January 24- 30, 2010

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Welcome to the Global Current, your window to the world. Today we have reports on the potential ban on burqas in France with Matt Ausloss, and a report on the state of security in America with Heather Martino. But first, an update on the situation in Haiti.

Hosts:
Quemars Ahmed
Rehana Nathoo

Update in Haiti
The confirmed death toll in Port-Au-Prince is above 150, 000 at present. This number is based on bodies collected in and around the capital by state company CNE. There are still many more bodies that remain under the rubble that may change that number at a later point. Bulldozers and excavators are scarce in Port-Au-Prince to aid in the rescue of people from the devastation. More than 130,000 people have been relocated out of Port-Au-Prince by the authorities, to reduce the number of overcrowded camps in the city.

The Haitian government is currently working on reopening schools Monday, although it is uncertain how many are able to open, and how many students would be able to return. 97 percent of the city’s schools are destroyed, so it will be a difficult process. The restoration of power to the city may be a few weeks away, according to Col. Rick Kaiser of the United States Army, who is currently in command of an engineering brigade for the military’s Joint Task Force in Haiti.

President René Préval responded to the international criticism that he did not appear in public often enough since the earthquake, by saying that he wanted to avoid criticism that he was trying to exploit the disaster. He stressed that he is trying to “work and find the right way to recovery.” The city government has requested residents to help restore physical order by aiding the clean up of the city. The United Nations has sent over 11,000 survivors to clean the streets of rubble, mainly in the capital and other hard-hit areas. They are paying them the Haitian minimum wage of 60 cents an hour. The United Nations is aiming to put at least 100,000 Haitians to work through this initiative. Haitians are standing up in long lines to go to the central immigration and emigration offices, many hoping to obtain visas and flee the country.


Elsewhere in the Americas…

Obama may shift terrorist trials from New York City
After much criticism of his decision to hold trials in New York City, the President is currently considering other locations to possibly shift the trials to. This change in policy stems from complaints of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg about the costs as well as potential disruption that these trials would bring the city. The mayor is joined in these concerns by Senator Charles Schumer, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Governor David Paterson and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. President Obama has left the decision of moving the trial to the Justice Department.

New Honduran President Elected
Honduras has elected and sworn in a new President, Mr. Porfrio Lobo. Manuel Zelaya, the deposed leader, left the country on Wednesday, the day of Lobo’s inauguration to go into exile in the Dominican Republic with his wife and daughter. His decision to move to the Dominican Republic was in response to an invitation by President Leonel Fernandez. This brings to an end the political crisis that has been occurring in the country since June. The new President has promised to work on repairing the rifts caused by all of the turmoil.


Let’s look at The Middle East, where…


Iran executes protesters
Two men were convicted and hanged in Iran on Thursday for attempting to overthrow the regime after June’s disputed election. Further, the men were said to have ties to opposition groups that protested against the Islamic government. These men were the first to be executed for such crimes while over one-hundred other protesters and political activists have been tried, eleven of which have been sentenced to death. Such actions once again put Iran under the spotlight of the international community.

Yemen’s stability in question
London is holding an international conference to address Yemen’s status as a failing state. After the attempted Christmas Day bombing on a Northwest Airlines flight, Yemen’s harboring of terrorists and terrorist training camps came into focus. Hillary Clinton and David Miliband are praising the country for its strides toward economic reform. This summit could prove to increase aid for Yemen and fight al-Qaeda on another front.

Blair comes under scrutiny
Britain has begun to review the reasons for its assistance in the invasion of Iraq. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is preparing to testify in front of the Chilcot inquiry. It is expected that Blair will highlight the necessity to end Saddam Hussein’s reign while preventing the future production of weapons of mass destruction. Britain’s Iraq Inquiry will heighten media attention on a highly controversial war for the nation while having the potential to negatively impact Blair’s own Labour Party in upcoming elections.

Let’s look at Africa where…


Terrorism suspect believed to be motivated by loneliness
Online as well as personal evidence have shown the lonely heart that the terrorism suspect, responsible for the attempted bombing of an American airliner on December 25th, struggled with. According to a recently discovered alleged online account, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had been struggling with loneliness and finding a balance between extremism and liberalism as a Muslim long before his months studying in Yemen. An anonymous cousin has also come forth stating Abdul Mutallab’s tendencies to criticize his parents’ practices of religion saying things against his father’s successful and well paying job in banking. Specialists in Islamic movements have seen such lonely and depressed characteristics as warning signs for most people who end up taking radical measures.

