugh’s program in recent weeks. Obama was given Secret Service protection last week in part due to threatening messages posted on white supremacist Web sites.
XM Satellite Jocks Come Under Fire for Joking About Rape Comments
Womens ENews
XM Satellite Radio hosts Opie and Anthony have come under fire for responding with laughter to degrading comments on their talk show, the New York Daily News reported May 11. A caller known as "Homeless Charlie" declared on the show that he would like to rape U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, first lady Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. Opie and Anthony played up the remarks and said they would enjoy the "horror" on Rice's face as she were punched and held down. A White House spokesperson said he would not "dignify the comments" by responding to them.
LGBTI News
Shock Jocks Fired, But Not For Gay Slur
365Gay
A New York radio station that ignored criticism after two of his morning show stars called a musician a "fag" on air has