Disfigured Somali victim of war dies after reconstructive surgery
The Somali boy whose face was unidentifiably disfigured by a stray bullet in Somalia’s capital months ago has died after undergoing reconstructive surgery in Kenya. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, the 8-year-old who became the poster face of war in Somalia, died after a successful surgery from intestinal bleeding. According to the UN, one in ten children in Somalia dies before their first birthday.

European union to train Somali forces
The EU said Monday that they will be supplying military power in Uganda to train the Somali government in their attempt to fight off an Islamic insurgency. The EU’s concern with the security risks that Somalia’s “failed state” enables has brought about this effort which will be led by Spain in combination with the African Union and other European states. Approximately 100 troops will be sent later this year.

Overthrown Prime Minister to run for President in Sudan
The Prime Minister overthrown by the current President of Sudan in 1989 declared on Tuesday his plans to run for President in the April elections. Sadeq al- Mahdi, the last elected Prime Minister in Sudan, wishes to offer the people of Sudan the choice to reinstate the person “who they believe represents their interests.” Mahdi leads the Ansar Islamic sect and has already established some support in the region.

Turning now to Europe, where…


France close to banning burqas
This week French lawmakers have come one step closer to banning Muslim women from wearing the religious head coverings, a burqa. French lawmakers will recommend to the Parliament that it be banned for woman to wear the full head coverings in public places, such as hospitals, schools, and public transport. The latest call for legislation comes 6 months after French President made a controversial statement saying the full-veils are not welcome in the country. He later defended his statement saying that the full veils are an infringement of a woman’s freedom and it was not an anti-religious statement. According to a recent public opinion poll in the country over half the country supports the partial ban, despite the fact that it is estimated that less than 2,000 Muslim woman in the country wear the full-veiled burqa. It is believed that a final vote will not take place on this legislation until after regional elections this year.

Northern Ireland peace near end
Nearly 3 years into a new power sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, a renewed conflict has arisen between the Catholic and Protestant parties of the territory. This week the prime ministers of England and Ireland met in Northern Ireland for negotiations dealing mainly with disagreements about the police and justice system agreed upon in the new power sharing agreement. They gave an ultimatum that the local government needed to come to their own agreement or else the two prime ministers would draw up and agreement that would be implemented. The two prime ministers left the territory on Wednesday, which many saw as a sign of possible failure of peace. Northern Ireland has been a forefront for bloodshed and fighting in Europe for centuries as there is a bitter feud between the Protestants and Catholics in the territory.

Finally a look at Asia, where…


North Korea arrests two American men
On Thursday, North Korea announced that they have arrested the second American man in recent weeks for crossing over the border from China. The American entered North Korea on Monday and has been under interrogation. It is believed that missionary Robert Park has been in North Korean custody since late December after he crossed the frozen river border. Due to a lack of diplomatic ties, the United States works through the Swedish Embassy and the South Korean government could offer no further information on the detention of these two men.

President of Sri Lanka re-elected
Mahinda Rajapaska was re-elected as the President of Sri Lanka by a wide margin on Wednesday. Rajapaska had an 18-point advantage over his opponent Sarath Foneska. Foneska was the general who carried out a very successful military operation against the insurgency by the Tamil Tigers. Although independent election monitors claim no fraud in the vote, Foneska rejected the result. Advocacy groups have questioned the fairness of the campaign. Rajapaska has been accused of using state resources and the state-owned media to alienate opposition candidates.

China sentences four to death over July riots
On Tuesday, a Chinese court sentenced four people to death for their involvement in the Urumqi riots. The defendants were charged with “extremely serious crimes” and their sentences are to be carried out immediately. The July riots between minority Uyghurs and Han Chinese lead to 200 deaths. Others involved were given various prison sentences.

Military plane crash in Philippines kills eight
A Philippine Air Force plane crashed on Thursday, killing at least 8 people including Air Force Division commander Butch Lacson. The plane dropped off a tactical operations group in Cotabato city on Thursday morning. The plane went down in Cotabato City and crashed into multiple houses before bursting into flames. The plane was headed to Zamboanga city.